Does Tomorrows World Need Designers?
If “the future doesn’t need us,” (Bill Joy), then tomorrow’s design will certainly not need designers. Already, the designer’s responsibility has shifted from creating objects and experiences to creating the conditions for innovation – developing human links between bits, atoms, neurons, and genes. “Design thinking” is nice, but it becomes meaningless if and when artificial intelligence starts doing the thinking, and the design, for us. This panel discusses whether the designer’s role in the 21st century is to serve as devil’s advocate, providing a (false) sense of personal safety in times of genetic engineering, personalized machines, and a new singularity. In other words: Is it time to start designing for a time after design?
