Designing for a Positive Sum

Design work today takes a fundamentally zero-sum view of its own raison d'être. The notion of a user pain point is rooted in the assumption that design’s purpose is to neutralize any adversity experienced by the user. This goal was misguided from the outset - adversity is, after all, a potent catalyst for innovation. But with the rapid acceleration of artificial intelligence capable of automating an ever-growing list of complex tasks and removing the last shreds of adversity from our workflows, we must take design in a new direction.

Technology should be a force for positive-sum transformation. It enables us to extend our reach - to build higher and probe deeper. As designers, we have an incredible new opportunity and an important responsibility: to shape this technology, to design our creative counterparts and to set our collective sights upon the creation of an ever-brighter future.