Youth Lead Digital Design In New Directions – Summer 2001.

They dye their hair with Jell-O. They pierce and tattoo body parts previously left unmarked. They wear clothing five sizes too big for them. Why would anyone look to teens and young adults for design advice?

Although easy to dismiss as fad-driven and immature, the Youth population in any era tends to forecast the future in the way they look, act and believe. That’s certainly true with the current generation.

They’ve been exposed to computers and digital devices from the time they were infants. Most have grown up in a world where cell phones, PCs, IM (instant messaging) and email have always existed. As a result, they’re more tech-savvy than any other segment of the population.

While it’s tempting to think of them as gadget junkies who adopt new devices for their entertainment value or “cool’ status, they’re also actively engaged in a technological exploration of language, games, social interactions, and self-directed education unlike any generation before them. Technology and what they do with it is shifting their experience of the world.

In one sense, this generation is no different than previous ones who have grown up with a given technology and by virtue of that fact become the first to truly embrace it. However, this generation’s power to change perceptions of entire categories of commerce is compounded by their size.

We need look no further for proof of their impact than the Youth market’s endorsement of downloadable MP3s and the resultant effect on the music industry……

The initial 12-page report, Designing Digital Experiences for Youth, provides a concise overview of the digital market for youth along with insights from leading experts in the industry. The report also outlines teen culture and behaviors, and provides guidance and recommendations for companies developing products for this market.

Download the rest of this report at http://www.cheskin.com/think/studies/misyouth.html