Hugh Dubberly

The networked platform revolution:
Why integrated systems are replacing stand-alone products and what it means for business

The era of stand-alone products is ending. Soon, every "thing" will be connected to the Internet—not just every computer and phone, but also every piece of consumer electronics, every home appliance, and every medical device, as well as more conventional products such as cars, furniture, clothes, and even groceries.

Not only are physical products being integrated into systems, so too are online products and services.

The simple act of connecting products changes their very nature. Apple's iPod is more than a music player. Amazon's Kindle is more than an e-book reader. They are integrated systems of hardware, web-based applications, and human services. Facebook is more than an online social network. Google is more than an Internet search engine. They are product-service ecologies--networked platforms creating opportunities for organic growth.

The networked platform revolution requires us to re-think our assumptions about products. We must think about integrated systems in new ways, define new ways to measure their progress, and organize new development processes. This talk will provide models for thinking about, building, and managing networked platforms.

About Hugh

Hugh Dubberly is a design planner and teacher. At Apple Computer in the late 80s and early 90s, Hugh managed cross-functional design teams and later managed creative services for the entire company. While at Apple, he co-created a technology-forecast film called “Knowledge Navigator,” that presaged the appearance of the Internet in a portable digital device. While at Apple, he served at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena as the first and founding chairman of the computer graphics department.

Intrigued by what the publishing industry would look like on the Internet, he next became Director of Interface Design for Times Mirror. This led him to Netscape where he became Vice President of Design and managed groups responsible for the design, engineering, and production of Netscape’s Web portal. Hugh graduated from Rhode Island School of Design with a BFA in graphic design and earned an MFA in graphic design from Yale.