Written by: Ruby Kim
It has been over ten years since smartphones became common. They’ve helped us connect faster than ever before, but that connection doesn’t always translate into real relationships. Even when we’re together, we often look at our phones more than at each other. Scrolling through feeds feels more familiar than taking a walk. Convenience has increased, but the moments to pause and think seem to have diminished.
Algorithms try to fit everything to our taste, but sometimes they make the world feel smaler. Short videos provide instant pleasure, but they blur our sense of focus and reflection. Technology undoubtedly connects us, yet within that connection, there are moments when we feel strangely isolated.
Still, I don’t believe technology inherently weakens our humanity. Every technology depends on how we choose to use it. Online platforms can turn digital connections into real friendships, fitness apps encourage people to go outside again, and virtual technologies bridge the distance between families far apart. These examples show how thoughtful design can bring people closer to the world again.
Technology doesn’t need to replace people. It can be designed to help and inspire us instead. The challenge is that these values are hard to measure. We can track how long people look at a screen or how much money a service makes, but we can’t see the thoughts or connections that happen in that time. So many services focus on keeping users longer instead of giving them something meaningful. But people remember spaces not for how long they stayed, but for how they felt while being there. That difference is what I care about most.
Steve Jobs once said, “Design is not just what it looks like. Design is how it works.” To me, “how it works” goes beyond functionality, it means how it changes the way people think, feel, and live. Digital products should work in the same way. Instead of competing for attention, they should respect the user’s time and intention. If a service helps someone pause for a moment, reflect on themselves, or genuinely connect with others, that, to me, is good design.
Technology continues to evolve rapidly. Some changes make us more efficient, while others simply make us busier. In between those changes, I want to explore what it means for technology to remain human-centred. I hope to keep asking better questions, as a designer who believes thoughtful technology can make our lives more human.