The Future of Industrial Design: 7 Basic Insights

In an era of unprecedented change and innovation, many predictions are made about the future of design. In the upcoming years, responsible designers will reach a breaking point. We can view it as a survival war in which only the ones that improve themselves will win. Products that develop an emotional bond with the user are starting to create an interactive space where brands and consumers connect on a different level.

In the future of design, concepts such as generosity, responsibility and transparency will guide us forward. Superior products will be created if we target the impact beyond expectations and work towards it. This is the result of increased conscious use, design awareness and change in perception at a time when everything is design. While robots are gradually taking the place of production workers, the value and number of designers keep increasing.

1. Product designers will be the thinkers / philosophers of the future.

As designers improve their business development, critical thinking, problem solving and communication skills, they gain a leading position in the value chain. Good designers will be those who successfully apply these new skills. These “quick thinkers” will be able to adapt to an ever-changing environment and take part in the development of a multi-functional system. In this process, technological products that do our work on our behalf will allow designers to focus on developping effective design strategies.

2. The two talents that will be popular for designers: “Finance and Sales”.

Finance is the main language of business world and if you don’t know how to speak, then it will definately make things difficult to solve. On the other hand, sale is the explanation of why your design solves one’s problem. If you can sell, your solution will truly help people.

3. Product designers will focus more on “reconciling” design. Companies that manage to bring product and user together will maintain their presence in the future.

For the past 20 years, the interaction design was based on manual user input. Research, user reviews, various forms… To create a value, someone must constantly interact with your product. But with the rise of automated technologies (AI / ML / DL etc.), most of this manual entry has been automated. Set it and then forget about it! The products will do the work on our behalf, acting as an agent / conciliator. That is effective design. While future designers will give people the ability to adjust and monitor the product, they will mostly focus on creating automated products.

4. The increasing interdisciplinary communication of design is key to innovation.

Product design is about identifying the problems in life and coming up with possible solutions by developping usable products and experiences. It is about approaching user experience as a whole and analyzing how the goals of the user relate to the goals of the business. Product designers should answer these following questions: What problems are we trying to solve? Who is dealing with this problem? These questions help them identify and understand the entire user experience of a product rather than only focusing onthe aesthetics. This is the approach that leads to innovation.

5. The future of product design lies in designers becoming experts in subtleties.

Once the problem has been identified, it is up to the design and engineering teams to work together and find a useful solution. Part of the work here is to verify the solution and make sure the best experience is offered to the end user. Although it is important to create a memorable experience for the end user, the work should also depend on the brand’s business needs. Designers consider the impact design has both on the business and the end user. This innovative mindset cannot be achieved by artificial intelligence which only take historical examples as a reference.

6. Product designers will have great opportunities for comprehensive tasks (marketing, sales, production, assembly, service and advertising, etc.) within the company.

Over the past few years, product designers have great opportunities with a better understanding of the market and the user. There has always been a sweet tension between product managers and designers, because designers wanted to be a bigger part of product development. The heavy responsibilities are mainly based on the idea of growing a business such as generating revenue from new products, minimizing the cost (or risk), configuring transaction and time and more. In the best case scenario, this leads to better results, financing and products for customers and users.

7. How can you increase your influence as a responsible product designer?

• Make a research on how people use their products and how it affects their lives. Start by listening. Do not just focus on what you want to hear, but really listen to what people say. If you don’t have the resources, rely on already existing studies.

• Can your product change people’s minds, be honest with yourself. Find out what role your company plays in forming a public opinion. This is a rough path, therefore your answers must be well-thought-out. If you cannot take this responsibility, work on something else. You should understand the impact of your work before taking action.

•Think about how your product affects the environment. Does your product consume a lot of energy? Think about how people interact with the environment when they asked to do something. If your product idea becomes successful, how will it impact the world? Keep in mind that the impact of your project on the environment will be directly proportional to the size of the organization you work with.

As Arman Design team, we focus on the end-to-end product development process, rather than just the “design phase”.

Accurate synthesis of data, innovative theoretical discourses and future design strategies will be the main focus of companies. Designers will take more responsibilities such as identifying and optimizing inefficient process between companies.

We are determined to be the change we want to see in our world!
As Arman Design, we love problems because they represent the opportunity to make a change.