Behavioural/aspirational poster in this Xi’an McDonalds. At what point did the laptop replace the mobile phone (which in turn replaced the luggable laptop) as a symbol of modernity? How long before the mainstream prevalence of netbooks pushes another displacement?

And as the technologies that we associate with ‘modernity’ miniaturise, blend into the background of everyday life, at what point will posters such as this highlight behaviours rather than technologies? How will future designs support our socially driven need to show both action and intent to people around us?

Related video talk at the LIFT conference: 9 trends shaping the future of social interaction.