Four Design Trends: June 4, 2009
At DLB, we often have so much research to share that it doesn't always get posted. To remedy this, as an experiment, I'm going to try presenting some design trends in the style of Nat Torkington's "four short links" over on O'Reilly Radar.
1. Business needs to get social
In a Forbes.com article from last month, Joshua-Michele Ross neatly summarizes why social technologies are reshaping business and why this change in communication demands ethical behavior from companies:
[T]he organizing metaphor for the social Web is relationship, and the building blocks are trust, reciprocity and authenticity…Businesses that ignore the call to be “social”–that is, to abide by a social contract with their constituents (customers, partners, resellers, employees)–run the risk of appearing pathological.
2. To survive a recession, spend more on design
When times are tough, companies often try to save money by cutting back on creating new products or marketing spending. However, according to a recent New Yorker article, companies that do this risk losing out to their competitors when the economy recovers.
a McKinsey study of the 1990-91 recession found that companies that remained market leaders or became serious challengers during the downturn had increased their acquisition, R. & D., and ad budgets, while companies at the bottom of the pile had reduced them.
3. More ethical MBA’s?
The New York Times reports that ethics pledges and courses in business ethics are becoming more popular among today’s MBA’s:
In the post-Enron and post-Madoff era, the issue of ethics and corporate social responsibility has taken on greater urgency among students about to graduate. While this might easily be dismissed as a passing fancy — or simply a defensive reaction to the current business environment — business school professors say that is not the case. Rather, they say, they are seeing a generational shift away from viewing an M.B.A. as simply an on-ramp to the road to riches.
4. Design versus Data
The web offers the opportunity to collect instant feedback from users, meaning any site design or ad copy can be endlessly tested and tweaked to perfection. This is causing a great deal of tension between traditional designers, who create through experience and knowledge, and analytic-driven design teams who base decisions upon data.
While the two sides can work together, for the time being, data seems to be driving designers out. Google’s lead visual designer quit last month, citing a culture of data that was “unfriendly to designers”. The New York Times wrote last week that marketers anticipate similar battles between “creative types and wonks” as they rely upon more and more data to craft the perfect pitch.
Comments on this post
1.
There is evidence for both sides of design vs data. Google looked like crap in its early stages (although if you argue that design is how little text was shown on its front page, then I just gave you and example for rather than against). My mind is blanking on the pro example I had but essentially two site brands were going head to head and since one had hired a design firm (that did a good job), that brand won out in the end.
2.
@Diwant - If you ever find that example, do send it along. I personally have the sense that overly data driven design practices tend to lead to designs that miss out on some low-level psychological je ne sais quoi. That said, I’m also fairly sure there’s a harmony to be reached.
@Nick - Thumbs up on the post — great article choices (and a great ongoing reference for pitches too). For what it’s worth, I definitely vote ‘yay’ on this as an ongoing series. I’d be excited to see that “Trends” tag get big in the cloud.
3.
Amen to #2 in particular. Businesses that don’t invest in better products, better design and better people – fearing losses – are ensuring failure on the installment plan.
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