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The future of UX design is to envision humanity's relationship to technology and each other — whether we're struggling with fear and loathing in reaction to genetically altered foods, the moral issues of changing a child's traits to suit a parent's preferences, the ethics guiding battlefield robots, or the societal implications of a 150-year extended lifetime. Now, more than ever, UX designers have the opportunity to help define the parameters of and sculpt the interactions between man and technology.

Designers have only just begun to think about the implications of emerging technologies for the human condition. We must prepare for the transformation of our field of practice — moving from design as facilitation, shaping the interface and workflow, to design as the arbiter, driving the creation of the technology itself and applying our understanding of interaction, form, information, and artistry to new areas.

To balance those asking, "How can this be done?" we must ask, "Why should we do this, to what end, and for whose benefit?" We must move from being passive receptors of new technology to active participants in its formation. As design thinkers and practitioners, we're called to serve as a bridge between technology and humanity, to be explorers and actively seek out new opportunities in areas that are not yet obvious. We're on the eve of some of the most significant technological changes to ever grace our world, and whether these changes serve everyone or just a few will be up to us.

In this webcast, we'll take a look at the role of the UX designer, as new technologies begin to blur the boundaries between design and engineering for software, hardware, and biotech. We'll examine core competencies and case studies in practices areas like the Internet of Things, genomics, and robotics.

About Jonathan Follett

Jonathan Follett is a principal at Involution Studios where he is a designer, business lead, and internationally published author on the topics of user experience and information design.

His most recent book "Designing for Emerging Technologies: UX for Genomics, Robotics and the Internet of Things" was published by O'Reilly Media in December, 2014. Over the past decade, Jon has written for online and print publications including A List Apart, UX Matters, as well as "Beautiful Data: The Stories Behind Elegant Data Solutions", also published by O'Reilly Media.

Throughout his 15 year design career, Jon has contributed to beautiful, usable software for enterprise, healthcare, and emerging technology clients, from the Fortune 500 to the market leaders of the future. Jon is a classically trained pianist who dreams of one day having a family rock band with his two sons. Twitter: @jonfollett