Analogue moments

Using conventional design tools - from pens to model-making - is about the analogue, human-centred experience, the antidote to a frenetic digital age of "digital fatigue". But while there are needs for, and advantages with digital technology providing flexibility, connectivity and efficiency, digital software, chatbots included may make ideas and concepts look 'perfect' - almost too perfect - hiding poor credibility or usability. And so, there is a growing appreciation and wants of traditional analogue techniques, of the slow "analogue moments" which inspire design thinking and making leading to surprising idea development. That is, using analogue ideation tools, designers, without an algorithm making choices for them, are nudged to slow down to make deliberate decisions based on heuristic problem-solving that offers simplicity, flexibility and low resource requirement. In return, designers are rewarded with a richer, more sensory and satisfying creative experience. Indeed using analogue tools enables designers to find the craft in design.

The march of technology

The inroad of digital tools on design has been dramatic, both in terms of process (digitalisation) and outcome (digitisation). For example, in graphic design, the computer, both hard- and software, has much reduced the use of analogue pens. Digitalisation, like technology in general is impacting design thinking and research too, and increasingly so through search engines, social media and chatbots. Also, efficiency criteria in industry have put digitalisation at the forefront of professional practice (although it can be quite inefficient to try to measure efficiency in creative contexts). For instance, Building information modelling, BIM - a digital process that facilitates collaborative working in design, construction, maintenance and use of buildings - is becoming industry standard even in the pre-design phase. Moreover, integration of BIM and AI systems has made designers increasingly dependent on digitalisation. In design education, the impact of the digital age has seen a decline in the use of conventional tools with the loss of skills as machines continue to do more thinking and making for us. Indeed younger generations may not even get the opportunity to learn the skills in the first places questioning whether digital technology is enhancing and sharpening designer skills, or making us lazy. Although both analogue and digital tools need to be used skillfully and responsibly, the development of digital technologies highlights potential risks to human judgement, and notably ethical and operational risks of digital decisions without critical evaluation.