Today’s post is about the LEGO demo in Apple’s WWDC keynote and how I found it to be fundamentally thoughtless on the part of LEGO to build an augmented reality experience that basically subverts the value of its own toys. Towards the end of the post I touch briefly on what’s becoming a more and more imperative aspect of design than ever: asking “Why?” As immersive media like AR and artificial intelligence become prevalent, it’s not going to be enough for designers to sit back and just create solutions without understanding the impact of their contributions—on all levels. This LEGO example is a relatively minor one, but it highlights how any designed product, even toys, have implications that must be considered.

On a different topic, if you’ve ever been interested in reading my book “How They Got There: Interviews with Digital Designers About Their Careers,” now is the time because it’s currently on sale for as much as two-thirds off. You can get it in digital form for US$10 and even in hardcover for US$15 (plus shipping and handling). Get your copy today at howtheygotthere.com, but hurry, the sale ends soon!

Cheers from New York,
Khoi