I've said many times that I think design will become a major source of competitive advantage in the future. It's becoming easier to compete in other areas all the time, so competitive advantage will move toward "softer" things like aesthetic appeal. Prepare yourself for the future by checking out the Business2.0 Bottom Line Design Awards. The nice thing about these awards is that they were only given to real things that were designed, not concepts that will never see the light of day.
