A Designer’s Mind at Work during the Lockdown
By : Malvika Kagzi
At the turn of the 21st century, the entire globe
was in sheer excitement of stepping into a new
era- the 2000s and beyond. But with that
excitement also came the fear of possible
mayhem not many had anticipated- the Y2K
phenomenon. The term Y2K, also popularly
known as the ‘Millennium Bug,’ was used by
technology experts to refer to a widespread
computer programming shortcut that could likely
cause all computers and digital devices to stop
working by the end of 1999. Sounds
implausible? Well, at the time, it was the most
frightening phenomenon known to mankind.
Many computer programs only allowed 2-digit
date configurations (i.e. ’99 instead of 1999). As
a result, there was tremendous panic around
the thought that digital devices could stop
functioning forever if they were not prepared to
switch from the date ’99 to ’00. The scare
caused leading government organisations and
corporates to move mountains to reconfigure
and avert the risk in time.
Fortunately, all things negative that were
anticipated with the advent of Y2K passed
rather smoothly and today it exists as a story
the digital world looks back to and chuckles.
Today, 20 years from that time, the world is
battling with one of mankind’s most dreaded
fears- the novel Corona Virus. Every single
individual on this Earth is trying their level best
not to get affected by it and avoid spreading it.
Unlike the Y2K, this one’s cure has yet to come.
In order to keep up with the changing times and
the behaviour trends that have emerged in
response to the pandemic, new and emerging
technologies are constantly being designed to
help make the ‘new normal’ more adjustable.
India has been wrestling with a lockdown since
March 2020, and like many countries, our
bustling economy has come to a standstill
during this time.
An immediate and inevitable response pattern
all leading organisations are embracing now is
going digital. Plenty of mobile applications hit
the digital marketplace overnight to help the
world adopt e-commerce facilities,
entertainment, educational avenues, work from
home collaborations, digital healthcare facilities,
to name a few. Special contact tracing
applications have also been designed to inform
people if they have crossed paths with a carrier
or agent within seconds of being out and about.
In Singapore, the government launched an app
called TraceTogether. It uses Bluetooth signals
between phones to track if potential carriers of
the virus have been in close contact with others.
In Hong Kong, residents were made to wear a
wristband which connected to a smartphone
app and could signal authorities if a person left
their place of quarantine.
Depending on different scales of concerns of
people, designers are increasingly working on
needs-based ideas to create customised
equipment. By paying heed to consumers’
growing concern for sanitation, several
companies quickly responded by launching
disinfecting sprays, sanitizers, soaps, and
alcohol based solution products.
India is a country with a booming population of
nearly 130 crore people. I am a resident of the
city of Mumbai, which is not only the commercial
capital of India but also a population of more
than three crore people by itself. Local trains,
buses, and taxis are the primary forms of public
transport in this city, and it is remarkable how
nearly 75-80 lakh people travel by local trains
alone. However, during the Covid-19 pandemic,
all such public modes of transports were forced
to shut down for over two months straight. Not
only has this left the city incapacitated, but it has
also plummeted its economy. Mumbai has never
been this way in all its decades of existence.
Little is known how quickly things could backfire
when its enormous population goes back to
using public trains.
As a student of design, the lockdown appeared
to be a good incubation period for me to ideate
and act on the need for the hour. I tried to keep
myself busy at home by making new designs
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