1. How did the technical systems evolve in the past ~ 5000 years?

We have always been using technical systems. One amongst many initial systems can be the method to light and control fire which we learned almost a million years ago. From there, till the 20th century, the majority of the systems were mechanical in nature. We have come a lot far in terms of complexity, and utility if we see the transition from fire as a system, to our 20th century-based enigma machines.

If you consider the transition, the transition is ruled by 4 major themes:

1.1) Shift of technical systems from single-utility to multi-utility systems,

• Technology developed from a point where initially a system was used for just one task, and now the same systems are capable of doing multiple tasks in one single go. For it to do multiple tasks, and that too with required customization, a higher level of interaction with the system was needed.

1.2) Democratization of reach so that everyone can access them,

• With the reach of these systems increasing to every individual, the complexity of interactions had to be reduced so that these systems could be utilized by everyone. This led to tools like levers, pulleys, and gears being used. They have taken the shape of UI, keyboard, and mouse in the modern era.

1.3) Custom control over the systems, and

• Throughout history, from ancient times to the present day, most technological systems have been designed in isolation, without considering their interdependence with other systems. As a result, users have typically had to select and activate the appropriate system for their needs, without any assistance from the system itself. This places the burden of responsibility on the user to make the right decision and manage the complexity of multiple systems.

1.4) Increase in the number of systems

• Now the scenario where we are heading is full of technical systems. It is leading us to a state that includes us being more absorbed in these tools. In order to select the right system, and right input, we users need to bear the cognitive load which takes us away from our central task.

💡 Throughout the transition, it is crucial to acknowledge that users have always been responsible for utilizing technology according to their specific requirements.

There has been a lack of emphasis on the concept of why technology cannot comprehend human needs and seamlessly serve them in the background. And, a logical answer to that which revolves around the difficulty of mechanical systems to understand human requirements and act accordingly. However, we can see such systems wherever it was possible, like the famous Roman water transport system: Aqueducts.

2. Pain points in the current day systems

Our systems have evolved a lot during the transition. With the introduction of digital systems, our abilities to achieve our objectives have skyrocketed. Though, these “modern” digital systems also come with their own limitations, and bottlenecks.

There are 4 major pain points with our current-day digital platforms:

2.1) Overwhelming user responsibility of engaging with a system,

• The modern world presents users with an increasing number of technical systems, each of which requires them to take on cognitive load in three key ways: 1) understanding and choosing the right system for the task at hand, 2) providing the right inputs to make the system function correctly, and 3) doing all of this across an increasing number of systems. This can lead to cognitive overload and frustration.

2.2) Bottleneck related to our interaction bandwidth,

• Current technical systems have two key limitations: First, the bandwidth of information that can be sent and received is limited, which constrains the richness of our interaction with the system. Second, even if we had an infinite amount of bandwidth, our current physical interaction methods (like keyboards, mice, and screens) limit our ability to meaningfully interact with the system.
• One inefficient way of solving the bottleneck problem in the short term is via increasing the screen size which we are actively seeing taking center stage across all types of digital interface methods.

2.3) Intrusive nature of centralized platforms, and

• One of the primary issues with current central devices like mobile phones and laptops is the constant need for direct interaction and attention. These devices require users to actively engage with screens, input commands, and navigate through various apps and interfaces. This can lead to a fragmented and distracting user experience, taking away from real-world interactions and causing information overload.

2.4) Tethered nature of the devices

• Current-day technical systems keep us tied to the devices that immobilize people, thus creating friction.

3. How do we see the future systems?

As, we keep understanding ourselves, our objectives, and our environment better, we will definitely be finding novel, efficient innovative solutions. I believe the coming era of technological revolutions will be aimed at solving the pain points mentioned above primarily.

Throughout the evolution of technical systems, it is crucial to acknowledge that users have always been responsible for utilizing technology according to their specific requirements. There has been a lack of emphasis on the concept of why technology cannot comprehend human needs and seamlessly serve them in the background. We are seeing the dawn of a robust machine perception era which can enable this.

At the same time, the issues around interaction bandwidth and the intrusive nature of devices will be challenged by redesigning the interfaces. I believe this shall be taken up by ambient computing devices. The interfaces will weave themselves into the fabric of everyday life until they are indistinguishable from it. We shall be building solutions not only for our central attention but peripheral attention as well.