Successful designers will need to continue integrating technological, business and social requirements as design plays a role in more areas of society.
The UK Design Council has identified four key trends that will impact design, and provides link to related resources: 
- Miniaturization
- Digitization
- Smart Materials
- Pervasive Computing
The common theme of these areas is the potential to design products with greater capabilities, flexibility and functionality than every before.
Related, are emerging design issues:
- Sustainable design
- Social responsibility
- Service design
- Experience design
