Summary
Join dscout for an in-depth case study walking through a first-year journey of integrating Generative AI into an established enterprise product. In a session tailored specifically for product teams, the speakers will delve into the paradigm shifts in UX professionals to technical relationships, strategies, and processes. dscout’s Jonathan Fairman, VP of Product, and Kevin Johnson, Head of AI, will discuss how the stochastic nature of AI technologies led to the move of a piloting approach to development and traditional wireframe testing of concepts no longer possible.
Key Insights
-
•
Building AI products requires giving up control over the product's behavior due to the unpredictable nature of LLMs.
-
•
Traditional usability testing assumptions break down with AI because each user experience dynamically diverges after the first interaction.
-
•
Longitudinal testing is critical for AI products to understand how user relationships with models evolve over time.
-
•
Wizard of Oz testing (humans simulating AI) is a low-cost method to validate assumptions before building complex AI models.
-
•
Model drift in LLMs causes unpredictable and sometimes harmful behavior, necessitating turn-capping or memory features to maintain consistency.
-
•
Users build their mental models for AI assistants dynamically while using them, unlike fixed software products.
-
•
The stochastic nature of AI results means identical commands can produce different outcomes, affecting user mastery and trust.
-
•
Multi-dimensional prioritization frameworks, like importance vs. difficulty, help teams align on assumptions to test first in AI product development.
-
•
Recognizing failure as inevitable and building failure metrics accelerates learning and innovation in generative AI.
-
•
Humans will retain roles centered on creativity, critical thinking, accountability, and authenticity in a future transformed by AI.
Notable Quotes
"Building on AI means giving up control, which is tough but necessary."
"If the folks who design LLMs don’t know exactly how they work, it’s okay if you don’t either."
"The product is no longer fixed; after the first interaction, it diverges user by user."
"We’re not studying products anymore; we’re studying experiences in ecosystems."
"Failure is inevitable—if you’re right all the time, you’re not taking big enough swings."
"Users are building mental models of how to use AI while they’re using it."
"Testing AI products requires longitudinal methods to see how relationships and experiences evolve."
"Wizard of Oz testing with humans playing bots can reveal insights without building a full model."
"Asynchronous conversations have nested threads humans track easily but are hard for bots to replicate."
"Creativity, accountability, and authenticity will be the new markers of humanity alongside AI."
Or choose a question:
More Videos
"An accessible product is not only the right thing to do, it’s also good for business."
Erin WeigelReal-world lessons to improve your conversion rates
June 26, 2024
"Automated testing tools saved us several days of manual testing and helped prioritize work more effectively."
Phil HeskethDesigning Accessible Research Workflows
September 29, 2021
"AI can act like a super eager intern who's very confident but sometimes gets things wrong."
Shipra Kayan Robert Kortenoeven Eileen TangEmerging principles for using AI in Design: What the product design team at Miro has learned from deeply integrating AI in their workflow
June 11, 2025
"Every assistive technology is not one size fits all, there are thousands of options to configure."
Sam ProulxDesigning For Screen Readers: Understanding the Mental Models and Techniques of Real Users
September 30, 2021
"You want to let participants know it’s a bit non-typical and they are not being tricked or evaluated."
Marc Majers Tony TurnerInterrupted UX - Add A Dose of Reality To Usability Testing
March 11, 2022
"We’ve been taught to build fast and break things, and we often play accessibility on the back burner."
Alexis LucioScaling Accessibility Through Design Systems
June 9, 2022
"Accessibility ownership should never fall on just one person but be understood and shared across entire product teams."
Saara Kamppari-MillerDesignOps for Inclusive Design and Accessibility
May 26, 2022
"Networking isn’t just asking for favors — it’s about building relationships and doing something for others first."
Dave Hoffer Joanne WeaverUX Job Search AMA #2 with Joanne Weaver and Dave Hoffer
May 21, 2025
"Inclusion and representation help us be both socially relevant and novel in our work."
Dr. Jamika D. BurgeTheme 3 Intro
March 11, 2022