Design / Future trends
Reflection on the future's past. The focus of design in 2023.
When it comes to assessing future opportunities in design, predictions and trends are declared to be helpful by the end of every year. In my opinion, we can only get a clearer picture of what to expect in the near future by looking at the design industry holistically. That requires talking to our networks, observing different markets, and proving or disproving our hypotheses with data. Following are three topics that I see as relevant to 2022 in summary.
Sustainability
While the complexity of our global world has changed and increased over the last two decades, most education in design is still human-centered. Products and services are primarily viewed from the perspective of user satisfaction. Which is in total contrast to the challenges we face. ( I describe this in detail in my Medium article: A story of the future. Part I: The path to sustainable design.)
Design itself needs to move away from an exclusively human-centric perspective and from business models that mainly serve to satisfy. The focus needs to change to incorporating environmental and ethical values into innovation.
By focusing on the planet, the environment, or the material or resources for a product or service the picture becomes more systemic and holistic.
This allows design to be part of a movement to change. What the circular economy initiates, design can adopt and achieve with life-centered design.
Automation
Four years ago, Accenture already analyzed the impact of AI in 12 developed countries. According to this study, economic growth could double by 2035. AI will enable people to use their time efficiently and increase their productivity by 40%.
Nevertheless, there is still a debate in the design community about whether artificial intelligence is the industry’s downfall or whether it will help increase speed, quality, efficiency, and productivity.
Personally, I think we urgently need to move away from a discussion based on emotions. Considering how much time a designer spends on routines or repetitive tasks of low value, using artificial intelligence-based tools can provide a business advantage and a massive cost reduction. In addition, designers can focus on their core strengths like strategy and execution.
Here are two possible scenarios as examples:
1. Implementing and analyzing surveys and interviews.
Different surveys, interviews, and user groups can be set up more quickly. In addition, time-consuming analyses — for example, tagging and labeling data — can be reduced.
2. Creating high-quality and user-friendly UIs and prototypes.
A tool that converts wireframes into finished UI designs based on a company’s component library enables design teams to collaborate to a high degree. It also reduces the effort and error rate involved in creating the designs.
Strategy
As designers, we like to reduce ourselves to creativity and execution. This allows us to focus on the result while avoiding our responsibilities regarding business-related topics.
Understanding business-related contexts and issues must become part of our design culture. To meet the demands of complexity, speed, and transformation that we face every day, it is no longer enough to focus on creative outputs.
Systems and strategic thinking will enable us to find more efficient and sustainable solutions while reducing errors, workarounds, or creative dead ends. The more we understand how to develop strategies that are linked to all connecting entities, the more likely we are to achieve goals that are conceptually well thought out at all levels.
Our chances of success and value creation increase dramatically. Design is not just perceived as something visually appealing, but reflects its value in business through high-quality, seamless experiences as well as high-performing teams, adaptable workflows, and sustainability.
My conclusion for 2023 and the following years is, that strategy, automation, and sustainability are the three major factors that will influence the way design will transform.
As designers, it is up to us whether we continue to rely on creativity alone or turn to innovation, entrepreneurship, and personal responsibility.
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