Trending Design Tech

There's no better way to discover how closely design and business are intertwined than to go looking for trends that present opportunities for business owners. Even if a trend isn't directly applicable to all industries, the notions behind it can inform and influence a diverse range of product development, distribution methods and business processes.
Here, we look at emerging trends that address the intersection of design and technology and reflect the ways in which Generation Y, the Millennials, are exerting real influence as drivers of business.

 

Incrementalism
Comprehensive redesigns can be risky, wasteful and expensive--three adjectives that don't gel with a tough economy. As an alternative, designers have been stepping back to analyze entire product life cycles in search of small adjustments; in other words, taking an incremental approach. These are quiet changes, but they go a long way toward meeting desired goals.

 

"Many times the answer is right in front of you, it doesn't always have to be the newest unknown thing. It's more about, How do you design a better system?"
Incrementalism can also mean investing in the full exploration of a new product to ensure that every opportunity will be met.


Digitizing the User Experience
Technological innovations are reshaping user experience--a key facet of quality design--in all realms. Even practical-minded industries such as personal health are enjoying the advancements: Jawbone's Up wristband, launched in late 2011, monitors movement and sleep patterns and analyzes nutritional intake to offer personalized recommendations.
Attempts to reframe the experience of shopping loom large for business owners seeking to capitalize on the ubiquity of smartphones. Innovations range from apps that aggregate daily deals to the virtual supermarkets lining Shanghai subways--QR code-embedded LED screens simulate stocked supermarket shelves, allowing commuters to buy groceries while waiting for their trains; the goods are then delivered to their homes.
Dallas-based ModoPayments enables phones to offer shoppers incrementally better discounts based on individualized purchasing patterns. A registered user texts Modo
to receive a business-specific offer, then buys products or a meal using the phone. The next time the consumer patronizes that merchant, the Modo discount is deeper.
Modo CEO Bruce Parker says users are hungry for simplified interaction in the face of pervasive new technology. He cites reports of "app fatigue," noting that downloading another app is beginning to be perceived as too much of a commitment. "The point is to start conversations around purchases," he says, "and to create a relationship around certain brands. It's about infusing character into something that's flat and inert like a screen."