Sohrab Vossoughi’s latest article on Businessweek.com talks about innovation not delivering anymore. He goes onto examine Experience Design as the next potential differentiator.

In the article he mentions one our clients, American Express. I was very happy to see them singled out in such a positive article about the next evolution of what I do for a living. But I was even happier to see Apple Computer NOT mentioned.

I have been working in the design field in for over 20 years. But this thing called Experience Design, which I have been practicing in some capacity for the last 8 years, is just now starting to get more and more attention. With a special thanks to Steve Jobs and his Apple stores. And as Mr. Vossoughi points out, there are a lot of companies doing it very well. Our client American Express has embraced Experience Design at every level of their company, from their pop-up Customer Lounges in shopping malls, to their blue and black cards and even to the way you receive your platinum benefits package in the mail.

There are more and more companies embracing the idea of a holistic consumer experience and these companies are the ones who are not going slide down the slippery slope of commoditization and cheapest price. They are going to stave off competition and deliver authentic experiences that consumers are looking for. After all, we used to go to church on Sundays, now we go to the mall.