Hasta La Ideas

By U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Kevin S. O’Brien [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Last week I had the privilege of speaking at my alma mater before the graduating seniors at commencement and my mind has been filled for days with thoughts about the journey on which they now embark, full of both challenges and tremendous opportunity. News media report a modestly improved domestic environment for the 2011 crop amid headlines of Spain’s ‘Young & the Restless,’ Les Miserables and GDP growth rather anemic here at home. While I’m not sure all grads are well-prepared for the market realities, I have tremendous excitement for today’s young crop of designers. It seems to me that for young minds trained well in the design field, the prospects for meaningful contributions and careers could hardly be more promising.

A veteran of the industrial design profession, I’ve been witness to amazing changes over the past 30 years. The days of being brought in at the tail end of enterprise initiatives for aesthetic treatments have become the exception rather than the rule. There has been an increased desire for designers to collaborate earlier and at a more strategic level for development of products and services, in large part for purposes of risk mitigation, marketability and adoptability. This has also developed into a powerful integration of engineering and traditional design skills/professionals with the human insights and knowledge of social science (psychology, sociology, ethnography) and market knowledge from business professionals. This integration now has researchers and strategists working in tandem with product and service developers, and the relationship with clients is now being better managed and informed by MBAs. It is an exciting time where the skills of a designer, and more specifically the perspective they bring to the table, are more valued by everyone—business, non-profits and government agencies alike—especially for the ability to address many challenges proactively and strategically.

Design graduates have been taught for decades how to integrate beauty with functionality, complimenting the skills of today’s product and brand managers. Increasingly graduates are better trained to integrate social sciences and bring wonderful consumer-centered and ethnographically-centered solutions to the table, while more fully understanding the realities of manufacturability, implementation and commercialization. This wonderful marriage of skill and perspective with experience tackling both global problems and commercial applications seems to me a foundation that destines most for tremendous success; provided they approach it like any other design project—with a little creativity and persistence.

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