Summary
A Fortune 50 organization faced systemic inefficiencies stemming from siloed data, disjointed processes, and inconsistent communication. Teams struggled with manual workarounds, fragmented systems, and slow response times. Our team was tasked with identifying where generative AI could drive real business value—not just excitement. Over three sprints across multiple domains, we used immersive research, service mapping, and co-creation workshops to reveal hidden pain points and architect practical AI-powered solutions. We developed ten ready-to-build concepts, each with a business case, technical blueprint, and cost-savings estimate. Two of the top concepts were prioritized into MVP plans for seamless handoff to internal teams. The result: faster response times, increased labor efficiency, and millions in projected savings.
Key Insights
-
•
AI's impact is limited unless integrated coherently in existing workflows and systems.
-
•
Fragmentation and handoff failures, not AI itself, cause operational breakdowns.
-
•
Shadowing frontline workers is crucial to uncover real points of friction where AI can assist.
-
•
Focusing on human friction rather than technology placement changes the solution space.
-
•
Repetitive verification work is a key target where AI can reduce cognitive load.
-
•
Mapping end-to-end journeys with emotions and data flow helps shift conversations from blame to action.
-
•
Defining AI archetypes as verbs fosters shared language across disciplines.
-
•
Early alignment on ownership, governance, and success metrics prevents pilot failure.
-
•
Balancing bold transformation with credible, build-ready pilots maintains momentum.
-
•
Service design’s role is to humanize the organization around AI, not just humanize AI itself.
Notable Quotes
"AI wasn’t the obstacle. Fragmentation was."
"I spent 40% of my day verifying what the system already knows."
"When the system feels chaotic, visibility is your superpower."
"Seeing frustrations next to system data shifted conversations from blame to true standing."
"Service design’s role isn’t to humanize AI, it’s to humanize the organization around it."
"The real shift wasn’t speed, it was also trust."
"Transformation isn’t just about prototypes; it’s about designing governance."
"Don’t overlap sprints. Context slips and decisions unravel."
"Co-creation only works when it has boundaries."
"The linguistic shift from we have AI to we’re redesigning how we work signals maturity."
Or choose a question:
More Videos
"The challenge of prioritization increases when decisions are adaptive, systemic, and dynamic."
Mark Interrante Harry MaxAI for Prioritization (3rd of 3 seminars)
July 11, 2024
"Framing research as a way for us to work collaboratively and solve problems from its department, not just the UX or design team."
Dr. Jamika D. Burge Jemma Ahmed Chris GeisonBridge Building across Research Disciplines
August 26, 2021
"We help each other, support each other, and guide each other through murky and unclear times."
Bria AlexanderTheme Two Intro
September 8, 2022
"The variable sync tool we built is not a commercial product; it’s a utilitarian sync layer to overcome Figma’s limitations and connect design to engineering."
Ryan Matthew Alex KurchevDesignOps without Boundaries: Building More with What You Have
September 10, 2025
"If we could make something really easy for developers, we would drive adoption and continually improve user experiences."
David CroninThe GE Design System and Thoughts about Craft at Scale
May 13, 2015
"Meeting designers where they spend their time, like integrating accessibility plugins into Figma, is the most effective way to make progress."
Saara Kamppari-MillerDesignOps for Inclusive Design and Accessibility
May 26, 2022
"A great design solution for a poorly defined problem is infinitely worse than an average solution applied to a well-defined problem."
Billy CarlsonIdeation tips for Product Managers
December 6, 2022
"Survival can feel like a roller coaster with big energy spikes and drops, often leaving us completely depleted."
Ariba JahanTeam Resiliency Through a Pandemic
January 8, 2024
"The Ministry of Culture in Mexico is creating spaces and policies for designers to solve government challenges using design thinking."
Charlotte LeeTheme 1 Intro
December 8, 2021
Latest Books All books
Dig deeper with the Rosenbot
What are the core UX research tools essential for managing participant recruitment and study logistics in large companies?
Where can UX researchers find reliable, up-to-date information and recommendations on research tool options?
In what ways can AI automate UX research tasks, and what limitations does it currently have?