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New Computing: Human-Centric Design

The lecture discusses the evolution of technology design in computer systems, contrasting old computing, which focuses on power and speed, with new computing that prioritizes user needs and experiences. It highlights Leonardo Da Vinci as an example of blending science and art to solve human problems. The emphasis is on creating computer systems that enhance human activities rather than merely showcasing technical capabilities.

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12 views1 page

New Computing: Human-Centric Design

The lecture discusses the evolution of technology design in computer systems, contrasting old computing, which focuses on power and speed, with new computing that prioritizes user needs and experiences. It highlights Leonardo Da Vinci as an example of blending science and art to solve human problems. The emphasis is on creating computer systems that enhance human activities rather than merely showcasing technical capabilities.

Uploaded by

tymjlov9212
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Listen to part a of a lecture in an Introductory Computer Science class.

Lecturer: Okay, so we've discussed some basic underlying concepts of computer systems that drive
application and programming. Uh, now I want to focus on a related topic: Technology design. Uh,
the way developers think about and design computer systems and software. This isn't just a techno
problem, but a philosophical one as well, which is made clear in one of the books you've been
assigned to read this semester.

To illustrate - let's talk about Leonardo Da Vinci. And the outlook that his work seems to reveal.
Uh, Leonardo Da Vinci, as you may know, was both a great artist of the Italian Renaissance and a
great inventor with contributions to multiple fields, including architecture, anatomy, and engineering.
Uh, Da Vinci was able to think both scientifically and artistically. And he blended science and art in
his drawings of human anatomy. His work demonstrates that humans were front and center in his
way of thinking about the world, as though he was thinking, "What human problems can my designs
solve?"

Now, it may seem obvious to say we want our computers to solve human problems, but there's an
important distinction made in the book you'll read—the distinction between old computing and
new computing. Now, old computing refers to a way of thinking about computing that was driven
by thoughts like improving computing power and speed, how many gigabytes a machine might
have, how fast a machine is, and so on. Uh, don't get me wrong - these features are still important.
The problem is when these are the end goal—because power and processing speed are sort of
irrelevant if the machine is poorly designed and doesn't meet the expectations of the user.

New computing, on the other hand, uh, refers to design that focuses on the end goal, or more
specifically, the end user's goal, what the individual might need, or, uh, want out of the computer.
It places humans front and center. In new computing, the focus shifts from what computers can do
to what people can do with computers. So, instead of thinking about big power for the sake of
having a fancy impressive machine, developers concentrate on individuals or specific groups of
individuals. For example, they create products that support human activities, um, activities like
collecting information, or communication, or disseminating information to others.

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