I think some products have changed the way we live. The iPod and iPhone didn’t just give us new tools, they changed the way we think about technology. They are also my childhood memories.
Before the iPod, most devices had only one function: music players played music, and phones made calls. The iPod made technology more personal. You could fit 1,000 songs in your pocket, and that felt special.
Then the iPhone came along. It wasn’t just a phone, it was a camera, a map, a diary, a game, and a wallet. It became part of our daily lives. I went from playing cards to playing video games on my phone as a child.
This change has made us more connected to technology. Now, we touch, swipe, and talk to our devices every day. We use them to remember things, communicate with people, and examine our habits.
For people like me who study interaction design, this has changed the way we work. We don’t just make tools, we make things that people use every day. We have to think about how people feel when they use them. We also have to make sure they are easy to use and safe and reliable.