Just one of the defining factors of improvements in devices is actually not tech developments but design. Although people can assert that technology and design improvements move in conjunction, it is equally quick to see just how design rules shopper behavior. This has actually been the case for a long time since industrial production enabled producers to offer cheap products with the onus on design rather than functionality. E.g., the paper clothing of the 60s were cheap and arguably of a poor finish yet for many fashionable consumers they were must have wardrobe items.
This continues to this present day. Cell phone producers continually play with the dichotomy of design vs functionality. Lots of product designers choose classic designs and instead rely on features. Many others choose to feature fewer features but instead focus on design, sometimes collaborating with singers.
With this attention given to design instead of usability, it is easy to think of technology devices as solely design orientated yet it is also important to not forget that such products are supposed to have functional benefits as well. When you are picking a product to buy there is often three different elements that you have to weigh up – features, design and cost. At times you may wish to spend more on features and at other times for design. At other times design and functionality are merged together. Apple’s design ethos is an excellent example of design meeting technology.
If you always go for the design factor when buying new products then you should really start to consider the functional factor as well. Whilst it might be tempting to buy the coolest designed product, it may very well not be the most robust. You should really always consider the functionality of the device and how you will be using it. There is little point buying a really flash laptop if all you do is send emails or browse online.
Thus, when purchasing a new product, you should always think about how you will use it or why you need it. A good example is e-book readers (such as the Amazon Kindle). They have practical uses. For instance, plenty of airlines now limit flyers to a single piece of luggage. An e-book reader is a lot smaller than an average book and you can take many more books with you on holiday than you might otherwise be able to.
Mobile phones have also greatly improved their technology features. You might be able to use your phone for all of your media needs. Lots of phones now come with large storage capacities enabling you to save videos, pictures and music. cell phones now also have decent digital cameras too, meaning you won’t need to buy a separate, costly camera. The web is no different. Plenty of websites have been designed with usability and functionality as the focus. You can use sites which were developed to allow you to organize your online time more effectively. They vary from a bookmarks manager, password store and personalized homepage.
A bookmarks manager will really save time and will change the way you work. Unfortunately, many of them have a more functional design. It will be intriguing to see how they will evolve over time as more people come to expect functionality that is shown in a well designed product.