Seeing A Collaborative Design Ethic For The Real World

Almost everywhere, one can see ardent walkers on the street vehemently talking, but to no one in particular.

- Vijay Narnapatti

It is obvious that they are plugged into bluetooth and speaking to someone faraway, oblivious to the many kindred souls nearby whom would love to have a conversation with real people. It reminds one of Narada Muni, aptly portrayed in the epic movies of the ‘70s and ‘80s, as being able to converse with higher and lower gods faraway, in a similar manner. And then lo!! He disappears from the place he was standing and re-appears magically at another spot. There is also the scene where he asks with his eyes closed and hands together in a classic namaste, just like that, to no one in particular, for a special object, maybe a conch shell or something. And, in no time, it appears in his hand. This is weirdly similar to the communication revolution that we are in now. Besides the mobile phone and bluetooth, there is Alexa’s voice and fast delivery by Amazon, video calling, vertical lift vehicles, driverless cars, appdriven taxi aggregators, plumbers on call and facial recognition software. Technology is not waiting for us to catch-up. Mobility and communication, in steroid mode, has already made our life a bit stranger and has begun to change the way we look at cities, public space, relationships, art and architecture.