Loft Design attended the tenth edition of the Fast Company Innovation by Design Festival which brought together leaders and innovators from various fields to discuss the future of design and technology.
By:
Gregor Mittersinker
Saloni Bedi
October 29, 2024
Returning to New York City in 2024, the Fast Company Innovation by Design Festival marked its tenth year with a remarkable gathering of worldwide attendees. This event highlighted the tech community's dedication to developing groundbreaking and impactful solutions. Visionaries, designers, and innovators from across the globe came together to explore ideas and trends that are shaping our world, demonstrating how design thinking is driving progress in technology, sustainability, and social impact.
This year's talks and events underscored that design continues to be a powerful force for positive change. By embracing new technologies, prioritizing sustainability, and focusing on inclusivity, designers are shaping an innovative and human-centered future, bringing to light several pivotal themes within the technology landscape. Here are the key takeaways and trends that emerged:
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The 2024 Fast Company Innovation by Design Festival in New York City brought to light several pivotal themes within the technology landscape. Here are the key takeaways and trends that emerged:
The festival featured several discussions and showcases focused on healthcare and wellness:
The festival showcased solutions like the Ember Cube by Ember Life Sciences, a reusable smart cooler that transports medical supplies while reducing carbon emissions by a claimed 92%. Designed to bring more circularity to an area of shipping that largely relies on cardboard and ice packs, the Ember Cube tackles most of the practical limitations that come with transporting perishable items.
Artificial intelligence took center stage at the festival, with discussions focusing on its transformative impact on the design process. Designers are increasingly leveraging AI tools to enhance creativity, streamline workflows, and push the boundaries of what's possible. Notable trends included:
The festival showcased various AI applications across industries. For example, Singapore's AI Initiatives: Dawn Lim from DesignSingapore Council shared insights on Singapore's comprehensive plan for embracing AI, including applications for social good like an automated hotline for reporting urban issues.
This year, wearable technology emerged as a focal point, showcasing innovations that enhance health monitoring and improve safety in various environments. Here are some key highlights:
For improving the lives of people with MS, Cionic is a winner of Fast Company’s 2024 Innovation by Design Awards. This wearable leg ‘sleeve’ helps people with limited mobility walk easier. The garment, which slips over the leg like a giant sock and can be worn discreetly under clothing, helps people with multiple sclerosis, a stroke, or cerebral palsy to walk.
Sustainability emerged as a critical theme, with designers showcasing innovative approaches to address environmental challenges:
Companies like GS1 US discussed how technological advances such as 2D powered by GS1 Standards are enhancing inventory management, improving traceability, and minimizing waste.
The festival emphasized the importance of designing for diversity and accessibility3:
CannonDesign hosted a session exploring how the built environment can shape positive experiences for all users. They discussed how experience design, ethnography, and research play roles in creating better environments for everyone.
Several cutting-edge technologies were showcased as game-changers for the design industry:
IBM presented an interactive workshop on "Experiences Reimagined: Data and AI as a Catalyst for Creativity and Innovation." They also hosted a shot-tracking table tennis experience with AI-generated commentary.
The festival highlighted how design thinking is being applied to address pressing social issues:
Accessible products like Whispp, an assistive voice app, was a winner of the 2024 Innovation by Design Awards. This app uses AI to turn your whisper into speech. Designed to make communication easier for users who stutter or live with vocal disabilities, Whispp was founded in 2018, just before the current AI wave, and remains one of the only companies in the assistive tech space to utilize audio-to-audio-based AI for phone calls and voice messages.
The festival not only showcased the latest in design and technology but also emphasized the critical role of innovation in addressing global challenges.
From AI-powered design revolutions to sustainable solutions and inclusive design practices, the event highlighted how creativity and technology continue to shape our world. As attendees departed, they carried with them not just new knowledge and insights, but also a renewed sense of purpose and inspiration. The festival served as a powerful reminder that through collaboration, innovation, and thoughtful design, we can create a future that is not only technologically advanced but also more equitable and sustainable for all.
Austrian-born Gregor is in his element while dissecting most complex business & technology challenges and creating their next level business outcomes. Prior to starting Loft, Gregor led a Strategy & Design team at Accenture Interactive, where he helped launch new multi-billion dollar businesses for global fortune 500 companies. He also led creative teams at Rollerblade, InMusic & Cross.He has worked in the US, Europe & Asia over the past 30 years has earned numerous design awards as well as holds well over 100 patents for product innovations around the globe.
Outside of business hours he teaches Service Design & UX at RISD, and hosts a weekly think tank with global business & political leaders around the world.
A natural motivator, leader, collaborator, and innovator, the only thing that takes Gregor’s eyes off of design for long is his love for winter sports, kitesurfing and DJing in local clubs. Many have tried to keep up with Gregor, few have succeeded.
Next level inspiration … Japanese wood craft and joinery, minimalist forms that are functional and proportioned.
In her research and design work, Saloni believes that products aren't discarded because they have no value; rather, they're replaced because they fail to keep up with people and their needs. This realization has led her to focus on developing products and experiences that evolve with the user while remaining empathetic to how they can improve lives.As an industrial designer, Saloni is passionate about bringing together design, engineering, and business to tackle some of the most pressing challenges around us. She has worked in a variety of fields, including social innovation, healthcare, sustainable product development, and consumer products.
Prior to Loft, Saloni got her master’s degree at MIT where she saw how the design process can be a key component to bring state-of-the-art solutions can to life. Her work at MIT ranged from conducting user research in zero gravity to make space more inclusive at the Media Lab, developing accessible pregnancy tests for people with vision impairments, and measuring the body's hydration levels at the Gray lab, IMES.
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