High tech is always the result of a complex scientific process
The term “high tech” is both an evaluation and a general description. It describes the grade of technological input into a product or system in relation to similar products or systems. It is also used to distinguish something from technology-free products or systems (low tech), or as a synonym to “modern” in certain cultural contexts.
High tech is always the result of a complex scientific process of research and development that aims to expand the current potential of materials and techniques.
This process can be contingent on a defined requirement or an experiment. High tech products are often developed in the fields of air travel, space travel and in the military, and subsequently adapted and altered for general use.
Today, there are a number of diverse fields that fall within the category of high tech design including nanotechnology, biotechnology, computer technology, and a large sector of materials research.
The practices of design, engineering, and architecture often form the interface between the process of scientific research and development and the industrial application of high tech materials and processes.
Over the last hundred years, architecture in particular has been influential in developing a distinctly high tech style that is typically characterized by the use of industrial materials, exposed building elements, and a functionalist approach (Functionalism). Prominent examples of high tech architecture include Paxton’s Crystal Palace (1851), the Centre National d’Art et de Culture Georges Pompidou (1976), and Foster’s building for the Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank in Hong Kong (1979).
The term “high tech” is becoming increasing relevant to design practice due to the progressive integration of innovative materials and production means into the product world of day-to-day life. Examples of high tech technologies that enable the production of faster, lighter, stronger, and more intelligent designs include nano coatings for surfaces, super-elastic carbon-fiber composites for prosthesis manufacture, bio-ceramic bone replacements, and clothing that compensates for a wearer’s mineral deficiencies through his or her skin.
High tech processes and technologies are very desirable in today’s market because they help a product stand out in the eyes of consumers.
High tech products also represent some of the most fascinating and radical innovations in design, innovations that shape future vision and push the limits of conventional design expression.
Consequently, high tech advances are often the starting point for designers seeking to improve the quality of day-to-day life today.