Gadi Amit's guest appearances

Gadi Amit

The Premise

Flyover Labs Podcast

Innovators

Designed this way

The Design Podcast

Peter Diamandis

Naveen Jain

Dennis Crowley

Kevin Kelly

Ryan Caldbeck

Tommy Hilfiger

Hugo Martin

Sean Ellis

Peter Lee

Lukas Biewald

Jenny Lefcourt

Pam Grossman

Nolan Bushnell

Rand Fishkin

Robert Brunner

OwlTail

We're delighted to be joined by internationally renowned designer, Gadi Amit. Gadi is a multi-award-winning designer and a leading authority in the industry. He's been named one of the ‘1000 most creative people' and a 'master of design' by Fast Company Magazine. Numerous publications have featured his work, including Wired and The Verge. If that wasn’t impressive enough, he's a regular keynote speaker on Design and an advocate of the creative arts. For the last 20 years, he has created products for Dell, Comcast, AT&amp;T, Google, and Fitbit at his NewDealDesign studio, where he is President and Principal Designer. In our conversation, Gadi explains how he and his studio have shaped a unique egalitarian culture and how that approach has shaped many successful projects for their clients. Naturally, we couldn't resist asking Gadi about some of his methodologies and techniques… I mean, how could we not ask such a master of the craft? Gadi was kind enough to expand on his ideas and ideals. Describing one of his personal design mantras, "The wisdom of the hand", alongside other principles and practices of the NewDealDesign studio. We discuss everything from his passion for visual communication, to simplifying complex problems. His reflections on the state of western education and his desire to see more significant investment for the arts. It goes without saying we had to ask Gadi's thoughts on the current state of the Design industry and where we need to invest as creatives and leaders in the future. Oh, and we best not forget that we also discussed his trip to the White House, where he received the U.S. National Design Award from Michelle Obama! Now that is a demonstration of the importance of Design - Bravo! Now... let's get those headphones on, and you tuned into the conversation.  Get show updates on Instagram: @design_podcast https://www.instagram.com/design_podcast/  LinkedIn: @design_podcast https://www.linkedin.com/company/design-podcast  All episodes are available on: www.designpodcast.co

We're delighted to be joined by internationally renowned designer, <a href="https://www.newdealdesign.com/about" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Gadi Amit</a>. Gadi is a multi-award-winning designer and a leading authority in the industry. He's been named one of the ‘1000 most creative people' and a 'master of design' by Fast Company Magazine. Numerous publications have featured his work, including Wired and The Verge. If that wasn’t impressive enough, he's a regular keynote speaker on Design and an advocate of the creative arts. For the last 20 years, he has created products for Dell, Comcast, AT&amp;T, Google, and Fitbit at his <a href="https://www.newdealdesign.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">NewDealDesign</a> studio, where he is President and Principal Designer. In our conversation, Gadi explains how he and his studio have shaped a unique egalitarian culture and how that approach has shaped many successful projects for their clients. Naturally, we couldn't resist asking Gadi about some of his methodologies and techniques… I mean, how could we not ask such a master of the craft? Gadi was kind enough to expand on his ideas and ideals. Describing one of his personal design mantras, "The wisdom of the hand", alongside other principles and practices of the NewDealDesign studio. We discuss everything from his passion for visual communication, to simplifying complex problems. His reflections on the state of western education and his desire to see more significant investment for the arts. It goes without saying we had to ask Gadi's thoughts on the current state of the Design industry and where we need to invest as creatives and leaders in the future. Oh, and we best not forget that we also discussed his trip to the White House, where he received the U.S. National Design Award from Michelle Obama! Now that is a demonstration of the importance of Design - Bravo! Now... let's get those headphones on, and you tuned into the conversation. Get show updates on Instagram: @design_podcast <a href="https://www.instagram.com/adesignpodcast/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/design_podcast/</a> LinkedIn: @design_podcast <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/design-podcast" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.linkedin.com/company/design-podcast</a> All episodes are available on: <a href="http://www.designpodcast.co/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.designpodcast.co</a>

1.1 | Gadi Amit: The Culture Of Design

Gadi Amit is the Founder &amp; President of NewDealDesign, a Strategic Technology Design Studio based in San Francisco. He is the person behind some of the most innovative and market-winning products in the last two decades. Some of the most notable product designs his studio has created include the design of Fitbit, the first Lytro camera, the Google Ara modular phone and Sproutling baby monitor. In 2013, Michelle Obama presented Gadi Amit with the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Award for product design. Gadi Amit is passionate about creating design that is both socially responsible and generates real world success. On this episode, Gadi talks about his life, influences and his value system. He talks about his opinions on technology, design and ethics. We also talk about the design process behind Fitbit and Lytro camera. And Gadi shares his opinions on the future of wearable technology and Cyborg-ism.RELEVANT LINKSNew Deal Design -  https://www.newdealdesign.comKyoorius Design Yatra - https://www.designyatra.comTel Aviv - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tel_AvivSTEM studies - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Science,_technology,_engineering,_and_mathematicsSierra Leone - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sierra_Leone Hassan Fathi - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hassan_Fathy Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design -  http://www.bezalel.ac.il/en/Jerusalem - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JerusalemEthiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, Jerusalem- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kidane_Mehret_Church,_JerusalemBauhaus - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BauhausFirst Macintosh - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macintosh_ClassicScitex - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scitex_Vision Rafi Holtzman - https://www.linkedin.com/in/rafiholtzman/ Model Maker - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Model_makerApple - https://www.apple.com (Just in case)Jony Ive - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jony_Ive Steve Jobs Biography - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Jobs_(book)Hartmut Esslinger - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hartmut_EsslingerDieter Rams - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dieter_RamsWindows 95 - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_95Packard Bell - http://www.packardbell.com/index.htmlSnow White design language - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snow_White_design_languageDot-com bubble - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dot-com_bubbleLytro Camera - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LytroLight Field Technology - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Light-field_cameraRen Ng - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ren_NgKaleidoscope - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KaleidoscopeTech User Testing - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User_research and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usability_testingAra Phone - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_AraAra Phone design by New Deal Design - https://www.newdealdesign.com/work/google-project-araFitbit - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fitbit and https://www.fitbit.com/in/homePedometer - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PedometerFastcompany - https://www.fastcompany.com/person/gadi-amit2008 Financial crisis - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Financial_crisis_of_2007–2008Linda Tischler - https://www.fastcompany.com/3058853/in-memory-of-linda-tischlerNational Design Awards - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Design_AwardsNuclear Football - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_footballEthics of Technology - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethics_of_technologyMachine Learning - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machine_learningGraphical user interface - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graphical_user_interfaceCyborgs - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CyborgWearable Technology - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wearable_technologyMedical Assistive technology - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assistive_technologyImplantable User-Interface by New Deal Design - https://www.newdealdesign.com/work/project-underskinGoa - https://www.lonelyplanet.com/india/goa

Gadi Amit is the Founder &amp; President of NewDealDesign, a Strategic Technology Design Studio based in San Francisco. He is the person behind some of the most innovative and market-winning products in the last two decades. Some of the most notable product designs his studio has created include the design of Fitbit, the first Lytro camera, the Google Ara modular phone and Sproutling baby monitor. In 2013, Michelle Obama presented Gadi Amit with the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Award for product design. Gadi Amit is passionate about creating design that is both socially responsible and generates real world success. On this episode, Gadi talks about his life, influences and his value system. He talks about his opinions on technology, design and ethics. We also talk about the design process behind Fitbit and Lytro camera. And Gadi shares his opinions on the future of wearable technology and Cyborg-ism. RELEVANT LINKS New Deal Design - <a href="https://www.newdealdesign.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.newdealdesign.com</a> Kyoorius Design Yatra - <a href="https://www.designyatra.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.designyatra.com</a> Tel Aviv - <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tel_Aviv" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tel_Aviv</a> STEM studies - <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Science,_technology,_engineering,_and_mathematics" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Science,_technology,_engineering,_and_mathematics</a> Sierra Leone - <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sierra_Leone" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sierra_Leone</a> Hassan Fathi - <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hassan_Fathy" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hassan_Fathy</a> Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design - <a href="http://www.bezalel.ac.il/en/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.bezalel.ac.il/en/</a> Jerusalem - <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerusalem" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerusalem</a> Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, Jerusalem- <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kidane_Mehret_Church,_Jerusalem" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kidane_Mehret_Church,_Jerusalem</a> Bauhaus - <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bauhaus" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bauhaus</a> First Macintosh - <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macintosh_Classic" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macintosh_Classic</a> Scitex - <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scitex_Vision" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scitex_Vision</a> Rafi Holtzman - <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/rafiholtzman/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.linkedin.com/in/rafiholtzman/</a> Model Maker - <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Model_maker" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Model_maker</a> Apple - <a href="https://www.apple.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.apple.com</a> (Just in case) Jony Ive - <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jony_Ive" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jony_Ive</a> Steve Jobs Biography - <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Jobs_(book)" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Jobs_(book)</a> Hartmut Esslinger - <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hartmut_Esslinger" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hartmut_Esslinger</a> Dieter Rams - <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dieter_Rams" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dieter_Rams</a> Windows 95 - <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_95" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_95</a> Packard Bell - <a href="http://www.packardbell.com/index.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.packardbell.com/index.html</a> Snow White design language - <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snow_White_design_language" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snow_White_design_language</a> Dot-com bubble - <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dot-com_bubble" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dot-com_bubble</a> Lytro Camera - <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lytro" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lytro</a> Light Field Technology - <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Light-field_camera" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Light-field_camera</a> Ren Ng - <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ren_Ng" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ren_Ng</a> Kaleidoscope - <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaleidoscope" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaleidoscope</a> Tech User Testing - <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User_research" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User_research</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usability_testing" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usability_testing</a> Ara Phone - <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Ara" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Ara</a> Ara Phone design by New Deal Design - <a href="https://www.newdealdesign.com/work/google-project-ara" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.newdealdesign.com/work/google-project-ara</a> Fitbit - <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fitbit" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fitbit</a> and <a href="https://www.fitbit.com/in/home" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.fitbit.com/in/home</a> Pedometer - <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pedometer" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pedometer</a> Fastcompany - <a href="https://www.fastcompany.com/person/gadi-amit" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.fastcompany.com/person/gadi-amit</a> 2008 Financial crisis - <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Financial_crisis_of_2007–2008" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Financial_crisis_of_2007–2008</a> Linda Tischler - <a href="https://www.fastcompany.com/3058853/in-memory-of-linda-tischler" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.fastcompany.com/3058853/in-memory-of-linda-tischler</a> National Design Awards - <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Design_Awards" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Design_Awards</a> Nuclear Football - <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_football" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_football</a> Ethics of Technology - <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethics_of_technology" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethics_of_technology</a> Machine Learning - <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machine_learning" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machine_learning</a> Graphical user interface - <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graphical_user_interface" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graphical_user_interface</a> Cyborgs - <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyborg" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyborg</a> Wearable Technology - <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wearable_technology" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wearable_technology</a> Medical Assistive technology - <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assistive_technology" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assistive_technology</a> Implantable User-Interface by New Deal Design - <a href="https://www.newdealdesign.com/work/project-underskin" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.newdealdesign.com/work/project-underskin</a> Goa - <a href="https://www.lonelyplanet.com/india/goa" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.lonelyplanet.com/india/goa</a>

In an increasingly digital world, designing physical products that are genuinely useful and evoke an emotion from the consumer, is a tough challenge, according to Gadi Amit, president and principal designer at NewDealDesign, on the latest episode of TheCurrent Innovators. With tech's fast-moving evolution comes a need to design objects that are sustainable and desirable, he highlights in his conversation with Liz Bacelar. Best known as the designer behind the original FitBit wearable device, Amit thinks technology is still very much about utility, but that pioneers such as Apple's Steve Jobs and Jony Ive have ignited change. Consumers are now becoming increasingly accustomed to technology pervading many aspects of their lives, and as a result are looking for objects that enhance their personal experiences by creating deeper connections, he says. When developing a successful wearable product, for instance, brands need to look beyond designing status-seeking elements to ask basic questions, such as: "What does it do for you? How does it enhance your life?", says Amit. He reiterates that an object's uniqueness lies in its true experiential value, and not just the label. For luxury, an industry that has struggled to enter the fast-moving market of digital technologies while retaining its products' values of longevity, Amit suggests starting with the values of the brand first, and building the technology that speaks to it. For fashion the 2014 wearable boom was short-lived, as the market became overcrowded with products that consumer demand didn't respond to. Although Amit thinks this is partly because devices lacked uniqueness, this is also due to the fact that wearables are so difficult to design, he explains. He particularly contradicts a common notion in the fashion industry that technology within wearables should be made to be invisible – from a usability standpoint, there are always design elements that need to prioritize function over aesthetics, he comments. "Wearables are different animals, they're not accessories in fashion. This is a piece of technology that needs to be on the human body, and therefore needs to be designed appropriately," he concludes. The self-confessed "contrarian by nature" is tackling payments next, an industry that historically champions frictionless and simplified interactions. Research around how exchanging physical currency affects behaviors and creates subconscious connections led him to design a new device called Scrip. This induces friction by asking the user to swipe at it a few times in order to share digital currency, meaning users make more conscious spending decisions. It acts as a cashpoint in the user's pocket, in which its tangibility plays a key role in triggering neural functions that automated payment systems like Apple Pay have hindered. In designing Scrip, Amit explains that it taps into the need to create objects that perfectly combine function and aesthetics in such a way that its owners will never render it obsolete.

In an increasingly digital world, designing physical products that are genuinely useful and evoke an emotion from the consumer, is a tough challenge, according to Gadi Amit, president and principal designer at NewDealDesign, on the latest episode of TheCurrent Innovators. With tech's fast-moving evolution comes a need to design objects that are sustainable and desirable, he highlights in his conversation with Liz Bacelar. Best known as the designer behind the original FitBit wearable device, Amit thinks technology is still very much about utility, but that pioneers such as Apple's Steve Jobs and Jony Ive have ignited change. Consumers are now becoming increasingly accustomed to technology pervading many aspects of their lives, and as a result are looking for objects that enhance their personal experiences by creating deeper connections, he says. When developing a successful wearable product, for instance, brands need to look beyond designing status-seeking elements to ask basic questions, such as: "What does it do for you? How does it enhance your life?", says Amit. He reiterates that an object's uniqueness lies in its true experiential value, and not just the label. For luxury, an industry that has struggled to enter the fast-moving market of digital technologies while retaining its products' values of longevity, Amit suggests starting with the values of the brand first, and building the technology that speaks to it. For fashion the 2014 wearable boom was short-lived, as the market became overcrowded with products that consumer demand didn't respond to. Although Amit thinks this is partly because devices lacked uniqueness, this is also due to the fact that wearables are so difficult to design, he explains. He particularly contradicts a common notion in the fashion industry that technology within wearables should be made to be invisible – from a usability standpoint, there are always design elements that need to prioritize function over aesthetics, he comments. "Wearables are different animals, they're not accessories in fashion. This is a piece of technology that needs to be on the human body, and therefore needs to be designed appropriately," he concludes. The self-confessed "contrarian by nature" is tackling payments next, an industry that historically champions frictionless and simplified interactions. Research around how exchanging physical currency affects behaviors and creates subconscious connections led him to design a new device called Scrip. This induces friction by asking the user to swipe at it a few times in order to share digital currency, meaning users make more conscious spending decisions. It acts as a cashpoint in the user's pocket, in which its tangibility plays a key role in triggering neural functions that automated payment systems like Apple Pay have hindered. In designing Scrip, Amit explains that it taps into the need to create objects that perfectly combine function and aesthetics in such a way that its owners will never render it obsolete.

Gadi Amit on designing human-led wearables that evoke connections

An interview with the founder of one of the leading industrial product design firms in the world.