Log in or create a free Rosenverse account to watch this video.
Log in Create free account100s of community videos are available to free members. Conference talks are generally available to Gold members.
Summary
In an environment of UX staff reductions, a focus on tangible design skills and tool expertise, quarterly profits, and angst over what AI means for the future of everyone’s jobs, what place does “theory” have? As designers and researchers we engage in theory every day by hypothesizing: “If we design it like this, then we will have outcome X.” The bigger the problem you’re trying to solve, the more important it becomes to have a theoretical framework about why you’re doing what you’re doing. The breathless parade of AI releases present the biggest challenges (and potential opportunities) in many years. As designers we should have a posture on how to shape how AI is used and its impacts. Much as the mid-century modernists developed coherent frameworks for understanding the relationship between form, function, and human needs, using novel technologies coming out of World War II, we must now articulate theories that help us make sense of this new landscape where intelligence itself has become a design material. Join UX researcher/strategist Adam Richardson and UX design leader Uday Gajendar for an exploration of how we might develop the theoretical foundations designers need to thoughtfully shape AI interactions.
Key Insights
-
•
Design theory provides a crucial framework to push back against AI hype and ground action in humanistic values.
-
•
Historical design movements like Arts and Crafts, Modernism, and Mid-century Modernism reflect responses to societal changes, integrating technology with human-centered ideals.
-
•
UX design originated from longstanding human-computer interaction research and established theories that are currently underutilized.
-
•
Affordances, once central to usable design, have been diminished in favor of flat aesthetics and revenue-driven incremental improvements.
-
•
Victor Papanek’s view of design as a liberal art calls for conscientious, sustainable, and socially responsible design against mass consumerism.
-
•
Design movements must be collective, hopeful, sustainable, and stand for meaningful ideals rather than oppose something or rely solely on individual passion.
-
•
Skill boot camps and tactical learning alone do not foster critical design movements or sustained impact.
-
•
Craft in digital design spans trade (making), stage (facilitating discussions), and statecraft (political relationship-building), all essential for successful design initiatives.
-
•
Systems thinking is needed to comprehend and communicate the cascading effects and trade-offs of AI and design decisions.
-
•
The presence of the maker's touch, embodying imperfection and care, is a vital human quality at risk of being lost in AI-generated work.
Notable Quotes
"Theory at its most fundamental just means if something A happens, then something B will happen."
"Designers are theorists whether they realize it or not — they create solutions that have intended and unintended consequences."
"Mass production is here to stay; how do we make it more humanistic?"
"Affordances seem to have fallen to the wayside in favor of flat design and revenue optimization."
"A movement needs to stand for something, be collective, hopeful, sustainable, and tangible."
"Skill boot camps don’t create a movement; they’re tactical and don’t provide a cohesive set of ideas."
"Craft means intent and care even in digital products; for example, the bounce animation of Google Maps’ pin shows someone cared."
"Knowledge is the material we’re working with in AI design, not just pixels or code."
"AI-generated imagery feels too shiny and perfect — unlike the human-made objects that carry flaws and presence of the maker."
"Trying to figure all this out in business settings is nearly impossible; we have to step away and foster ongoing conversations."
Or choose a question:
More Videos
"Having a well-thought-out data package really helps us see a fuller picture."
Brad Peters Anne MamaghaniShort Take #1: UX/Product Lessons from Your Industry Peers
December 6, 2022
"Design at ExxonMobil isn’t just what designers do; it’s about changing the way people think and solve problems through a human-centered lens."
Lona MooreScaling Design Beyond Designers
June 11, 2021
"Machine intelligence can elevate experiences by easing frictions and amplifying human judgment and agency."
Josh Clark Veronika KindredSentient Design, AI, and the Radically Adaptive Experience (1st of 3 seminars)
January 15, 2025
"It’s not a theme unless you can put your hand over every sticky note and the label explains the story."
Erin May Roberta Dombrowski Laura Oxenfeld Brooke HintonDistributed, Democratized, Decentralized: Finding a Research Model to Support Your Org
March 10, 2022
"From setup to analysis, AI moderation still requires a good understanding of what quality research looks like and how to interpret qualitative data."
Tara TresselInvestigating qualitative depth of AI-moderated interviews
March 10, 2026
"We kept feeling the same consistent pain around some truths for our design system."
Charles Lee Jennie YipBuilding a New Home for the Atlassian Design System
October 22, 2020
"Equipped with the right tools, we can truly meet students where they are."
Kristin SkinnerFive Years of DesignOps
September 29, 2021
"Without adoption, value is zero."
Megan BlockerGetting to the “So What?”: How Management Consulting Practices Can Transform Your Approach to Research
March 26, 2024
"Putting all programs together on easily comparable terms makes the system material and conceivable."
Shanti Mathew Natalie Sims Natalia RadywylCivic Design at Scale: Introducing the Public Policy Layer Cake
December 9, 2021
