Design IS the Product

"The truly large scale production of knowledge-value will take the form of concrete goods and services in which it is embedded, or to which it can be added, and its distribution will either be synonymous with or conducted in concert with those goods and services. What I mean is that the design, the brand image, the high technology, or a product's capacity for generating specific functions will possess more and more weight in the pricing of goods and services."

Taichi Sakaiya, The Knowledge Value Revolution.

A client goes to a draftsperson and walks away with a set of drawings.
A client goes to an architect and walks away with a set of drawings.
What's the difference?
What are you selling?

The Industrial Age was centred around the physical creation of the product.
Fait accompli, whoever created the goods and carried them to the marketplace was assured of sales and profits.

In the Information Age, the making of the product is now presumed.
The holy grail is to make a better product.
A better product is measured by the end user.
Design is no longer part of the product.
Design IS the product.
Behold the designer!
You are now the key player in the production of goods!
Upgrade your ivory tower for a control tower!


Related Article: Data and Design: Peter Drucker describes the transformation from data crunching to information thinking. In this article we consider the implications for architects.
The Future of Architecture Table of Contents
Next Article: Information IS the Design