Sunday, March 20, 2016

Our Extended Body Part





This item has become an extended body part for most human beings.  Without this item most of us would be lost.  When I was tasked with this assignment, I used what “White Space Is Not Your Enemy” taught me.  I put pencil to paper and brainstormed dozens of ideas until I found the “big idea” that stood out the most.  That was my iPhone.  I wasn’t able to take a picture of my iPhone from my iPhone so I used a picture I found on google.  Brian Kennedy tells us to look, see, describe, and analyze the item in order to interpret and construct meaning from it.  When I look at the phone I see the consistent rectangular shape that almost every single cellphone is in.  When I see the shape it makes me think about why this shape in particular.  I can describe the color, that there is a screen on one side of the phone, that there are buttons on the phone on either the side, the back or the front.  I can tell you that my phone has a circular button on the front where the screen is that is round in order to be more pleasing to the finger when it’s pushed because it allows for more area to get the finger print.  Which brings me to analyzing the phone.  In order to analyze one must ask questions.  The first question I have is why the rectangular shape instead of a circle or a square or a triangle?  Why only one screen instead of a screen on the front and back?  Why is there only a flash on the back of the phone and not on the front and back?  Why is the circular button located on the bottom of the phone and not the top?  The questions can go on and on.  I won’t bore you with all the answers, however I believe functionality, aesthetic engagement and comfort-ability all play a part in the design of cellular phones.  I believe when cell phones first came out there was no way to tell how much they would take over our lives!  This is why there are new technological advances made all the time like the phone watch.  I guess if it’s on your wrist your less likely to lose it.  I say all of this to say the meaning that I receive from my phone is that it is a way to stay in constant contact with the rest of the world while ensuring that it will be simple, convenient, efficient, and comfortable to do so.  Who knows what advances will be made tomorrow!