What happens to user experience design…

when humans become more integrated with machines?

What new considerations will we designers have to take into account when our users interact with devices that are plugged directly into their nervous systems, or installed in their bodies?

The good folks at Superflux have been thinking about this in the context of curing blindness. Here’s what they have to say:

What if we could change our view of the world with the flick of a switch? The emerging field of optogenetics combines genetic engineering and electronics to manipulate individual nerve cells with light. With this technology, scientists are developing a new form of retinal prostheses. Using a virus to infect the degenerate eye with a light-sensitive protein, wearable optoelectronics can establish a direct optical link with the brain. Song of the Machine explores the possibilites of this new, modified – even enhanced – vision, where wearers adjust for a reduced resolution by tuning into streams of information and electromagnetic vistas, all inaccessible to the ‘normally’ sighted.

I’ve been fascinated with this concept–the idea of enhancing human experience through designed objects that integrate with our bodies–ever since I watched this TED talk by Aimee Mullins, who sees her prosthetic legs as a desirable enhancement rather than simply a replacement for her legs:

Aimee doesn’t want her old legs back. She considers herself better off being able to change her body to suit her mood, and her desires.

It got me thinking, how does the job of a UX designer change when we can help users meet their needs not just through designing easy to understand, learn, and use digital interfaces on their computers, and handheld devices, but by changing a user’s body? What new needs can we help people meet? What are the ethics that we should follow? What should we do for example when a perfectly sighted person wants to blind himself to take advantage of an enhanced visual system?

What do you think?

Roots and Leaves: Collaboration: Two minds come together to write and design a book

SMXL partner Jason Nunes and Funny Garbage Creative Director Andy Pratt are co-authoring a book called Interaction Design an Introduction by Rockport Publishers, which will be out in September. Andy wrote a great blog post about the team’s writing process, and collaboration in general. He makes some great points. Here are Andy’s key ingredients for successful collaboration:

Trust and respect: Everyone on the team must trust each other and know that the other team members will deliver. Don’t focus on what others are doing. Don’t micro manage. Do what you do and do it well.

Egoless team members: Confidence is important. Be confident in your skill set, your opinions, and your voice. But listen to what others have to say and let others talk. Collaboration is about dialogue. Your contribution is not measured by how much you talk. It’s measured both by what you say and how you listen.

Clear responsibilities: Everyone needs to be clear on who owns what. Other team members should be able to critique. After all, you’re working with professionals who bring their own experience and opinions. A project manager should be able to give their opinions to a designer, a developer to a user experience designer, and so forth. However, in the end, the owner of that decision or task needs to make the final call. And because there is mutual respect and trust within the team, everyone should be comfortable with that.

What do you think? When you collaborate what are your ingredients?