Among the limitless amounts of technology being introduced, I believe a massive force in design lies within quite a simple concept: a tablet for which you can draw on as we all did as children. For me, in particular, this would be the Apple iPad Pro, along with the relatively new and overpriced Apple Pencil.
This device has freed up much of my design work into just simple drawings as I used to when I was growing up. This function is enhanced with apps such as Procreate, Adobe Draw, Adobe Sketch, Adobe Fresco, and good ole Photoshop, among countless other apps for creativity and art. I feel that with this tool, graphic design is more natural to me and less technical button shortcuts and complicating steps on the Adobe Suite. If it were not for this humble piece of glass and metal, I would not be able to draw an illustrated logo design and place it right into Illustrator as a vector object within seconds. The Apple pencil actually lets me press into the glass of the tablet and feel what I am really trying to create. While I am always enjoying this, I often think to myself: Is this $1000 piece of tech worth it? Or should we artists just stick to pencil and paper?
It is hard to think about how technology like this can possibly advance even further. Perhaps somehow the glass of an iPad will eventually be able to emulate the texture of different types of papers or surfaces? Who knows, I am not in the tech business, I am in the design business. I believe that no matter how advanced and expensive technology gets for us designers (and people in general), we will always find a way to create something that is truly original. I think I will always be sketching ideas and scribbles on a piece of paper or my trusty Field Notes.
My big worry of course with all this advancing technology (especially Apple products) is the always increasing prices. The higher these device prices go, the more out of reach they will become for younger designers who cannot afford a $2500 MacBook Pro, or a $1000 iPad Pro, and yes a $100 Apple Pencil. Hopefully one day, truly every kid who wants to become a designer (for some reason) will be able to acquire the proper supplies to create the next generation of amazing graphic design.
