As a graphic design major, keeping up with technology is essential. Falling behind on the latest trends of anything relating to your livelihood is never a positive thing. Technology is constantly moving forward, with no intention of stopping.

Growing up, there were never smart phones or iPads. But today I heard that third graders have iPhones – and it boggles my mind. When I was a kid, I could never have imagined relying so heavily on technology, let alone having my major and career depend on it. In fact, when I applied to Oswego State, I was a marketing major – which is not closely related to design and technology at all.

When I was a senior in high school, I decided to get into graphic design. On a whim, I decided to take a three-period a day class that was solely focused on graphic design and other skills, because it looked interesting and I wasn’t really sure what I wanted to do otherwise. That class changed not only my major, but my perspective and appreciation on design; how it is constantly around us, whether we realize it or not. Whether it be for creative purposes or the design of the objects we use everyday. As technology continues developing and changing, so does design, and we as people have to adapt with it.

This past week I was introduced to something that could potentially change my education choices once again. A presentation was given to my web design class on a graduate program here at Oswego State, the Human Computer Interaction program. Human Computer Interaction, or HCI, is the study, planning and design of the interactions between people and computers.

This type of education would not have been considered 10 or 20 years ago. From what I’ve been able to see, this field and others like it will only continue to grow.

The presenter discussed technologies such as projection laser keyboards and cell phone screens, and said that desktop computers may eventually be out-dated. Immersive video game and simulation experiences put the game into your living room in a three-dimensional environment. Using technologies similar to the Kinetic (for Xbox) for medical procedures to allow surgeons access medical files without leaving their patient.  There are even robots doing recreational activities. These types of technologies are in development and are possibilities for our future.

Before listening to this presentation, I was planning to go right into the work world directly after my undergraduate degree. However, this type of program makes me reconsider my decision. Working with design and focusing on the interactions between people and computers is a step further into what I’m studying now.

For now, I’m still considering my options, but who knows? Faced with the future and how fast-paced technology is constantly moving, the limit seems almost endless. The question of how advanced technology will grow within my lifetime is one of the unknowns in my future that I, for one, am looking forward to seeing.