"Tools for Everyone"

Created by APOLLO / Digital Literacy, Facing Progress, Raising Awareness

2-minute read

Today we find ourselves within a world with wider ranges of technological accessibility. Over the past thirty years the internet has become an incredibly important part of our day to day lives. Whether it’s for banking, entertainment or communication it’s safe to say the internet is owed a dense degree of gratitude for its profound impacts on humanity.

These technologies are much stronger than we could’ve ever imagined…

They've unlocked experiences that have never existed before…

These technologies have delivered things we didn't know we wanted. 

As time goes on we find ourselves empowered with a rising set of tools that have strengthened our creativity, peaked our productivity and rapidly changed traditional mediums of communication. Now that we are awakened to this incredible phenomenon we must lean into innovation as we double down on the user experience at an individual level. We must find meaning within these new and profound tools whether it’s writing smoothly on a screen, unlocking a phone handsfree with facial recognition or speaking written essays into existence with speech-to-text programs.

One of my new personal favorites is the mechanics of the Apple Pencil II. Using the iPad notes app I can now write with incredible accuracy in complete darkness upon paper which doesn’t demand physical space for countless pages. This simulated experience blesses its users with the classical experience of handwritten expression in tandem with the smooth flow of screen-based devices.

I can already hear the critics talking about how inefficient handwriting is as typing is much faster. Yet they neglect the fact that there are people who actually prefer the traditional handwritten interface such as our older generations. Giving them a tool like this allows them to be increasingly included into this digital revolution we continually find ourselves within day after day… 

I think that's incredibly important. 

Think about the profound impact which Audible has had for people who are blind. They find themselves with a rising selection of powerful tools, each of which works to bring them into harmony with their preferred goal. From artificial intelligence generating subtitles to podcasts and everything in between I think it’s incredibly important to focus on individual user experience.

We have to give tools to everyone of all ages and backgrounds. Even if their method may not be the most efficient it’s vital to focus on the comfort and ease of each user when creating. It’s about what's comfortable for you and what allows you to create at the highest level possible to retain as much passion and productivity as possible.

​I think that's incredibly important.