A talent shortage is set to hit the creative and digital industries next year, Hyper Island has suggested, with ‘experience design’ to be the worst affected.
The creative business school based the claims on research carried out with over 30 top industry leaders in the creative and digital industries, including Christopher Lee Ball, UX director and UK head of UX at DigitasLBi and Roz Thomas, associate experience planning director at Dare.
A lack of focus on hiring people trained in experience design – focusing on the moments of engagement between brands and people and the emotions, ideas and memories these moments create – means that brands that do not completely reimagine how to interact with their customers will fall behind, the school said.
Lauren Currie, programme manager at Hyper Island, added: “A chasm definitely exists between what consumers expect and what brands can deliver. This can be extremely costly for businesses.
“Designers can support companies to overcome this challenge and think bigger than ever before. It’s not about screens or apps anymore, it’s about re-imagining how we live, work and play and the role technology plays in that.”
Hyper Island also noted that in 2015, brands will look to stand out in a competitive market by differentiating themselves and increasing consumer satisfaction using the principles of design experience. This means that companies will have a need to focus on this arena.
Johanna Frelin, chief executive at Hyper Island, said: “The companies who embrace this change and address the talent shortage and skills gaps are the companies that will change their tomorrow. These are the brands that will stay ahead of the game and gain a competitive advantage in their respective fields.”
Hyper Island experts suggest that customer experience will become the unique selling point of a business and will overtake price and product as a key brand differentiator in 2015 and beyond.
