The classic example of future interfaces that technology buffs like to bring up is Minority Report. While the touch-screen wall of glass seemed a bit extreme at the time, there is no denying that touch-screen going to be a big part of our future. Other famous moments of that movie included Tom Cruises run around the city with video ads playing on the city walls and sidewalk. There were videos ads on the back of cereal boxes, personalized video messages at department stores, and electronic newspapers.
In final part of this series, I am going to be looking at is this notion that future interfaces will be everywhere.
This has been one of the most fun areas for people to theorize. With the mainstream adoption of wifi services, the idea that anything, including an umbrella or a refrigerator, to become internet-enabled is a possibility. So what is the true way we sift the mainstream from the somewhat ridiculous? The big question is, does it fill a need that is wide enough for everyone to understand why they need it in their lives?
Science Fact
What is a big need? Data portability. The convenience of access anytime and anywhere cannot be denied. So let's look at the places we spend most of our lives in. There are social settings, there are our vehicles, and then there are our homes. It's easy to understand why mobile internet is exploding. It's easy to see why vehicles and game consoles are fighting to become the most internet enabled. This is where we spend much of our time.
The future of the "everywhere interface" is that it will enable non-device specific data. You will take a picture with your camera (camera phone) be able to upload and spread it just as easily as you would from your laptop. You enter your car, and a device connection is made allowing you to transfer to car entertainment system. Your friend downloads onto their phone and then spread the photos to their friends. Interfaces will move to a more flexible multi-device format, as you will be accessing the same information from a variety of points.
Science Fiction
As interesting as I find it, I just do not see a future in many ambient devices and internet-enabled clothing. Let's go back and ask, is there a need? For some, maybe, but for many the home space and physical attire are seen as a method of self-expression. Will they sacrifice their personal style for an umbrella that changes color with the weather, especially when they have an iPhone app that does the same thing?
Where It's Poking Through
So I poked fun at the ambient umbrella and digital aware clothing. But, there are some ambient devices that are getting quite popular, namely the Chumby, a bean bag style monitor that easily displays online widgets, and the Nabaztag, an internet enabled rabbit that reads you stories and tells you about the weather.
That's all fine and good, but those are here today. Let's hear about some of the mobile devices of the future.
1. BMW augmented reality project uses 3D-glasses that feature additional information about what the user sees in front of them, in this case, the car the mechanic is repairing:
2. Similarly, petitinvention proposed a project called Futuristic Glasswhich features a see-through screen that augments whatever the view sees through the glass in a number of ways:
3. Motorola Sparrow provides retail stores a mobile point of sale device that allows customers to pay for a product via the device and leave the store without ever having to whip out that credit card:
4. A whole series of augmented reality technology featured on the Science Channel:
5. And finally, just for good measure, you should probably watch the entire series "2057 - The City" on the Discovery Channel, which features everything from health robots and that internet-enabled clothing that will be all the rage in the future:
Where Social Will Fit In
How does social features change in the context of the "everywhere" interface? Simply sharing between devices is an incredibly social action in and of itself. Devices will need to be aware of your social graph in order to allow access and protect privacy concerns as your many everywhere devices intersect with others. Not to mention the incredible importance of location aware services and finding your friends in your car, on your phone, with your camera.
So the real future interfaces we will be seeing will be all of these things... natural, intelligent, social and everywhere. With gestural behaviors between smart devices out in the world with our friends, it will be hard to even think about these things as interfaces at all. Interface designers will give way to interaction designers will give way to life designers.
And since these interactions will be infused into most things we do, most things we own, and most places we go, you have to wonder whether it will be necessary to have discrete "web professionals" anymore. But I will stop there, before I predict myself out of a job.
Marta Strickland
Strategists & Planners