Technological Mediation
Technologies are an extension of humans’ actions. The innovations are also shaping our perspective of the world. The relations between humans, technology, and the world are closely linked to philosophical concepts. This interplay can be summarized in a lemniscate, where technologies act as a mediation between us and the world.
This scheme can be translated to the context of Brazil.
The human side is translated by the people in the favelas. The context is Brazil’s status quo, in times of COVID-19. The technologies we are introducing (filter and soap), are the mediators between the people and their water access, sanitation, COVID-19 and their living situation.
The concepts around the lemniscate are also very important. Any technology used extends a person’s abilities to interact with the world. However, a technology should be suitable and appropriate. A technology should be functional and effective in the given context. To make sure it does no harm to the surroundings, it has to be sustainable.
Appropriate Design
Appropriate design means that the design is suitable for the intended users and context.
The usefulness and impact of technologies always depend on how they are being used, their targeted user demographic, and functionality in certain environments. Therefore, technologies should be analyzed by their appropriateness in relation to its users and context. Even though a design can be functional, if the context and intended user is not being considered, the product is useless.
Technologies are often designed for the average target user. However, this does not immediately take all users into consideration, as some might be excluded. For defining the average user, assumptions of their context and capabilities are made, based on research. It is important to think of possible exclusion of people.
Defining who the intended user is and understanding how it might not be all-inclusive is an important part of the design process. Therefore, consulting them and letting them have a say in the design process is essential for creating appropriate solutions.