What in the world is going on?! Fast Company interviewed over 30 professionals to give a pulse on what’s important to product design, UI, architecture, and making a difference through design.
There were some interesting answers and overlapping topics, so here are some of the standouts that made us think:
- Climate and Conversation: Sustainability is growing to be one of the fundamentals of all design. More brands are also being mindful of the growing climate situation, sparking green- and community-focused agendas. As Céline Semaan put it – “Waste is a design flaw.”
- Data, Data, Data: Everything is run by data. And while that might not always be the best thing for creativity, data fluency from designers is essential for creating the best possible designs. Data quality is at the core of everything. However, between privacy and inaccuracy, data barriers are becoming more prevalent.
- Throw-Away Culture: Designing “for the now” can be problematic. Convenience over longevity plus immediacy in all aspects of life (especially consumption) make for disposable design. It pulls from individuality and can stifle creativity.
- Digital Overload: Our society is always-on, always-connected. Designers must help to create great products and services while also supporting healthy digital lives. Designing with mental health in mind is a great step towards this.
- Equity and Inclusion: Design decisions can reveal disparities and sometimes you have the approach design from unique case instances first. As always, accessibility should be at the forefront of every design.
Check out Fast Company’s full list of incredible interviews about design challenges. We would like to add that the headshots are *chef’s kiss* lovely.
