The Importance of Design Thinking in an Automated World

Design thinking isn’t just about logos, websites and all of the superficial elements of branding that make something look good.

These are important, essential even, but in a world where people can use ready-made design templates and Instagram filters to market their brand, what is the changing of role and importance of design moving into the future?

What’s happening is that design is becoming more and more important, but not in a superficial sense. Design skills, and a way of thinking that supports good design is becoming critical. And no, it has nothing to do with whimsical twirly fonts and moustaches, it’s the underlying processes and systems that support a brand to work. Basically, this means a clear message.

Good design then, is ultimately, clear communication.

This isn’t easy though. It takes time to really think about positioning your brand. In a highly competitive marketplace it is tempting to please everyone, to make sure that you can cater to as many people as possible, and in the process, guarantee an income. However, the opposite is true: when you try to cater to everyone, you cater to no one.

What does all this have to do with software deployment and productivity? A lot.

The way we engage with software interfaces is all about design. When we click on buttons, navigate pages and complete tasks online, we’re navigating a person’s way of thinking. A collaborative thinking process, for sure, but ultimately, a lead designer made the decision to put things in certain places, to have certain functionality accessible in a certain way.

Design is becoming even more critical, along with the skills to be able to build products, in a world where tasks are going to be automated, and people’s experiences of a software interface need to require minimal effort from the get go. This to avoid the churn that comes with two many products in the marketplace and no real incentive to invest time and effort into learning how to use a tool when it feels too challenging.

An example: your first interaction with a software tool is an interface. If the steps to follow to find out more aren’t immediately obvious (within the space of a few seconds), navigating is going to require effort, and understanding someone else’s brain. When this requires too much effort, it’s so much easier to click on the cross and get out.

With so much competition, which software company or tool can really afford to have that happen on a consistent basis?

Thinking about a structure, layout and intuitive set of steps to follow when designing any kind of interface and online experience is then, without a doubt, critical.

When we start to think about other potential applications of design thinking in the future, beyond software interfaces, the mind starts to boggle (if boggle is even a term that can apply to the intensity of neural connections that are going to be happening as our brains continue to expand).

Interested in finding out more about how we’re adapting our software deployment service to the automated workplace of the future? Contact Us to find out more about what we’re developing.