The design translation method consists of a series of interpretive processes and records aimed at alleviating the fear associated with encountering new and unfamiliar technologies. This is achieved through design strategies that extract and utilize accumulated experiential records. The method can be divided into two approaches: external translation and implicit translation, both of which rely on different types of memory—external and implicit, respectively.
External memory refers to the recollection of specific events. Based on this concept, external translation leverages external records, which are sensory and emotional impressions, such as visual or olfactory experiences, derived from an individual’s past. The goal of external translation is to reduce fear by narrowing the gap between novel technologies and familiar experiences through the image-based similarities between external phenomena and the new technologies. By drawing on external records, this method fosters a sense of familiarity, thereby mitigating the perceived novelty of new technologies.
On the other hand, implicit memory pertains to the unconscious recall of past events, such as ingrained habits or behaviors. Implicit translation, grounded in these implicit records, involves instinctive reactions and emotional responses shaped by an individual's inherent personality and values. This approach seeks to minimize physiological resistance to new technologies by aligning the emotional or behavioral responses elicited by these technologies with pre-existing implicit records. Thus, implicit translation reduces fear by harmonizing new technological experiences with an individual's innate tendencies.
This dual approach to design translation serves to ease the psychological and emotional challenges posed by technological innovation, whether through conscious recognition of familiar sensory cues or through the unconscious alignment of habitual behaviors.
