As a technology designer, my goal is to aid people in their daily lives and help them solve their problems through the use of technology. This helps break down barriers between people, departments, and companies. Technology systems enable people to share their thoughts and needs with others and help people to understand what is happening in the space around them. In spite of these goals, technology designers often get lost in the tools they work with, overlooking the human element of their work.
When looking at problems from a human angle, we find that complex ideas can be presented in easy-to-understand ways because they universally affect us all. Keeping the human perspective at the forefront while designing allows for designs that aid clients in keeping spaces and people secure. If I can use solid design to help clients accomplish their tasks and needs, I have succeeded my goals.
Finding common ground in interpersonal communication, we can develop strong relationships with clients. So, how can technology systems be easily explained during the client consultation? There are two primary topics that need to be tackled: communication and security.
How We Communicate with Each Other
Technology addresses the very human need for communication:
- How individuals communicate with each other
- How individuals communicate with the space they are in
- How that space communicates with them
Technology designers need to discover how the client communicates in all of these instances. Then, they need to assess these forms of communication by asking questions similar to:
- How well do their technology systems work for the client?
- What are the issues the client faces on a daily basis?
- Are their current goals being met?
- If not, what challenges do they face that complicate their daily lives?
- What are their goals for the future, and do they foresee any future changes that will affect how they currently communicate with others?
Having the answers to these questions will help create an effective technology system that can address each challenge.
How can technology systems be easily explained during the client consultation? There are two primary topics that need to be tackled: communication and security. "
Jonathan Lovelace
How We Secure Our Environment
We also need to dive into how the client currently keeps their spaces and, more importantly, their people safe. What are the client’s current safety concerns? Does their current approach work for them? There are so many ways to address security and each design is often a custom fit for the client. There is no “one-size-fits-all” when it comes to security needs.
Design meeting for the Lake in the Hills Police Station in Illinois.
Communication and security are human needs that we can all relate to, and proper client consultation does not need to involve specific technical terminology. It can be as simple of a question as, “What challenges do you currently face when communicating with your employees?” or “Can you tell me areas of your building where there are current security concerns?” Assessing individual need does not have to involve tech-heavy conversations that can overwhelm or confuse a client. Questions that the client can relate to create an inviting open forum for discussion, which better enables designers to design functional solutions.
Town of Vienna Police Station in Virginia.
We all live in a world of technology. We use it daily and while we may not know specific systems, we all know the impact they have on our lives, both personally and professionally. This knowledge is the foundation on which we should build technology design, which is the human element.