Five Key Takeaways from Driving innovation in design and technology

Posted on 30th January 2026

Written by Prof. Saeema Ahmed-Kristensen, Director of DIGIT Lab, University of Exeter

D.Coded, is a new podcast about Driving innovation: Design, Technology, Digital and Human Experiences. I recently launched it with my cohost Melisa Leñero, Director of the Paul Polak Innovation Fund. I first met Melisa a decade ago during a joint RCA/Imperial course I was leading and we have been thinking about doing a podcast together for a while.

Why we created D.Coded

As Professor of Design Engineering & Innovation and Director of DIGIT Lab, I spend much of my time exploring how organisations navigate digital transformation, how we innovate with AI and data. These conversations are often complex, spanning technology, culture, people, and policy. Yet too frequently they happen in silos, with each discipline speaking its own language and neglecting the impact on planet or people.

With D.Coded, we wanted to create a space that brings those worlds together. A place where we can decode not just emerging technologies, but also the human experiences, motivations, and challenges that shape how those technologies are adopted. Melisa’s background in social innovation and designing solutions for impact brings a critical perspective to each episode, complementing the research and design insights that I bring from DIGIT Lab.

Our goal is simple: to uncover the real stories and ideas shaping the future, and to break silos, with insights accessible to anyone who wishes to innovate, whether in business, design, policy or research and through our TikTok channel inspire younger generations and our future innovators, users and entrepreneurs.

Five Key Takeaways from the Podcast

As we launch the series, several important themes have already emerged:

Technology only delivers value when grounded in human experience

Innovation cannot start with the tool; it must start with the people it aims to serve. Understanding real behaviour, needs, and motivations is essential for meaningful impact.

Interdisciplinary collaboration unlocks better solutions

Complex challenges require varied perspectives. Bringing design, engineering, social sciences, and innovation together leads to more holistic and sustainable outcomes.

Digital transformation is fundamentally cultural

New tools alone do not transform organisations. Culture, trust, leadership, and mindset play an equally significant role in driving meaningful change.

Uncertainty can be a driver, not a barrier

Many of our guests embrace ambiguity as part of the innovation process, showing that uncertainty often sparks creativity rather than suppressing it.

Purpose-led design is essential

Impact must take precedence over novelty. The best ideas are those that genuinely improve people’s lives.

Looking Forward

We created D.Coded to ask bigger questions, to explore the edges of what’s possible, and to challenge assumptions about the future. I’m excited to share the conversations we’ve recorded so far and the ones yet to come. I hope listeners find them as inspiring and thought-provoking as we have.