Design Thinking and AI

#56 - Mar.2023

The latest Design in Tech report from John Maeda shed light on the opportunities for designing new products and services in the digital world. Design methods change over time and require different tools to address new problems. How are design thinking techniques impacted?

Many agreed that we entered a new era in design. From the design origins focused on the physical world (designing objects), through the rise of design thinking (business + customer-centric design) to the latest iteration: Computational Design.

In this new iteration algorithms and data models are the engine behind each product. Is about building better experiences by combining foundational models, contexts, and computational power.

The traditional diverge-converge dynamic from design thinking techniques can be augmented through new technology such as AI. Starting with the discovery phase, we can now process large data sets and find problem trends faster through AI classifications. Ideation can be powered by AI interactions to understand how others have solved similar problems. Prototyping and testing can be optimized by AI-based visualization and simulations. Just to name a few examples.

I believe this is the tip of the iceberg of the true potential of AI. Such augmentations will continue to increase productivity and our ability to solve bigger problems, not only in business but more complex social issues such as health, education, and economic growth.

Interesting times ahead of us.