Design Comes in Many Forms

Reading Steven Kyffin’s latest essay prompted me to reflect on the role of design in Saudi Arabia’s transformation journey. As the Kingdom reimagines its future, design is emerging not only as a creative discipline, but as a powerful way of shaping the conditions in which people, communities, and institutions can thrive.

Reading my former colleague and friend Steven Kyffin’s essay from Saudi Arabia, I was struck by how relevant its central argument is to a society changing at extraordinary speed.

While much of the design world has focused on products, services, and experiences, Saudi Arabia is simultaneously reshaping its economy, institutions, cities, and ways of life. In this context, Steven’s proposition that design is fundamentally about shaping conditions rather than creating artefacts feels especially relevant.

As design gains recognition in the Kingdom, there is an opportunity to see it not merely as a tool for creating products or improving experiences, but as a strategic capability for shaping futures. The key question is not only what we are building, but, as Steven reflects throughout his career journey, what conditions we are creating for people and communities to thrive.

What resonates most with me is his emphasis on stewardship. In a period of rapid transformation, the challenge is not simply to innovate, but to ensure that innovation contributes to human flourishing, resilience, opportunity, and long-term prosperity. This requires leaders capable of connecting disciplines, institutions, and communities while navigating complexity with both imagination and responsibility.

His recurring question — “How then shall we live?” — also resonates strongly. Every new city, programme, platform, or reform carries within it an implicit answer. Design therefore becomes more than a profession; it becomes a way of thinking about the future we are collectively creating.

For those working at the intersection of innovation, design, and transformation in Saudi Arabia, Steven’s essay is a timely reminder that our most important work may not be the solutions we deliver today, but the conditions we create for tomorrow. In a nation redefining its future at scale, that perspective is both inspiring and essential.

Enjoy the read.