Making Gadgets That Fit Your Life: A Smarter Way to Design

People love their gadgets, but they often end up with too many because each one only does one thing. This is a problem because it wastes resources and creates a lot of electronic trash. The idea is to make gadgets that can change and adapt to different situations, like using your phone for work, play, and exercise. But how can designers make this happen? One way is to think about how people use gadgets in different situations. For example, a speaker might be used at home, outdoors, or in a smart home setup. By understanding these different uses, designers can create modules that fit each situation. This means one gadget can have different parts that can be swapped out or adjusted depending on what the user needs.A recent study looked at how to do this with audio products. They used a special method to figure out what people need in different situations and then designed modules that fit those needs. This way, one speaker could have a common base and then different parts for home entertainment, smart home use, or outdoor activities. The cool thing about this approach is that it reduces waste. Instead of buying a new gadget every time you need something different, you can just swap out the parts you need. This makes the gadget more sustainable and saves money. But there are challenges. Designers need to think carefully about how to make these modules work together and ensure they meet people's needs. It's not just about making things smaller or cheaper; it's about making them more useful and adaptable. In the end, this approach could change how we think about gadgets. Instead of having a bunch of single-use devices, we could have a few adaptable ones that fit our lives better. This would be good for the environment and our wallets.