How Design-Driven Innovation Will Surpass Technology in 2018

Looking ahead with digital design

When we think about innovation, most of us think about technology. The web is littered with articles about radical innovation pushed by technology, i.e. blockchain, machine learning and AI. There is no arguing that these are all highly interesting developments which will have a lasting impression on the world.
But as a designer, looking ahead to next year, I want to share with you a more recent development in innovation management; the rise of design-driven innovation, where the focus is not to push new technology, but to push new meaning.
I find design-driven innovation intriguing because it’s based on the observation that the usefulness and desirability of a product or service is not determined by its technological sophistication, but rather by whether people experience it as a valuable addition to their lives.
The users’ needs are not only satisfied by form and function, but through experience (e.g. meaning).
Successful design-driven innovators have the potential to create and change markets, able to drive the market rather than simply adapt to it. This is because they are better at detecting, attracting and interacting with their customers. This can be seen most spectacularly when technological breakthroughs merge with design-driven innovation.
This is part 2 of ‘Competing on Customer Experience’. If you want to learn more about how the value proposition of design is changing, I recommend you read part 1 of this sequel.