Theme 5: design research

Media technologies can be reviewed depending on multiple factors. The most obvious one would be the perceived goal of said technology, and the degree to which it manages to achieve these goals. In extension to this, this level of achievement can be compared to alternative (technological and/or manual) means of achieving the same goal, taking into account relevant factors such as cost, social and cultural context, future durability and the like.

Third, perhaps somewhat less straightforward, is the serendipitous value of a technology, i.e. what other goals might also be achieved. One major example is the mobile phone, which initially existed primarily as a way of making phone calls and sending text messages, but has since evolved to become a near-ubiquitous device for anything ranging from fitness to music listening and from navigation to journalism.

The building of prototypes can be a major help in discovering this kind of hidden potential. The Oculus Rift, and similar virtual reality devices, were initially envisioned to be videogame devices in mainstream media, only to prove themself similarly useful for scientific research, military training and operations and medical applications.

The main goal of a prototype, however, remains serving as a proof of concept; being a tangible evidence that one or multiple of the perceived goals can actually be achieved within the perimeters considered necessary for success, including (but not limited to) cost, comfort and durability. Characteristically, however, such prototypes are limited to the bare technical necessities, meaning that matter such as aesthetic design and consumer appeal can not always be sufficiently tested. This can be rather problematic, seeing as these are often important questions to be answered in order to estimate long-term potential, and as such, justify financial and scientific investments. The design research, then, should fill this foid and clearly shed light on such prototype limitations, as well as attempt to articulate the possiblities and limitations through theoretical reasoning.