The future of machine learning (ML) in product design is exciting and has the potential to revolutionize several industries. Foremost among them is the field of medical devices, which offers seemingly endless opportunities for innovation and an overwhelmingly positive impact on quality of life.

We took time to reflect on our journals from 2022 with the coming new year. Our topics were far-ranging, from human-centered design to equality to sustainability and several subjects in between. The year in review highlighted the fact that the world is in an era of technological acceleration and we are thankful to have been a part of it.

Data suggests there are prolific risks around purpose-driven work like UX Design. Empathy overload, compassion fatigue, and secondary trauma are foremost among them. So-called “selfish work strategies” help designers maintain a work-life balance, an equilibrium that will make them better at both.

Green gifts are holiday gold! They work to offset the heavy emissions of the holiday season, plus when you buy them, you support makers trying to make a difference.

At its core, product design is about the users. As designers and engineers, we have tremendous power to influence them — and, therefore, great responsibility. Designing functional features into a product to improve users' lives is the easy part. What takes more rigor and investment is integrating emotions that (fingers-crossed) encourage people to be better human beings.

The ability to tell stories has given our species the evolutionary advantages responsible for our proliferation to 8 billion people worldwide. Could design thinking be an evolved form of our narrative abilities that we are cultivating just in time to save us from ourselves?