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
2. About me…
3. Former Design Director, NYTimes.com
4. Principal Designer, Adobe Inc.
5. Design Leadership on Adobe XD
6. Blogger, Subtraction.com
7. Podcast Host, Wireframe
8. Today’s talk asks a question…
9. What do we want design to be?
10. Do we want design to be a good job?
11. Do we want design to be a good job?
12. Or do we want it to be a force for good?
13. Or do we want it to be a force for good?
14. Before you answer…
15. Technology is changing the world.
17. Companies in every industry need to assume that a software revolution is coming.” — Marc Andreessen “
19. You already know this.
20. But really… Technology is literally changing the world.
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%
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
29. Source: sehinc.com
30. Source: sehinc.com
31. Technology is already changing the world.
32. Technology is already changing the world. So design is changing the world too.
33. Because technological change is impossible without design.
34. Design is what makes technology relevant to people.
35. Ride hailing
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
38. Design is what has made these businesses so successful.
39. Design is what has made these businesses so successful.
40. Design is what has made these businesses so successful. Ride hailing UX has
 transformed how everyone thinks
 about private transportation.
41. But that has come with unintended consequences.
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%
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%
44. Though design was instrumental in these successes, these are examples of change led by technology.
45. What is the difference between change led by technology and change led by design?
46. Technology
47. 1 Technology Code first
48. 1 2 Technology Code first People second
49. Design
50. 1 Design Code second People first
51. 1 2 Design People first Code second
52. How can design lead change?
53. DESIGN SKILLS • HTML/CSS/JS • Typography • Composition • Usability • Information architecture • Photoshop/ Illustrator/
 Adobe XD
54. DESIGN SKILLS Design can be practiced tactically… • HTML/CSS/JS • Typography • Composition • Usability • Information architecture • Photoshop/ Illustrator/
 Adobe XD
55. DESIGN SKILLS But in order to lead, design must also be practiced strategically.
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
57. Language is the secret 
 weapon of design.
58. Designers have always had to learn the language of our peers.
59. Engineering terms API SDK SAAS
 GPU AR/VR AI/ML
60. Business terms KPIs TAM ROI
 MAU CPM ARR
61. The more fluent a designer is in the languages of business and technology, the more effective he or she will be.
62. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t also speak the language of design.
63. Design terms Composition Typography Grids
 Branding
 Usability
 Cognitive load
 Personæ User journeys
64. Our language allows us to express ourselves with mockups…
65. Our language allows us to express ourselves with mockups… and prototypes.
67. If a picture is worth a thousand words, 
 a prototype is worth a thousand meetings.” “
69. People pay attention
 when things move.
70. An design solution starts as a thumbnail…
72. And becomes more effective as a mockup…
74. But that effectiveness falters when communicating behavioral dimensions…
76. In prototype form, it becomes incredibly close to the real thing… And that’s powerful.
77. Interact with this prototype at xd.adobe.com
78. Creating a prototype creates clarity.
79. Creating a prototype creates clarity. For clients and stakeholders.
80. Creating a prototype creates clarity. For clients and stakeholders. And for designers.
82. No one else has this super power.
83. No one else has this super power. Not engineers, not strategists, 
 not analysts, not marketers, not even CEOs.
84. No one else has this super power. Not engineers, not strategists, 
 not analysts, not marketers, not even CEOs. Only designers.
85. We can use this superpower for good.
86. We can use this superpower for good. If we keep in mind two principles…
87. 1. Always understand the context of our work.
88. 2. Always keep the focus of our work on people.
89. One more thought.
90. This work is more valuable and more important now than ever.
95. The world at large thinks of these problems as technology challenges.
96. But to solve them, we will need better, more humane design.
98. Democracy has been undermined because of design choices.” — Roger McNamee “
99. We need designers who recognize the value and importance of their work.
100. When we recognize what design can do…
101. When we recognize what design can do… Then we can answer the question… What do we want design to be?
102. @khoi khoi@adobe.com Thank you.