Constructing the future of design : How design professionals perceive their changing role

Abstract

Design and design thinking have boomed in the past decade, expanding design considerations into new areas of application and a wide range of organizations across industry types. What implications does the changing role of design have for design practitioners? How do they see their role going forward? To add the voice of designers themselves to research, this study builds on 66 interviews that were conducted in 2017 at six offices of a design agency in North America and Europe. The interviewees reported believing in the continued growth of design, with increasing importance and influence of both technology and the human element in design, designers acting as boundary spanners. Five pairs of opposite myths of the future were identified, representing trends in different directions in their emphasis on key influences, scope, organizing, skills and prestige of design. As our perceptions and the sense we make of the world around us influence our choices and actions, the beliefs we hold of the future can be self-reinforcing. The results emphasize the expansion of skills in creating and harnessing interconnections between technology, people and design that designers believe will be required in the future for the field to flourish.