Wearable computers are something that will definitely become a standard! – Jonathan Smiley
The series “3 questions to the speaker” continues. Ahead of you is a conversation with Jonathan Smiley, a partner and chief designer at ZURB – an American company that has been involved in the design of such sites as eBay, Facebook, and Photobucket. ZURB has also created a framework for creating websites and mobile applications – Foundation, which is among the 12 most popular projects on github.com.
We will be able to hear Jonathan’s talk at the Development Day at Mobile Trends Conference 2022.
In your opinion, in the near future, will Google Glass replace smartphones?
I’ve been a participant in the Glass Explorers program for a few months now, and I’ve had two… revelations that have haunted me during that time. The first is that Google Glass, as it is now, will definitely not replace cell phones. Form factor is too new, too foreign and not yet learned enough to be universally acceptable. But nothing wrong with that! My second revelation is that wearable computing is something that will definitely become standard!
Our smartphones are already pretty close to the idea of “extending the human” – Wearable computing is the next logical stage of development.
Do you think any of the mobile systems like Firefox OS or Ubuntu Mobile, have a chance in the clash with the “big three”?
The opportunity for these systems is to conquer the “rest of the world”. The “big three” smartphones are focused on sites that are deeply rooted in technology. Besides, there is a world that has not yet been sufficiently exposed to the possibilities and opportunities offered by ubiquitous computerization.
These territories can make gigantic use of Firefox OS or Ubuntu Mobile to transform their landscape.
The last questions are about your appearance at the Mobile Trends Conference. You will be speaking at Development Day – please tell us what your lecture will be about?
At MTC 2022, I will be talking about responsive web design – where it came from, where we are now and, most interestingly, where we will be soon, and what it means for design for mobile devices (and beyond). The future is entirely reponsive, and this will become a reality sooner than some might expect.
Jonathan Smiley
As a partner and chief designer at ZURB, Jonathan Smiley is one of the most influential people at Foundation – the world’s most advanced framework for responsive websites. As one of the people heading ZURB, Jonathan has worked on projects for companies such as Intuit, McAfee, Yahoo!, Facebook. He has also worked with many fascinating startups.
Jonathan is a staunch advocate of responsive design, which facilitates the use of devices without which we can’t imagine our daily lives. In between trying to take over the world in ZURB, Jon likes to play his favorite video games.
English version:
Will Google Glass substitute smartphones in near future? What is your opinion about that?
I’ve been in the Glass Explorers program for a few months now and I have had two… epiphanies I guess during that time. The First is that Glass, as it stands now, will definitely not replace cellphones. The Form factor is too new, too foreign, and not nearly well enough explored to be widely accepted. That’s okay! Because the second epiphany is that wearable computing is absolutely going to happen, through future versions of Glass and other devices.
Our smartphones are already pretty close to human augmentation through proximity to us… this is the next logical step.
Do you think that one of the less popular mobile operating systems, like Firefox OS or Ubuntu Mobile, may have any chance in scuffle of “big three”?
The opportunity for these systems is to capture the rest of the world. Smartphones among the “big three” are largely focused in areas already deeply embedded with technology, but there is a whole world that hasn’t been exposed in a major way to the capabilities and opportunities that ubiquitous computing can bring. Those parts of the world can make heavy use of Firefox OS or Ubuntu Mobile to really reshape their own landscape.
And, lastly, please tell me briefly about the subject of your lecture during Mobile Trends Conference 2022.
For Mobile Trends 2022 I’ll be talking about responsive design – where it came from and where we are, but much more fun, where we’ll be soon and what that means for mobile (and otherwise) design. The future is entirely responsive, and we’ll be there sooner than people expect.
Jonathan Smiley
ZURB Partner and Design Lead Jonathan Smiley has been one of the driving forces behind Foundation, the most advanced front-end responsive framework in the world. As one of ZURB’s leads, he’s worked on projects for big companies like Intuit, McAfee, Yahoo! and Facebook, as well as a bunch of fascinating startups. He is an ardent proponent of responsive design in a world where our devices have become extensions of ourselves.
When not pursuing world domination at ZURB, Jon might be found playing the occasional video game.