Column: Conscious Experience Design

As UX designers, along with the rest of the world today, we’re hyperaware of the impact and momentum of generative artificial intelligence (AI)—so much so that we’re now wondering whether people might be focusing so much on a few trees that they’re forgetting to consider the forest. Allow me to explain. While AI is undeniably a sea change in computing, it ultimately represents a much broader revolution in which technology is becoming more human centric and human conscious. Essentially, technology is now learning to adapt to people, as opposed to people needing to learn and adapt to new technologies.

As part of this shift, technology is expanding not only its cognitive abilities but also its sensory, social, and ethical capabilities. Within the expansion of technology’s sensory abilities, we’re seeing advancements and growth in spatial computing. Spatial context and movement within three-dimensional spaces are core human-sensory abilities, and thus, likely new growth areas in humanizing machine interactions. Spatial computing has emerged as one of the most compelling paradigms that are melding with AI—so compelling that we can consider it the third wave of interactions in personal computing. Read More

As we enter 2024, artificial intelligence (AI) is part of virtually every product-design conversation. Companies are racing to incorporate AI into their products, hoping to push the limits of innovation to attract and engage customers and impact the business’s bottom line. As UX designers, our charter is always to create seamless relationships between users and digital products. AI represents a whole new field of possible experiences.

Now, with AI ubiquitously underpinning so many new products, I believe the biggest challenge of 2024 will be thoughtfully placing AI at the forefront of innovation by understanding users’ perspectives, needs, concerns, and objectives. AI can and will do many amazing things. The big question is: what should it do?

In this column, I’ll share some of my reflections regarding the adoption of AI by users, focusing particularly on what we’ve learned about their expectations and attitudes. Read More

As the leader of a design agency that is working at the forefront of design and innovation, I have witnessed firsthand the transformative power of technology in driving new growth and experiences. Our mission as UX designers is to apply human-centered approaches in helping technology companies to deliver better user experiences. Over the years, my team has been privileged to guide many leading companies through significant technology and paradigm shifts, spanning digital, mobile; connected, or the Internet of Things (IoT); and natural interfaces. As futurists and humanists, we are passionate about embracing new technologies in ways that enhance human experiences and deliver more value.

In every engagement that helps companies transform for the future, we too are transformed, both as individuals and as an organization. Plus, we are adopting new methods and growing new technical capabilities. We live the spirit of innovation by constantly evolving to meet the pace of change and progress. Now, in what we call the Conscious Era, with the exponential growth of generative artificial intelligence, UX designers are coming face to face with the most powerful, yet disruptive technology to date—not only for products, but for the UX design profession itself. Business and career reinvention is now an imperative as UX designers embrace artificial intelligence (AI) as a new creative partner and collaborator. Read More