[Book review] The future of design
This post is a book review of the following story.
“The Future of Design: Global Product Innovation for a Complex World” by Lorraine Justice
https://www.amazon.com/Future-Design-Product-Innovation-Complex-ebook/dp/B07J4ZKRNF
”Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.” As Steve Jobs left this phrase, almost all of the glocal products have a sophisticated design in common. When you use a good product or service, you might not realize how it designed but the well-designed products and services surely make your experiences and live better without even recognizing it.
At the beginning of reading this book, I was deceived this story is for a designer. Because this story was written base on the author’s experience as a designer. However, this book has many fundamental essences for not only a designer but also all who create something globally.
I have the following 3 impressive points through reading this book.
First is the connection to the design process with some new technologies. This book describes the designers should also design interactions for AI, robot and virtual software, etc. As you may know, a lot of useful technologies have been created recently and consumers will have a high demand for the product and service with technology.
Our world will be complexed more and more, at the same time, people also will face many complicated issues. The designer should access and analyze various big data to solve those problems. Knowledge of technology is the requirement for designers too in the future.
Second is the design for environment. To generate an awesome innovation, we must prepare an awesome environment for the designer and their team. This book introduces some examples of the case of creative space. Fertile working space will be needed to come up with an innovative design idea. They can sometimes relax, conversation with colleagues, and concentrate on their creative work.
The physical space is not enough for a great environment. As you may start working with a new style like working from home because of this infective crisis. This working style will keep continuing and prevalent in the world. We will care about these virtual processes and spaces that they will use in the future.
Finally is the melting of the division of roles. We can’t focus on a specific something when we reckon about the design for a product or service because our problem to solve is too complex. The designer had better have interested in the surrounding of us such as technology, marketing, and management.
In addition, the future design team will consist of members from all over the world and users also are in a variety of countries and areas. The author mentions the importance of learning about different cultures (this is not only for the design team though). The wonderful design for a person in the place will be probably a super bad design for a person in another area.
From my experience, I feel Hong Kong is one of the most global areas. Too many foreigners gather in one place and different cultures intermingled with each other.
This book impressed me to think about the design to create a global product.
Keep changing, keep going.
