Product design is in a moment of profound change and redefinition as technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and spatial computing dramatically impact computing experiences. Artificial intelligence, in particular, may only have small effects on interface design, but will significantly affect the holistic experience of the product or ecosystem. Spatial computing, on the other hand, will change human-computer interactions and upend our understanding of what a computer is.
In this cycle of innovation, product design requires a broader perspective of platforms and interfaces between technologies, creating a strong need for technologists and designers to be together in the process.
For successful products and businesses, innovation is constant. There is a never-ending quest to find the next new thing that improves user experience, expands product reach, expands revenue, or all three at the same time. Product design makes innovation less daunting and increases the chances of success because it is an interdisciplinary process with structures and frameworks that catalyze innovation. Technologists have a role in the process that extends beyond simply validating the technology or idea, which is their usual responsibility. Before discussing the non-traditional ways technologists engage in product innovation, let’s conceptually examine product innovation and design.
The word innovation has a simple meaning – to introduce something new or a new method of doing something – yet we often inflate it to mean something magical, grand and world-changing. Innovation can be just as plain and simple. The key to innovation is being ‘new’. “New” can be tailored to a team, product, process or business unit. “Novel” can be known and established practices that are not built into your workflow or product. Sometimes, innovation comes from closing small gaps, and it’s not always a big eureka moment.
Rather than imposing a technology on a product, the design process flows into the technologies. In this way, technology becomes a natural solution.
Product design is a process, not a discipline or deliverable. It is (reasonably) easy to narrow down the scope of product design to color choices, content layout, and aesthetics. Too often, design is reduced to just the act of making user interfaces look good. Product design is much deeper and broader in scope than visual design elements. For example, product design can give direction and focus to a business strategy, user experience strategy, or technology explorations.
The process creates a guide to each innovation initiative. The core of product design is decision making with an intelligent instinct to make the best decisions at the most opportune time. Product design helps reduce risk and leads to more effective innovation through quality decision making.
A progressive role for technologists
Technologists play a strategic role in product innovation and should bring a metaphysical perspective in addition to being rigorous. Our job is to communicate the essence of a technology and to think strategically about the application of technologies in problem spaces. We are most constructive when we translate the technicalities of “how to make X do Y” into “these are the types of products and services that can be realized with X technology.”
For most technical customers and software developers, this is a mode reversal from our traditional regular and direct interaction with technology. Changing context from day-to-day manufacturing and operations is challenging, but is paramount to developing successful and innovative products. We are uniquely positioned to create strategic insights that translate from dense technical details into innovative business cases and product experiences.
A technological innovation must solve a business problem, such as improving operational efficiency, increasing existing revenue streams, or creating new ones. The problem space can be customer-facing (eg, how can we deliver a new feature?) or internal (eg, how can we make a process more efficient?). The problem is the primary concern. The specific technologies or innovations used to solve the problem are often less critical. We cannot lose sight of business needs. Otherwise, the activities become too academic or a paid hobby.
A common domestic analogy is hanging a picture. The size of the hole, bracket, or tools used to hang the picture doesn’t matter as long as the picture is on the wall and straight. The specifics of the process and technologies are only important as they relate to how well they solve the problem, the cost to do so, and the overall end-user experience.
Product innovation is experimental and should not always be expected to yield productive results. It requires a learning curve and patience as the results are often ambiguous and unknown. Business leadership may struggle with this prospect because it is vague (in terms of outcomes and timelines) and it is difficult to translate pure technological innovation into value creation. It opens a gap between technology and product teams where technology teams struggle to articulate the capabilities and value of a technology innovation, leading to unfulfilled promises and the perception of “technology for technology’s sake” or derisions such as “a solution that looking for a problem. “
The current AI hype cycle serves as a great concrete example. For technology or product executives, the challenge is how to do more than check the AI framework — it’s about how to actually integrate AI into a product. Rather than imposing a technology on a product, the design process flows into the technologies. In this way, technology becomes a natural solution.
As experts in a technology or technology stack, we can communicate abstract ideas or contribute to more conceptual frameworks. Technologists add value to the product design process by sharing their expertise on the features of a technology. Designers use this information to shape and exploit technologies in the visual and interaction design process. In this way, technologists inform new interaction models, interface metaphors and product channels. This participation gives confidence and conviction to the design promises.
Think of digital technologies as a material like paint, stone or wood. To create with materials, artisans must understand the ontology and phenomenology of the material. An artist must know the differences between oil, acrylic or watercolor paints because each material has different properties that affect how and what can be created. Technologists must “get to the grain” of a technology. In this way, they become intermediaries between the abstract nature of design and the pedagogical nature of technology. This philosophical perspective is especially important when a product is in development or uses emerging technologies.
Whether your product is in development or at a stable stage, or uses established or emerging technologies, incorporating technologists into the product strategy and design process enriches the bottom line. There is a technological perspective that extends beyond the functions and mechanics of “factory floor” code, which drives innovation. Sometimes this leads to small, striking moments of innovation — and sometimes it’s a brilliant revolution.
