Michael Gough

DesignUber’s new VP of Design, Michael Gough is a former architect who wants to make the sometimes maligned company more empathetic. The future of Uber is far from determined, and the decisions and actions of Gough will help define it.“The core of design is empathy. That’s the starting point no matter what. That will always be how you address any product challenge. The classic way products were developed was you solved functional needs, and then maybe business needs, and then you lean heavily into human needs over time. This arc, all of the [PR] challenges aside, is a natural arc. The next big step is to become a company that’s really, really good at connecting with people and people’s needs.”