Roundup: Inflation explained, the economics of data business, designers as trusted agitators, and the Third Industrial Revolution
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ISSUE 015
A heady mix of an overdue holiday and event organising means March has been tight on writing time. So it's a brief return to the roundup format for this month's newsletter. 

Thankfully I've been collecting some interesting content of late, so hope you enjoy this bite-sized issue.

If you watched the recent interview with Martyn Reding, keep your eyes peeled for the next in the Designers in Business interview series dropping soon. It's on the subject of the Circular Economy and the opportunities it could present for design.

Subscribe to the DiB Youtube channel or through your preferred podcast platforms to be the first to know when it goes live.


Tom Prior
 - Curator
Photo of Kevin Bethlune and the cover of his book, Reimagining Design
Kevin Bethune's path from business graduate to successful design leader is a relatively rare one, and this new book explores Kevin's unique journey through corporate America. Design Observer are also holding a studio session with Kevin on the 7th April (tickets are free) to discuss the book.

If you haven't already watched it, Kevin's conversation with John Maeada in which they discuss 
the business of design is highly recommended.
THE EXPLAINER:
The School of Life: What is Inflation?

Inflation is affecting all of us, and it's happening on a global scale. It can impact us in many ways, including changing the behaviour of the customers we design for.


But what is inflation and what are the factors that contribute to it? This explainer from The School of Life covers the basics, and explores why predicting (and attempting to control) this important economic phenomenon can be so complicated.
Illustration from a School of Life video about inflation
THE QUOTE:
"Starting a company is one of the most creative endeavors I’ve experienced. Business doesn’t stunt creativity. It makes you use it in a real world setting."
THE SOURCES:
A spotlight on the people and organisations providing great business content on the regular. Ones to follow, bookmark and support.
Morgane is a design leader who blends business strategy into her approach, and speaks brilliantly about how to bridge design and business culture.


Morgane Peng
Designers in Business now has it's own YouTube channel. Subscribe to be the first to see new interviews, talks and explainers.

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Demand Curve's newsletter shares the real-world marketing growth tactics that have worked for organisations of all sizes.

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THE LONG READ:
The business models of SaaS, social media and e-commerce organisations are widely discussed, but what about the business of data?

In this deep dive, Abraham Thomas defines data businesses, explains how they capture value, and how they scale. Hat tip to Giorgio Campo for sharing this article on the d.MBA
alumni Slack.
Image from an article about the economics of data businesses
THE THREAD:
Screenshot of the start of a Twitter thread by Laura Yarrow
THE TALK:

Comfort working with metrics continues to be a blind spot for many designers (myself included).

Knowing where to focus and what to measure is half the battle. In this evergreen talk, Kate Rutter
helps us explore ways to humanise metrics and find the right place for them in our toolkits.  
Kate Rutter giving a talk at UX London 2018
THE DOCUMENTARY:
The Third Industrial Revolution: A Radical New Sharing Economy

With the global economy and climate in crisis, we need to radically rethink our economic systems. In this feature-length documentary, social and economic theorist
Jeremy Rifkin lays out a road map, and explores how smart digital infrastructures will give rise to a radical new sharing economy that can transform our current systems.
Frame from Vice documentary about the Circular Economy
Are you enjoying Designers in Business? Know someone who might be starting their own journey to business confidence?

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Tom - Curator of Designers in Business
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