I Miss Choices
Run to your antique store.
Find something that still has shape.
Bring it home to not forget what shape and texture could be.
-- me
Once upon a time, everyday objects had personality. They came in curves, angles, colors, and quirks. They didnāt need apps. They didnāt all look the same.
Now? The more āadvancedā something gets, the more it turns into a rectangle.
Take tea cups or coffee mugs. The possibilities are endless: every shape, size, and color you can imagine. But if you want a smart self warming mug this is the style you get:
The same goes for watches. From sleek dress watches to rugged field models and all the fun stuff in between, the variety is limitlessāuntil you opt for a smartwatch.
Need those smart features? Prepare for one design, over and over:
Phones? Once upon a time, they came in flip, slide, candy-bar, and more. Now, if you want a smartphone, itās the same black rectangle, no matter the brand:
Books? Hardcovers, paperbacks, pocket editionsāeach with its own personality; it's own cover art. But with an e-reader; one slab; one style; always.
Cameras, music players, and even the wonderfully designed covers the music was delivered in; replaced with soulless rectangles.
Somewhere along the way, we decided that technology was worth the trade.
We gave up variety for uniformity.
We swapped personality for efficiency.
We embraced a future thatās sleek, smart... and relentlessly rectangular.
Maybe progress isnāt about what we gain.
Maybe itās about what we stop noticing weāve lost.