How Entropy Relates To UX Design

          

      In module 4 we looked at the law of entropy in technology. This states that all technologies trend toward disaster, and ultimately their downfall. As a product develops, the entropy or amount of disaster increases. What we also discussed was the S-Curve Model and paradigm shifts. In my blog today I will cover how entropy, the S-Curve Model, and paradigm shifts relate to UX Design. 

S-CurveModel (Figure 1. Typical Technology S-Curve., n.d.) 

            I will begin this blog by talking about how UX design can be connected to entropy, I will talk about what we covered about the S-Curve Model and the paradigm shift. The S-Curve Model is used to visualize the entropy of a product. Simply put, it is a chart that shows the rate of the trend for a product, or really anything. Beginning with the introduction of it, then moving to the growth, next the maturity or development of the product before finally coming to the decline and downfall of what it is describing. 

            Moving on to the paradigm shift, it is defined as a change in the way that we think and will revolutionize our society. “Paradigm shifts in industry often happen when new technology is introduced that radically alters the production process or manufacturing of a good or service. These shifts are key drivers in many of the processes that a society undergoes, such as the American Industrial Revolution or the information revolution since the 2000s” (Kenton, n.d.).

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   Paradigm Shift (Barney, n.d.)

                    S-Curve Model Representation (Kakatkar, 2021)

            In UX design or software design, entropy isn’t necessarily seen as a bad thing. Because entropy is defined as the amount of chaos or disaster that grows over time, designers use this to judge where a product can improve. So, when a product is being designed and it runs into a problem, this is entropy. “Now, this isn’t to say that your work you’ve completed is now worthless or obsolete. Your work has instead shown the opportunity for improvement” (Burd, 2021). There are many variables as to why a project could go wrong, and these vary from poor design or a simple flaw. However, it’s important to use this opportunity for growth and development. Therefore, in projects relating to the S-Curve Model, there is never a decline unless the whole project falls through or gets pulled. But rather there is constant growth within the project. 

            Now I will relate UX Design as a whole to the S-Curve Model. How it relates to the S-Curve Model is that it was introduced in 1948. “Software made its debut in 1948 and wasn’t widely called that until 1952. It would be a decade later when the discipline of software engineering was given its name and its due as a form of engineering on the same level as others” (Juhasz, n.d.). Then in the 1980s and 1990s, there was a growth in software design and engineering. “The 1980s continued to show great changes as the Software Crisis began to wind down. New languages and tools help begin the journey toward better engineering and the move toward object-oriented programming begins…This decade was a boon for programming languages, with some of the most popular ones used today being introduced. The 1990s introduced a number of other big changes to the software engineering industry: object-oriented programming began to grow in popularity, the Internet made its debut, and a new approach to development was introduced” (Juhasz, n.d.). Next is the maturity stage and this occurred in the 2000s. “Languages and tools became less of a focus as companies continued to improve on what was established in the two decades before. The bigger focus in the 2000s was on methodology as developers looked to make the process more responsive to customer needs, more profitable, and easier to create” (Juhasz, n.d.). This process of maturity is occurring even today and hopefully, the decline stage doesn’t happen anytime soon. With the paradigm shift, we can expect a major development in technology every few years. If new technology keeps getting put out, then software development will get better and better. 

            In conclusion, this was a very fun topic to learn about. I learned more about the career I wish to be in in the future. I learned about when it was first invented and the certain year's development took place within UX Design such as the growth stage and development stage. Using the S-Curve Model really helped me to get a look into the future of UX Design to see if this is a business that would be around in the near or even far future. Also using my knowledge of the paradigm shift helped me to see if there will be any new discoveries about technology and if UX Design is actually a business to partake in. Overall, this module was one of the most fun so far and I look forward to seeing what the next module will cover.

Works Cited: 

Barney, C. (n.d.). The Energy Paradigm Shift... We’re witnessing it. Cameron Barney. Retrieved                     September 17, 2022, from https://www.cameronbarney.com/news-blog/the-energy-paradigm-shift

Burd, N. (2021, February 20). Dealing with entropy in product design. Medium.                                             https://bootcamp.uxdesign.cc/dealing-with-entropy-in-product-design-6f5db9c097a6

Figure 1. Typical technology S-curve. (n.d.). ResearchGate. Retrieved September 17, 2022, from                     https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Typical-technology-S-curve_fig1_340525808

Juhasz, K. (n.d.). The History of Coding and Software Engineering. Retrieved September 16, 2022,                 from https://www.hackreactor.com/blog/the-history-of-coding-and-software-engineering

Kakatkar, C. (2021, May 25). A Practical S-Curve for Software Entrepreneurs. Medium.                                 https://kcpub21.medium.com/practical-s-curve-for-software-entrepreneurs-fc0427cc8554

Kenton. (n.d.). Paradigm Shift Definition. Investopedia. Retrieved September 17, 2022, from                         https://www.investopedia.com/terms/p/paradigm-shift.asp