We exist in a strange borderland that consists of the ‘real’ world, where we live and breathe, and a digital world, which directs and amplifies our lives. A couple of decades ago, digital devices and services were just an enhancement. Now, everything appears to be interconnected. Many of the services that our lives depend on have been digitized. Opting out of online is near impossible.

This emerging analogue-digital borderland brings new challenges for design. The pandemic has accelerated its evolution, while our minds are still playing catch-up. The mindset of the last centuries was biased towards individualism and fragmentation, which brought with it a desire for hierarchies and clear demarcations. However, this mindset is fast becoming outdated in the face of the complexities of an interconnected and interdependent society.

It’s time for new principles to guide us. Principles focused on a networked society that thrives on collaboration and is comfortable with a state of perpetual flux. Principles that focus on ethics, intent and foresight.

This talk aims to clarify some of the biases and blind spots that hold us back and outlines the characteristics of evolving principles that may help shape a thriving borderland.