Good design is no longer a competitive advantage, good design is table stakes if you want to build a product for mass adoption. Even then, beautiful products that don't solve real human problems are rarely economically viable. But when real human problems are solved with beautiful design, companies are born, products scale, and value for millions is created. Two assumptions exist in this scenario though – (1) that what you or I deem as good design is universally good design, and (2) that the human problem you or I is solving is actually worth solving.
Are these assumptions rooted in the worldview of the privileged and powerful? Are today's most beautifully designed products and services designed equitably? How might we design better products, services, and experiences for the marginalized and disenfranchised? What does good design look like in the absence of our assumptions about who needs good design? These questions and more will be discussed as the panel helps us better understand the implications of equitable and inclusive design.