The Things We Bring Into Our Homes

I’ve been thinking about how much influence the things around us have on our everyday behaviour. Our phones, furniture, clothing, entertainment and digital services all shape the way we spend our time. Most of the time, we don’t give them much thought. We simply adapt to whatever is available.

But what happens when we start questioning whether these things are actually improving our lives? Take children’s entertainment. Digital content is often designed to capture and hold attention. The longer someone stays engaged, the more successful the experience is considered.

But for a parent, success might mean something completely different. A calmer evening. A meaningful story. A moment of connection before bedtime.

This is part of the thinking behind Aila. Instead of asking how to keep children engaged for as long as possible, the more interesting question is how technology can support the experience we actually want them to have.

I think this distinction applies to many products. We tend to evaluate things based on what they can do. Perhaps we should spend more time considering what they encourage us to do.

Because the products we bring into our homes eventually become part of the environment that shapes our habits, relationships and routines. And that makes their design more important than it might initially appear.