 Hi, welcome to theCUBE. I'm Lisa Martin and we're on the ground at the Computer History Museum with the Association for Corporate Growth, Silicon Valley, tonight. It's their 13th annual Grow Awards. We're very excited to be joined by a CUBE alumni, Dan Hardin, the president of WebSci Dan. Welcome back to theCUBE. Thank you, it's great to be here. It's great to have you back. So Dan, you are hosting and sponsoring the coolest product showcase grapple at the event tonight. What are the cool products that you're going to be giving away? Well, we're giving away a series of the Google Wi-Fi devices. They're the coolest little mesh router you've ever seen. I think it's now a household necessity. We're giving away the Nido Robots. So the Nido Robotics system, the vacuum's your floor. It's really a neat, cool device. It's got a latest navigation technology. Really cleans better than anything else. It's really a fantastic new product. Sounds like I need to get one of those. I've got two large dogs. Yeah, you never have to think about vacuuming again. I like that. So you've been an award-winning designer for a long time now. In your mind, being a designer, how does that help you when you're dealing with such diverse companies, diverse people? What do you find that's advantageous there? Well, I think at its core, if you think about what design really is, to me, it's always been a craft using psychology. I think it's half psychology communication. We try to establish a narrative with our clients and our end users so that we can understand what they want. It also helps to do, most designers are sensitive types. Many of us are artists and engineers, but oftentimes, more artists. So we are people, people. We really care deeply about end users and what they're thinking and feeling, and that helps you become a really great designer. It also helps you working with a diverse range of clients. I love that. Along those lines, what are, if we look at, kind of like the ideal designer from a mindset perspective, the skills, qualities, what do you think really kind of composes an ideal background for a designer? Well, we have many different designers come from many different kind of backgrounds. So, like myself, I did start out as an artist, but I was also a tinker. I like to put things together. I'm a maker at heart. So I find people that are curious and passionate, love the way things work, usually make really fine designers. What are some of the biggest challenges? I mean, we talk about technology and it's, we have so many, almost limitless opportunities. But in the design field today, what do you think some of the biggest challenges are for product designers? Well, one of the first big ones for me is getting your client, I'm a design consultant, but getting your client to do the right thing. We live in a mostly capitalist world society where most of our clients want to first and foremost make money. That's great. Everybody wants growth. That's what we're here celebrating tonight. But as a designer, one of my challenges always get a client to do that right thing, which means they have to think sustainably. They have to really be open to being very original and benefit means taking a risk. It also to me means being bold enough to actually make a cultural statement. Secondly, for me is, and I think this is true with all product designers, we have to deal with this thing called obsolescence. You know, you pour your heart into a really hard design problem and because of the way the markets move, well in two or three years, if you're lucky maybe a little bit more, the product is obsolete. What we try to do of course is to create lasting elements of goodness, high quality, things that you can really say, you know what, there's something about this that I really want to keep. I'm a cultural fit that kind of piqued my interest. Do you find it a lengthy conversation to work with companies to do the right thing from the sustainability perspective, but from a cultural fit? Is that something that is a particular challenge that you find that you really have to work with them to identify what's ideal that meets not just their corporate culture, but the culture of the audience that they're trying to sell to? Yeah, I think initially it is with almost every client, but you know, part of our job is to sort of uncover these hidden opportunities within these different brands so that they sometimes can really revel in their own culture. And then it's one of our jobs to sort of find that and give these cultural elements within those brands a voice so that we can then present that to the end user, which then of course helps them become much more successful. So last question for you. I know that you have done a tremendous breadth of products in your career. What are you looking to accomplish with your work and in that respect, impact the world? Yeah, well, great question. It's a question that we all strive for as designers. Any innovator should be asking that question. You know, you have to have a life purpose. For me, I really enjoy creating products that have one lasting beauty, lasting functional relevance, a place in society. And I try to do that. My whole team tries to, with our clients, create products that first and foremost appeal to that individual. And if you can resonate with that single person beautifully on every level, and then you multiply that in mass production, you can find that your values as a designer and ultimately are the values of our clients can then be reflected in the products that they end up shipping in the market. And then you can really feel like you fulfilled your life purpose as a designer. I bet that feels great. Well, Dan, thanks so much for joining us again on theCUBE. Have fun tonight hosting the fullest product raffle. And we look to see you again next year. Thank you so much. Well, for Dan Harden, I'm Lisa Martin. You've been watching theCUBE on the ground at the Computer History Museum. Thanks for watching. Stick around. We'll be right back.