November 2014

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 29 nov 2014

In the world of ever changing expectations of customers for meaningful product experiences, designers have to bring emotions, empathy and sensitivity into their designs. Technology is often a facilitator but not everything in the design process. Sohrab Vossoughi, President & Founder of Ziba, as a participant of the panel discussion on 'The Future of Product Design' alongwith Allan Chochinov of the School of Visual Arts and Core77, Aura Oslapas of A+O, and John Jay of Wieden + Kennedy, explores and evaluates the evolution of product design since the time they entered the profession. They all agreed that the real expertise of product designers is not in the mastery of latest computer-aided tools and technologies but their ability to identify needs, create meaning and form a thoughtful point of view on what a design should do... and why. Five important themes emerged out of the panel discussion regarding the direction in which product design would go in the next 30 years - (1) The product is rarely just physical anymore. (2) As more services go digital, real world experience becomes more meaningful. (3) Consumers expect better design across the board. (4) Improved tools make us more efficient, not more effective. (5) Tomorrow's crucial design skills will be empathy and translation. Read on...

Core77: Expectations and Empathy: The Future of Product Design
Author: Sohrab Vossoughi