While there are some exciting things on the horizon in terms of what technology makes possible, there are some cultural shifts that are driving the way technology will be used in the future.

Breaking boundaries to create envelopment.

While many arts groups, schools and churches currently use technology to highlight what is happening on the platform, there is a shift to using technology to create environments that envelop.  Surround sound, scenic projection, interactive devices and color change LED’s all break the boundary between what is happening on-stage to what is happening in the seating areas and in some cases break the boundaries of the walls of the facility itself.

 

Shift from program to user-defined experience.

The digital world offers the ability to customize.  Rather than linear experiences that have a predetermined beginning, middle and end, the digital world allows capacity to hack, customize and modify.  Users select hyperlinks to follow things that interest them creating a non-linear, highly customized experience. Look for this desire to create a user-defined experience to influence the way programs are structured and the technology that supports them.

Shift from presentational to participatory.

Presentational rooms focus on one direction of communication–from the platform out.  Participatory rooms support communication from all directions.  This may be through handheld devices, bi-directional digital communication beyond the walls of the room, or it may mean a completely decentralized room where the experience is created in a collaborative fashion.

 

 

 

In our industry, delivering great design solutions is the ticket for entry to join the ranks of the big firms. Anything less and you won’t be invited to work on the significant projects—at least not more than once anyway.

The differentiation comes in how those design solutions are delivered.

We live in a world where technology is fueling collaboration at higher speeds than ever before possible. Hierarchical structures (“command and control” as Thomas Friedman aptly put it) are giving way to “connect and collaborate” structures. The goal is no longer wrapping expertise in reports. No one has time to read them.  Instead solutions have to be developed in groups—the only way to get them to the point of action rather than having them languish on a shelf.

Many designers will tell you (off the record) that one of the biggest death-knolls for a project is circular decision making by the client. Design fees that should go to brighter and brighter innovation instead get wasted visiting and revisiting the same decisions over-and-over. And while in some industry circles you will hear people grousing about the clients, in actuality it is our—the designer’s—fault.  Current industry processes don’t allow for real-time design decisions, and engineers rarely develop the people skills needed to lead groups in identifying which decisions are important to make. 

In 2012, Acoustic Dimensions is investing heavily in structure to allow clients to make informed decisions rapidly.  Note that this isn’t about rushing or short cuts, but about re-engineering--cutting out wasteful and repetitive processes, tooling our offices for participatory design and increasing our team’s skill in group dynamics.  This efficiency is being passed onto our clients and is resulting in a work flow that is radically more effective and engaging.  As we mount our industry revolution, we want to invite feedback from the design teams and clients with whom we work.  What is the impact? How can we be better? We invite you to send your feedback to your project manager or to the leadership of any of our offices, because the best part of the revolution is that it creates a dialogue.