Earlier this year, Shawn DuBravac, the chief economist and director of research at the Consumer Electronics Association, proclaimed we’re entering a “post-smartphone era,” referring to the fact that smartphones are used for noncommunication activities 65 percent of the time. He said 350 million devices with IP addresses will ship in 2013.
As the internet of things takes hold, all manner of historically static products will become connected, including things like lamps and football helmets. Consumers will move beyond smartphones and touchscreens to smart environments that put human needs first and design for partial attention.
This type of connection between products and users will create new challenges for interaction designers, marketers and manufacturers. As digital becomes an embedded, invisible layer, designing for the post-screen era will require new concepts, skills and thinking.
Contagious is delving deeper into the world beyond screens at Now Next Why 2013, held May 1 in New York City. Research scientists from Disney and IBM will be among many discussing this and other topics at the heart of the future of communications. For more information, visit http://bit.ly/nnwnyc13.
–Emily Hare, guest contributor

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