Silicon Valley design guru John Maeda distinguishes between three categories: “classical” designers, who create physical objects or products; “commercial” designers who innovate by seeking deep insights into how customers interact with products and services; and “computational” designers, who use programming skills and data to satisfy millions or even billions of users instantaneously.
—Clay Chandler on the Design in Tech Report
- The interactive 2018 #DesignInTech Report is now on GitHub.
- The #DesignInTech Readiness Index is a 5-min Cosmo-style quiz.
- Text summary of the report on LinkedIn is available.
Key Observations for 2018
- Design isn’t just about beauty; it’s about market relevance and meaningful results.
- There are three kinds of design. Classical Design, Design Thinking, and Computational Design.
- In 2017 there were 21 acquisitions of creative agencies or designer-founded startups.
- Medical schools in the US are using design thinking in their curricula.
- Consulting companies are going beyond just design thinking — they’re changing how business is done.
- China continues to lead in designing experiences at a scale and level of sophistication that astounds.
- Indian and Latin markets are advancing design thinking and computational design. And we have a lot to learn from them.
- Gen B(older) is becoming a market opportunity for new products and services that can’t be ignored.
—Includes annual reports starting in 2015