“We need to make stuff for the people on the street,” says Google Creative Lab’s Steve Vranakis. The Google executive emphasised the importance of technology for the masses as part of the Creative Lab’s mission to give “super powers” to others.
“We need to remember that these are everyday people living somewhat difficult lives,” says Vranakis. “You need to have a shared understanding, you need to be empathetic to what people endure on a day to day basis and you need to build new things around these people.”
Since joining Google, Vranakis has headed a number of creative projects including: Chrome Web Lab, a series of interactive experiments connected to the web live from the Science Museum in London; Jam with Chrome, a web-based music platform that lets you play music live with your friends from anywhere; Super Sync Sports, where you can turn your mobile into a games controller and sync it with your computer to play games; and Google Science Fair, which invites youth to put their ideas forward to change the world.
According to Vranakis, technology and learning to code is as important as learning any other language. He says the language of coding is one that people should be taught all over the world as it is the mechanism through which people can do “magical” things like bringing a robot to life.
It’s incredibly powerful. More and more things are happening and they are being driven by code, Vranakis adds.
