Technology Design

Technology development over the centuries has often been motivated by man’s desire to enlarge his understanding of the environment and his capability for modifying it. Man’s ability to understand the environment is a function of the cognitive patterns by which he organizes experience. His ability to alter the environment – to bring states of affairs under his control – depends on the utility that his actions convey. But there are inherent limitations to human cognition and inherent limitations to the efficacy of human effort. Well-designed technology can compensate for these limitations.  

Technology often works by modifying our native view of a situation. The telescope and microscope are examples. Elements of the environment too distant to see are brought into view by a telescope. Elements of the environment too small to see are brought into view by a microscope. Although the native relation of man to certain distant stars precludes his seeing them, the telescope has the perceptual effect of altering the elements and relations of physical distance, bringing into view objects otherwise invisible. A telescope aids our ability to contextualize objects and relations necessary for composing the more enlightened scene and achieving greater comprehension. Similarly, a microscope has the effect of revealing elements and relations our inherent limitations otherwise prevent us from seeing. With the aid of the microscope the ‘picture changes’ in a way that makes the exercise of stronger comprehension possible.

The technology’s rendering of elements and relations frees us from the constraint of our native limitations. Our efforts to comprehend – to make sense of things – have efficacy because the required elements and relations are present and have been organized into patterns of greater meaning. They make fuller comprehension possible by bringing into view elements and relations our native capabilities cannot see. The technologies do not ‘think for us’ – they rather make our own strong cognition possible.

The human mind performs most powerfully when it is contextualizing – integrating diverse elements and relations to compose meaning and significance. Natural limitations preclude our seeing the elements or relations that would otherwise avail us of fuller comprehension. Technologies like those noted above compensate for those limitations. Our efforts to understand thereby transmit utility – we are able to move from a place of perplexity to a place of knowledge. A problematic state of affairs is resolved – the product of an ordering or integrating of elements and relations.

Digital Reserves’ technologies have a design logic reflecting the principles described above. These are part of a proprietary ontology that is the Portfolio’s analytical foundation. The ontology generates a number of capabilities that represent high-value advantages for firms. They also distinguish the Portfolio technologies from others in the marketplace.

Our technology portfolio - Digital Reserves - is briefly described below.