Interface opened on the 15 August 2014 at the Powerhouse and was only scheduled to stay open for one year. Eight years on and to the date we say farewell to a much-loved exhibition.
The exhibition cleverly conveyed how design has been applied to information technology products and how companies such as Apple made it their mission to make complicated technology appealing and simple to use.
We all love a new bit of technology, right? We live in a world where the years are measured by reference to the next iPhone release date and technology that was previously reserved to the confines of the office have become personal “must have” gadgets.
According to technology expert David Liddle, new technologies go through three phases of adoption – an enthusiast phase (inventors and engineers tinkering with technology), a professional phase (adoption in the workplace) and a consumer phase (personal, mobile and “I must have one”)!
The exhibition celebrated visionaries such as Steve Jobs and the designers and engineers they hired who, through challenge and change, stuck to their ideals and gave us the products that have become part of our everyday lives.
From a 1906 portable typewriter, to the computer in a suitcase comprising the design for what would become the Apple I, to robotic dogs, to iPad tablets - Interface was a titillating treat for technology lovers.
Kids loved looking at the “old fashioned” technology and seeing how it has evolved over time. Us older adults felt a bit ancient as we remembered using some of the technology not so long ago! Items such as the IBM typewriter, Sony Walkman, Tamagotchi and Game Boy are still considered modern technology by many of us!
We will miss you Interface, thanks for the memories!
Karen Griffiths
Volunteers Programs Officer