Author Archives: Eric James

Just one of the defining factors of trends in devices has not been technological innovations but design. Although people can argue that technology and design improvements move in conjunction, it is equally simple to see just how design rules consumer habits. Still, this is not anything new since industrial production allowed manufacturers to offer cheap products with the bonus on design instead of functionality. For example, the paper clothing of the 1960s were really cheap and arguably of a poor quality yet for lots of fashion conscience consumers they were items you needed to have in your wardrobe. This process continues today. Mobile phone builders continually play with the dichotomy of functionality vs design. Many designers choose simple designs and instead rely on features. Lots of others choose to provide fewer features and instead focus on design, at times collaborating with celebrities. Continue reading →