Modern times
#213 - Mar.2025
One of the examples that I often use in my talks about innovation and design is inspired on Chaplin's 1936 Modern Times.
There is one particular scene that resembles very well what bad design means.
Chaplin is a worker at a factory, where they started testing a new machine "designed" to feed workers, all for optimizing time. The machine was technically advanced but completely ignored the user. It nearly killed Chaplin by forcing food into his mouth!
From a design perspective, this scene always stuck with me.
The scene is funny, but behind it has a very insightful lesson - in fact, the entire film is a masterpiece of social critique.
This is what, often, happens in many companies shipping products & services where technology is disconnected from human needs.
This is what happens when we over-index on performance and ignore human behavior.
It is never just about the technology. It's about how we use it to deliver memorable experiences.
¡Saludos!
