Video: The Shifting Role of Design

by January 31, 2007

The folks at SHiFT (Social and Human Ideas for Technology) have published a video of my talk from their conference this past October. Titled The Shifting Role of Design, this presentation provides an overview of why design skills, methodologies, and deliverables have increasing value for companies in today's global, networked economy.

The Shifting Role of Design

In an increasing number of companies, the role of design is changing from mere styling to a core ingredient of product strategy and innovation. But what's behind this shift? Why are the designers who were previously asked just to "make things pretty" being invited to the corporate strategy table?

This talk examines the impact recent technology and market changes have had on the role of design within modern companies. In particular, the decreasing gap between ideas and their implementation, the increasing rate of commoditization driven by shorter product lifecycles, globalization, and cheaper manufacturing, the always-on availability of massive data sources, and the growing ability of consumers to absorb and enjoy increasingly complex media and user interfaces.

You can also watch the video:

Thanks to Pedro and the SHiFT team for making these videos available.