Technology influences nearly every part of daily life, from how people communicate to how communities solve problems. In this section, you’ll explore why technology matters right now by looking at examples like devices that improve healthcare access, tools that connect people across distances, and innovations designed to expand opportunity. As you move through this section, you’ll begin thinking about how future technology could play an even bigger role in helping communities thrive.

The technology we use today didn’t appear overnight—it’s the result of rapid change, experimentation, and big ideas about the future. As you watch these videos, pay attention to what experts once predicted, what actually happened, and where technology has taken unexpected turns—especially in areas like artificial intelligence. Understanding how those predictions compare to today will help you see how quickly technology evolves and why imagining what comes next is so important.

Technology can take many forms and do far more than display information on a screen. In this section, you’ll explore how tools like AI that recognize patterns, wearables that track health, and AR or VR systems that blend digital and physical worlds actually work. As you explore, you’ll build the knowledge needed to choose technologies that make sense for the problems you want to solve.

Technology doesn’t exist in isolation—it’s shaped by the environments where it’s used. In this section, you’ll explore how AI tools are changing education by adapting to student learning needs, how advanced machines and robotics are transforming manufacturing, and how technology supports farming through sensors that monitor soil and crops. These examples will help you see how place and context influence design decisions.

The same technology can work very differently depending on who uses it. In this section, you’ll explore how devices are designed for older adults using voice controls, how adaptive tools support people with disabilities, and how technology helps workers stay safe and productive on the job. You’ll begin thinking more deeply about who your own solution is for and how their needs should shape your design.

Designing new technology means making thoughtful choices, not just imagining what’s possible. In this section, you’ll explore how designers balance benefits and risks, how data and privacy affect trust, and how cost or access can shape who benefits from a solution. These ideas will help you refine your thinking and prepare to clearly explain your own design in a 3–5 minute video pitch.