Summarizing a designers' conference is a little like describing political leanings in Ohio: for every generalization you make, there's a counter-example or a diametrically opposed opinion. This is what makes the panel discussions such good fun. You get well formulated opinions, followed by dissent, followed by some genuine hashing out of the issue.

So when a group of designers agree on something, it's noteworthy; when several speakers independently bring up the same idea several times, it's downright archival. Here are a few of the notably consistent conclusions that arose from the past three days.

The All-Outsourced Design + Manufacturing Package
A dozen countries eager to move the whole product development process to their home field are cranking out really smart kids who can sketch, render, style and model as well as the most brilliant guy in your studio. In a few more years, lending that extra bit of aesthetic shine to an existing commodity product will be the least profitable game in American design.

De-Commodification
Everyone seems to agree that this is the only way forward. People still buy German cars and Italian clothes at a premium because they are distinguishable. If you design something that doesn't stand out from the crowd, you won't for long.

The Experience, Not The Product
If it's just a product, they'll buy the cheapest one. If it's a product that creates meaning, they might not.

The Multi-Functional Team
With good product relying ever more heavily on integrating a wide range of technologies, good product design relies on a wide range of expertise. Learning how to communicate with everyone in the team and know their limitations and capabilities is one of the most important, least emphasized skills a designer can have.

More Women, Thank God
Several speakers pointed out the foolishness in trying to design for a group about which you know very little. A couple specifically mentioned that women in most countries typically make the majority of purchasing decisions, and the fact that design continues to be a male-dominated field is a liability. So it's encouraging to note that 8 of the 11 student representatives vying for the Merit Award this year were female.