Google Quietly Acq-hires Part Of Design Firm Cuban Council For Google+
In the midst of today's news whirl, this tidbit slipped through the cracks; Part of the design team Cuban Council has apparently been acq-hired by Google, according to a note on their blog.
Context & Ripple Effects
The reported Google+ hiring fits a 2012 narrative that Google was pursuing design talent through deals such as its acquisition of Kevin Rose and Milk. Cuban Council's own note and pickup by several technology outlets gave the unconfirmed move unusual visibility despite its low-key disclosure.
First-order effects
- If confirmed, Google+ gains part of Cuban Council's design team, while Cuban Council loses personnel rather than transferring an independently operating product or service.
Second-order effects
- The move reinforces competition for small design-studio talent, giving teams with established product-design portfolios an alternative exit route to building standalone businesses.
Third-order effects
- Repeated talent-centered deals would make product design a capability acquired through teams as much as through technology or customer bases, concentrating experienced designers inside large platforms.
The trend: Google's reported Cuban Council move is part of a broader shift toward capability acquisition, in which large Internet companies buy teams to strengthen product design.