Convergence Culture

I recently finished Henry Jenkins' book "Convergence Culture" but in the middle of the text I'd already decided it was something applied artists should take the time to read. More than most, I find that designers in general, and industrial designers in particular (including me), often become too focused on their work and mostly oblivious to what's going on around them. For me, this explains not only the general disinterest in business topics but also a surprising lack of awareness regarding topics such as RFID, ubiquitous computing, social networking, aso. So many of my contacts are dug into details - what does the physical button feel like? what material is the product? what color is it? what CAD program should I use to model it? - that I often wonder if they're following the larger cultural shifts which will almost certainly affect both the use of their products and consumer expectations regarding the experience they expect to have using them.

"Convergence Culture" isn't about tangible products, but it is very much about consumers, their increasing empowerment, and the ways in which they're manipulating what's being handed to them. We've already seen this occurring beyond traditional media: the success of "Make:" magazine and popularity of "Ikea hacks". With ongoing discussions about open sourcing hardware and developing a GPL license for tangible goods, it's worth everyone's time to understand what's happening, and this book is a great start. It's certainly gotten me thinking.

{Image Copyright © 2006 New York University Press}

Link: (CONVERGENCE CULTURE) The Book