For the 2020 Virtual AIGA Design Conference the Design Educators Community Steering Committee (DEC) invited graduate students to submit research posters and/or visual essays that address the topic of Bridging Digital and Physical Experiences, which is one of the trends defined in AIGA’s Design Futures.

Meredith Davis introduces the trend of Bridging Digital and Physical Experiences by stating:

People transition across devices, environments, and activities in continuous communication and service activities. Users expect technology to provide seamless, unified experiences, even when moving among messages and services from different sources. New technological platforms amplify experiences in the physical world but also create gaps among devices and diversify the interactive behaviors required of users. (to read the full document go to aiga.org/aiga-design-futures/bridging-digital-and-physical-experiences)

Generally speaking, user experiences are no longer just in the physical world but in the digital world as well. People book flights, doctor’s appointments, car services, and hotels (or AirBnBs) online. We order household goods, groceries, and our morning coffee through apps and receive them in person. How do emerging technologies (such as augmented, mixed, and virtual reality systems) impact our experiences? Are there ways for digital processes to enhance physical experience? What happens when there is a disconnect between these online and offline environments? Do we think about design on the continuum between the completely physical and the completely virtual? How are we preparing our students for these scenarios? What classroom projects, research projects, and examples do you have to share? How does traditional design education integrate designing for experiences?

These seven posters investigate answers to these questions and speculate possible scenarios. Thank you to all who participated.

Download high-resolution versions of all the posters seen here.