AUT design lecturer and chapter founder of Creative Mornings AKL Jade Tang-Taylor shares her views on the year that was, and the years that could be.
What was the most interesting New Zealand company that caught your eye?
All Birds, Rocket Lab & Auckland Co-Design Lab.
What about internationally?
All Birds, RocketLab & IDEO.org.
What was the most interesting launch/trend/idea/building/product of the year?
Launch: Lime scooters/Onzo bikes/alternative transport ride-sharing
Trend: Circular economy
Idea: Design finally getting a seat at the table (CDO – Chief Design Officers)
Event: Policy by Design (thinking)
Building: Westlight Developments (in my local neighbourhood, Glen Eden)
Product: Allbirds
Most exciting project you worked on this year?
What public event(s) that impacted on or affected you the most?
And following on from that, public forum and conversations:
What was your favourite book/TV show/podcast/album/website/ magazine/story/performance enhancing of 2018?
Book: Old Asian, New Asian by K. Emma Ng
TV Show: Fargo
Podcast: HurrySlowly.co
Album/Playlist: Dinner with Friends on Spotify
Website: Phantom Land
Magazine: Breathe
(Bedtime) Story:Who stole the rainbow? A mystery thriller by Vasanti Unka
Performance Enhancing: Leadership Mastery programme led by Louise Marra
Heroes?
Jacinda Ardern, proving you can have it all, at once! Proud to have her leading our country.
Villains?
Trump, proving that even though you might “have it all” that even in a progressive country like the USA, you can take one step forward, and 100 steps backwards under the wrong leadership.
Your own personal highlight?
Personally: My delightful daughter turning one and going on terrific/terrible two!
Professionally: Randomly starting & recently reaching our PledgeMe goal for a side-hustle collaboration with wonderful friends I Iove & admire called: ‘Cheese Cartel’.
Biggest learning for you?
Earlier this year, a wise person shared with me…
“When you’re on the edge of discomfort, that’s where your learning edge is.”
Going into 2019, what’s the change you want to see in the world?
Prioritising purpose over profit
Spending more time connecting with people face-to-face v/s connecting over devices.
What should be invented and/or un-invented in the next year?
Teleportation – there’s never been enough time in a day and would be great to have an alternative way to get from A-to-B ;)
Is it the robots we should be worried about, or the humans?
Both.
How long before we have:
DNA modification? I believe we already have this.
Driverless cars? I believe we’re already trialing this.
Immortality? Hopefully never.
Cities that all look like Venice? Venice looks like Venice.
No animals farmed or eaten? I believe that certain parts of the world, animals will always be farmed, although not necessarily always eaten.
Medical cannabis sold at the chemist? I believe medicinal cannabis is already being sold in retail stores overseas. But in Aotearoa, New Zealand... maybe three to six years?
Non-human, AI lovers? Never. AI will never truly love us. However, I believe that some humans are already in love their devices with AI capabilities, and spend more time with them than with the loved ones around them. Sad but true.
Chips implanted in our brains? 15 years.
Colonies on Mars? 100 years.
Secure bunkers to protect us from the zombie apocalypse? Get out and fight!
Originally published in Idealog
Editor: Elly Strang
Date: January 2019