In last year’s digital design trends report we predicted the continued growth of more “conscious” digital experiences after a time of complete disruption. We said that businesses must accelerate the adoption of Conscious Experience Design in four key dimensions to ensure that rapid digitization aligns with consumers’ changing values and sentiments.

Through our work with numerous clients across industries, we’re seeing progress in each area of Conscious Experience Design that we outlined in 2021 – but the mission continues as society now moves from surviving to thriving. While the dramatic pivots over the last two years highlight how technology underpins our lives, people are ready for the next level of conscious product experiences. Products must be even more intelligent, immersive, systemic and social to meet their needs.

Technology is becoming more humanized––more conscious. Conscious product experiences are fundamental to helping people and businesses embrace the reality of continued change. As a 
result, we see new products becoming smarter, 
more natural, more immersive, and more conscious.

Having lived through the most transformative moment of their lives, consumers expect and demand more. People are more conscious of the technologies and digital habits that consume their time, attention, and interest. They’re focused on the things they value most, and they have little patience for interactions or products that don’t add value. Conversely, they have a greater appetite for products and technology that make their life more interesting, their activities more meaningful, and their community relationships more enriching.

Products that engage users in the most meaningful ways will win the hearts of customers, and the minds of the market. We are now in the beginning of a new, more important era of digital transformation and a meaningful evolution in the art of Conscious Experience Design.

Designers are increasingly weighing design decisions and innovation against conscious experiences. Valuable, even meaningful, interactions and results must be consciously designed into every digital product. The result is wildly creative, intelligent, naturalized, and connected products. Designers are increasingly aware that it’s not enough for users to be connected digitally. The connection must improve human interactions and experiences.

The key themes driving design and product innovation are summarized below. For a deeper dive into Conscious Experience Design fundamentals download the full report.

Human ingenuity during survival mode spawned a new era of “personal innovation.” People are taking stock of their lives and prioritizing optimal value, wellbeing, and balance. Norms are being reevaluated, reprioritized, and renovated across work, family, community, and self-care. The pandemic forced many of these changes into the digital realm, driving a need for quality digital connection, shared experiences, and products that deliver value.

Moving forward, people will continue to consciously revitalize their lives with human-centric digital solutions that are aligned with their personal and social wellbeing. They’ll thrive, supported by technology that helps them explore new ideas and creates opportunities for more meaningful personal and professional interactions.

As the world opens up, people will seek more holistic solutions that seamlessly weave together both their virtual and physical worlds. Blended physical and digital experiences will enrich their experiences and enable authentic, natural connections.  Convergent concepts such as The Metaverse will draw more interest and spark a reinvention of brand experiences across digital and physical immersive spaces––where the boundaries are increasingly blurred.

Thus, immersive design is not simply a technological approach. 
It is about creating a state of being more natural, spatial, sensory, and seamless. It will eliminate technology barriers and create customer experiences that are fluid, intuitive, and enriching. Leveraging multi-sensory interactions, spatial environments, and seamless ecosystems, designers will now create immersive experiences that adapt to people and enable the next dimension in more natural interactions and connections.

Collaborative systems now underpin distributed services 
and remote teams – transforming work, healthcare and commerce. In turn, power is shifting from corporate centers to spread across virtual networks of individuals. Yet, people feel more siloed than ever. Humans are built to engage in spontaneous, real-life interactions. Virtual spaces must be augmented with real-world, physical interactions to help meet users’ emotional needs and strengthen relationships.

As communal systems evolve, businesses will focus on enriching communities, not simply connected products. They must consciously nurture next-gen societies that facilitate closer relationships and enable thriving communities. With the rise of blockchain, Web 3 and the metaverse, we will witness a future that empowers people as the creators of their own destiny in community-driven economies.