Why Design Tokyo

Design is already changing the world; we just have to ask ourselves how we want it to do that.

Transcript

1. Khoi Vinh
   February 2019
   Annotated Version
   Why Design Tokyo
   

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2. About me…
   

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3. Former Design Director, NYTimes.com
   

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4. Principal Designer, Adobe Inc.
   

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5. Design Leadership on Adobe XD
   

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6. Blogger, Subtraction.com
   

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7. Podcast Host, Wireframe
   

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8. Today’s talk asks a
   question…
   

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9. What do we want
   design to be?
   

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10. Do we want design
    to be a good job?
    

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11. Do we want design
    to be a good job?
    

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12. Or do we want it to be
    a force for good?
    

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13. Or do we want it to be
    a force for good?
    

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14. Before you answer…
    

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15. Technology is changing
    the world.
    

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17. Companies in every
    industry need to assume
    that a software revolution
    is coming.”
    — Marc Andreessen
    “
    

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19. You already
    know this.
    

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20. But really…
    Technology is literally
    changing the world.
    

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25. High-end percentage estimate of housing in
    New York City lost to Airbnb
    2014-2017
    “The High Cost of Short-Term Rentals in New York City” (2018)

    Urban Politics and Governance research group School of Urban Planning,
    McGill University
    ≤ 0.25%
    ≤ 0.50%
    ≤ 1%
    ≤ 2%
    ≤ 4%
    > 4.1%
    

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26. Percentage rent increase in New York City

    attributable to Airbnb
    2014-2017
    “The High Cost of Short-Term Rentals in New York City” (2018)

    Urban Politics and Governance research group School of Urban Planning,
    McGill University
    ≤ 1.2%
    ≤ 1.4%
    ≤ 1.6%
    ≤ 1.8%
    > 1.81%
    Insufficient data
    

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29. Source: sehinc.com
    

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30. Source: sehinc.com
    

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31. Technology is already
    changing the world.
    

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32. Technology is already
    changing the world.
    So design is changing
    the world too.
    

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33. Because technological change
    is impossible without design.
    

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34. Design is what makes
    technology relevant to
    people.
    

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35. Ride hailing
    

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36. 600,000
    500,000
    400,000
    300,000
    200,000
    100,000
    0
    2016
    2015 2017 2018
    Daily trips in 

    New York City by
    Taxi, Uber and Lyft
    Based on a graph of TLC summary data by 

    Todd W. Schneider
    toddwschneider.com
    TAXI
    

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38. Design is what has
    made these businesses
    so successful.
    

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39. Design is what has
    made these businesses
    so successful.
    

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40. Design is what has
    made these businesses
    so successful.
    Ride hailing UX has

    transformed how everyone thinks

    about private transportation.
    

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41. But that has come
    with unintended
    consequences.
    

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42. Increase in overall mileage
    from Uber, Lyft etc.
    Schaller Consulting
    58%
    Private ride
    (All switch from
    personal auto)
    Private ride
    (Switch from auto
    and other modes)
    20% shared ride
    (Switch from auto
    and other modes)
    Suburban scenario
    (90% switch from
    auto)
    50% shared ride
    (Lyft goal)
    Highly optimistic
    scenario
    180%
    160%
    120%
    41%
    68%
    

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43. Increase in overall mileage
    from Uber, Lyft etc.
    Schaller Consulting
    58%
    Private ride
    (All switch from
    personal auto)
    Private ride
    (Switch from auto
    and other modes)
    20% shared ride
    (Switch from auto
    and other modes)
    Suburban scenario
    (90% switch from
    auto)
    50% shared ride
    (Lyft goal)
    Highly optimistic
    scenario
    180%
    160%
    120%
    41%
    68%
    

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44. Though design was instrumental
    in these successes, these are
    examples of change led by
    technology.
    

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45. What is the difference between
    change led by technology and
    change led by design?
    

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46. Technology
    

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47. 1 Technology
    Code first
    

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48. 1 2
    Technology
    Code first People second
    

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49. Design
    

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50. 1 Design
    Code second
    People first
    

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51. 1 2
    Design
    People first Code second
    

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52. How can design
    lead change?
    

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53. DESIGN SKILLS
    • HTML/CSS/JS
    • Typography
    • Composition
    • Usability
    • Information
    architecture
    • Photoshop/
    Illustrator/

    Adobe XD
    

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54. DESIGN SKILLS
    Design can be
    practiced tactically…
    • HTML/CSS/JS
    • Typography
    • Composition
    • Usability
    • Information
    architecture
    • Photoshop/
    Illustrator/

    Adobe XD
    

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55. DESIGN SKILLS
    But in order to lead,
    design must also be
    practiced strategically.
    

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56. DESIGN SKILLS
    But in order to lead,
    design must also be
    practiced strategically.
    • Creativity
    • Empathy
    • Objectivity
    • Self-awareness
    • Communication
    • Storytelling
    • Clarity
    • Attention to detail
    • Critical thinking
    • Contextual awareness
    

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57. Language is the secret 

    weapon of design.
    

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58. Designers have always
    had to learn the language
    of our peers.
    

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59. Engineering terms
    API
    SDK
    SAAS

    GPU
    AR/VR
    AI/ML
    

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60. Business terms
    KPIs
    TAM
    ROI

    MAU
    CPM
    ARR
    

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61. The more fluent a designer
    is in the languages of
    business and technology,
    the more effective he or
    she will be.
    

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62. But that doesn’t mean
    we shouldn’t also speak
    the language of design.
    

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63. Design terms
    Composition
    Typography
    Grids

    Branding

    Usability

    Cognitive load

    Personæ
    User journeys
    

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64. Our language allows us
    to express ourselves with
    mockups…
    

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65. Our language allows us
    to express ourselves with
    mockups…
    and prototypes.
    

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67. If a picture is worth a thousand words, 

    a prototype is worth a thousand meetings.”
    “
    

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69. People pay attention

    when things move.
    

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70. An design solution
    starts as a thumbnail…
    

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72. And becomes more
    effective as a mockup…
    

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74. But that effectiveness falters
    when communicating
    behavioral dimensions…
    

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76. In prototype form, it becomes
    incredibly close to the real
    thing…
    And that’s powerful.
    

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77. Interact with this prototype at xd.adobe.com
    

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78. Creating a prototype
    creates clarity.
    

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79. Creating a prototype
    creates clarity.
    For clients and
    stakeholders.
    

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80. Creating a prototype
    creates clarity.
    For clients and
    stakeholders.
    And for designers.
    

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82. No one else has this super power.
    

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83. No one else has this super power.
    Not engineers, not strategists, 

    not analysts, not marketers, not
    even CEOs.
    

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84. No one else has this super power.
    Not engineers, not strategists, 

    not analysts, not marketers, not
    even CEOs.
    Only designers.
    

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85. We can use this
    superpower for good.
    

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86. We can use this
    superpower for good.
    If we keep in mind two
    principles…
    

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87. 1.
    Always understand the
    context of our work.
    

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88. 2.
    Always keep the focus
    of our work on people.
    

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89. One more thought.
    

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90. This work is more valuable
    and more important now
    than ever.
    

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95. The world at large thinks
    of these problems as
    technology challenges.
    

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96. But to solve them, we will
    need better, more humane
    design.
    

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98. Democracy has been
    undermined because of
    design choices.”
    — Roger McNamee
    “
    

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99. We need designers who
    recognize the value and
    importance of their work.
    

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100. When we recognize what design
     can do…
     

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101. When we recognize what design
     can do…
     Then we can answer the question…
     What do we want design to be?
     

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102. @khoi
     khoi@adobe.com
     Thank you.
     

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