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Design of AI
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We provide a pragmatic and practical deep dive into what AI can do and how it is transforming industries. We help designers, researchers, and product managers excel in a rapidly changing future. Hosted by: Arpy Dragffy Guerrero (Founder & Principal Strategist, PH1 Research) https://www.linkedin.com/in/adragffy/ Brittany Hobbs (VP Insights, Huge) https://www.linkedin.com/in/brittanyhobbs/ Please make sure to subscribe to our Substack to never miss an episode. On the Design of AI substack you’ll also receive more strategic insights and recommended products. https://designofai.substack.com/

  1. 48. AI Trap: Hard Truths About the Job Market

    13H AGO

    48. AI Trap: Hard Truths About the Job Market

    2025 is almost over, and it’s time to stop pretending everything is fine. If you work in design, writing, product, research, or agencies, you’ve felt it: fewer jobs, lower rates, shrinking teams—and an industry telling you AI is here to free you while quietly replacing you. In AI Trap, Episode 48, we break down the biggest myths we’ve been sold: AI will free creatives to do more meaningful work AI will create more jobs than it destroys AI will make us smarter and more creative Some of these are partially true. That’s what makes them dangerous. We look at real data, real job market signals, and what’s already happening inside agencies and tech companies. We talk about why creativity is being commoditized, why value is collapsing for most creatives, and the line too many people are crossing: outsourcing their thinking instead of outsourcing their work. --- Please help us: we’re running a short survey alongside this episode. If you work in a creative or knowledge role, your input is critical. It takes about three minutes, and it helps us separate hype from reality. https://tally.so/r/Y5D2Q5 ---- This is episode 48 of the Design of AI podcast. If you found this conversation valuable, please rate and share the show — your support shapes what we explore next. For more AI strategy, creative research, and product insight, subscribe to designofai.substack.com Hosted by Arpy Dragffy Guerrero & Brittany Hobbs ----- Most AI projects fail—not because the technology is weak, but because they’re not designed to deliver real customer value. PH1 Research helps organizations reimagine their customer experience with AI. We pinpoint what customers actually need, prototype and test solutions, and audit AI products before they ship. We’ve worked with teams at Microsoft, Spotify, and fast-growing startups. Learn more at ph1.ca, or reach out directly to our host, Arpy Dragffy.

    30 min
  2. 47. The Future of Human–AI Creativity [Dr. Maya Ackerman]

    DEC 3

    47. The Future of Human–AI Creativity [Dr. Maya Ackerman]

    AI is threatening creativity, but that's because we're giving too much control to the machine to think on our behalf. In this episode, Dr. Maya Ackerman — AI-creativity researcher, professor, and author of Creative Machines: AI, Art & Us — explains why the danger isn’t AI itself, but the way we’re designing AI products. She breaks down how today’s tools are unintentionally flattening originality, how “Oracle-mode” models limit imagination, and why we must shift toward building systems that expand human creativity rather than automate it away. For designers, product managers, and builders, this conversation is a blueprint for developing AI tools that inspire exploration, push users beyond predictable patterns, and create space for genuine ingenuity. If you design tools for creative work, this episode reframes what it means to build technology that actually elevates the human mind rather than quietly replacing it. ➤ Why most AI products suppress creativityHow over-alignment and “correctness” kill imaginative output, and what to do instead. ➤ How hallucinations can fuel originalityWhy they’re not failures, but essential sparks for new creative directions. ➤ How AI is reshaping cultural expectations of music, art, and designAnd what this means for teams building creative platforms today. ➤ How to design “Humble Creative Machines”AI that enhances a creator’s skill and taste instead of taking over the process. ➤ How to build incentives that reward curiosity and exploration 02:50 The Role of AI in Enhancing Human Creativity03:26 Historical Perspective on AI and Creativity04:39 The Importance of Novelty and Value in AI Creativity05:52 AI's Potential Beyond Current Applications07:32 Hallucinations: Feature or Bug?08:51 Ethical Considerations in AI Creativity11:13 Humble AI: Elevating Human Creativity24:18 The Role of AI in Creativity25:49 Integrating AI into Creative Workflows26:47 AI as a Creative Assistant27:31 AI in Coding vs. Creative Fields29:51 Incentives in the Creative Domain31:43 Balancing Technology and Humanity39:33 The Future of Education with AI43:37 Practical Tips for Adapting to AI44:04 Collective and Individual Actions for the AI Era45:44 Final Thoughts and Book Promotion Shifting product strategy away from speed and efficiency toward human ingenuity. Creative Machines: AI, Art & Us — Dr. Ackerman’s bookhttps://maya-ackerman.com/creative-machines-book LyricStudio — AI-powered lyric writinghttps://lyricstudio.net “Humble Creative Machines: Creating AI to Elevate You”https://www.theaioptimist.com/p/humble-creative-machines-creating This is Episode 47 of the Design of AI Podcast. If you found this conversation valuable, please rate and share the show — your support shapes what we explore next. For more AI strategy, creative research, and product insight, subscribe to https://designofai.substack.com. Hosted by Arpy Dragffy Guerrero https://www.linkedin.com/in/adragffy/Brought to you by PH1, a strategy consultancy specializing in prototyping the future of your products and business.https://ph1.ca ----- It’s time for our year-end survey: Professional Success in the era of AI 2026 So many of you that we speak to confide in us that you’re worried about your jobs and how to stay relevant as AI is rapidly evolving. You’ll also help us shape next year’s podcast topics. https://tally.so/r/Y5D2Q5 You can participate at   – it will only take 5 minutes of your time.

    46 min
  3. 46. The AI Commercialization Playbook: Stop Selling Tech, Start Delivering Value [Jessica Randazza Pade, Neurable]

    NOV 12

    46. The AI Commercialization Playbook: Stop Selling Tech, Start Delivering Value [Jessica Randazza Pade, Neurable]

    The hardest part of building an AI product isn’t the model, it’s the market. Jessica Randazza Pade, one of today’s leading experts in AI commercialization and Head of Brand Activation & Commercialization at Neurable, joins us to share why most AI products fail and how to build ones that don’t. She explains how to close the gap between engineering and adoption, why “AI” is not a value proposition, and how making technology invisible can become your biggest competitive advantage. Her core message: you have to deliver real value if you want to keep your customers tomorrow. What you’ll learn: ➤ Why “AI” isn’t a value prop and how to build for outcomes, not hype. ➤ The three traits every product that actually sells has in common. ➤ How to align engineering and marketing through user feedback loops. ➤ Why “cheaper, faster, better” is a trap and empathy is the real moat. ➤ The next frontier in AI health and personalization. This is episode 46 of the Design of AI Podcast. Please rate the show if you find it valuable, as your ratings and comments shape future topics. For more AI strategy and research, subscribe to our newsletter: designofai.substack.com This episode was hosted by Arpy Dragffy Guerrero — https://linkedin.com/in/adragffy  Brought to you by PH1 Research, a strategy consultancy specializing in mapping the future of your business and product. Jessica leads the team driving brand activation and commercialization at Neurable. Named one of Campaign US’s 40 Over 40 and Elle Magazine’s 40 Under 40, Jessica is an award-winning global digital marketer, business leader, and storyteller. With a proven track record of helping both Fortune 100 companies and startups achieve explosive growth through data-driven, real-time marketing, she has built and sold successful companies and led high-performing teams at IDEO, Danone, and DigitasLBi across the U.S., EMEA, and Greater China. Follow her on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jessicarandazza Learn more about Neurable and their pioneering brain-computer interface https://www.neurable.com/  It’s time for our year-end survey: Professional Success in the era of AI 2026 So many of you that we speak to confide in us that you’re worried about your jobs and how to stay relevant as AI is rapidly evolving. You’ll also help us shape next year’s podcast topics.  You can participate at  https://tally.so/r/Y5D2Q5 – it will only take 5 minutes of your time.

    45 min
  4. 45. Agentics: Rebuilding How We Think, Work, and Create with AI [Kwame Nyanning, Author of Agentic]

    OCT 23

    45. Agentics: Rebuilding How We Think, Work, and Create with AI [Kwame Nyanning, Author of Agentic]

    The next revolution in AI isn’t another tool, it’s a reconstruction of how organizations think, act, and create meaning. Strategist and designer Kwame Nyanning (Partner & Chief Design Officer at EY Seren) argues that the companies who win the agentic era won’t be the fastest to automate — they’ll be the first to redesign their ontology: the invisible system of goals, relationships, and decisions that define value. His book Agentics, How to design AI agents for impact, growth & innovations reframes AI not as a tool, but as a design medium for intent, alignment, and emergence. What you’ll learn: ➤ How agentic systems blur the line between user, product, and enterprise—and what it means to lead in that new reality. ➤ Why design is shifting from pixel-perfect outputs to intent-perfect systems, where meaning and business-redefining ontology drives performance. ➤ Why the real risk of automation isn’t lost jobs but lost meaning, and how friction, constraint, and emotion become the new luxury. ➤ How agencies and teams can thrive by trading efficiency for proof of alignment and outcomes that matter. —------- This is episode 45 of the Design of AI Podcast.  And please make sure to rate this podcast if you find it valuable. Your podcast ratings and comments are the best way to influence which topics we cover in future episodes.  And if you want more AI strategy & research content, subscribe to our substack newsletter at ⁠https://designofai.substack.com/⁠  Our next AI Product Strategy workshop is happening on November 20. In this 3-hour online workshop you’ll leverage our framework for discovering and pressure-testing disruptive AI product ideas. Get more info at designof.ai/workshop  —---------- This episode was hosted by: Arpy Dragffy Guerrero ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/adragffy/⁠  Brittany Hobbs  ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/brittanyhobbs/⁠ This episode is brought to you by PH1 Research, a research & strategy consultancy specialized in mapping the future of your business & product. Get more info at ⁠PH1.ca⁠ —-------- Kwame Nyanning is a strategist, designer, and thought leader working at the intersection of AI, enterprise transformation, and human-centered design. Formerly with McKinsey, Frog, and Infosys, and now embedded in EY Saren, Kwame’s work explores how organizations must move beyond incremental automation and instead reimagine their very ontology — the foundational logic of how value and meaning are created. Follow him on Linkedin: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/kwamenyanning Buy his must-read book here Available in paperback or Kindle. Follow Design of AI podcast here: ⁠⁠Spotify⁠ https://open.spotify.com/show/3O11vQKPpKI5ZlJhdRGwnf ⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠ ⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/design-of-ai-product-strategy-innovation-career-growth/id1734499859⁠  ⁠YouTube⁠⁠ ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@DesignofAI⁠

    45 min
  5. 44. AI Won’t Save Your Product—Discovery Will [Teresa Torres - Product Talk]

    OCT 8

    44. AI Won’t Save Your Product—Discovery Will [Teresa Torres - Product Talk]

    Product teams are moving fast on AI—but speed without discovery is a trap. Teresa Torres—author of Continuous Discovery Habits and one of the most trusted voices in modern product thinking—reveals why teams that skip real customer contact are building faster and failing faster. In this episode, you’ll learn how to: Avoid the AI discovery trap: Don’t fall for synthetic users, fake insights, and “discovery theater.” Teresa shows how to ground AI-assisted research in real human context so your data actually leads to defensible products. Use AI to think deeper, not cheaper: Learn the high-leverage ways AI can supercharge synthesis, spot patterns across thousands of signals, and accelerate prototyping—without replacing the empathy and nuance only humans can see. Turn discovery into your moat: Discover why first-hand customer contact is still the ultimate competitive edge—and how teams using AI to augment discovery (not outsource it) are finding opportunities their competitors miss. —------- This is episode 44 of the Design of AI Podcast. If this conversation helps you build smarter, rate the podcast and leave a comment—your feedback shapes the next topics we explore. Want to go deeper? Subscribe to our Substack newsletter for AI strategy & research insights. Our next AI Product Strategy Workshop is on November 20. In this 3-hour online session, you’ll learn our framework for discovering and pressure-testing disruptive AI product ideas. Get details at https://designof.ai/workshop. —---------- This episode was hosted by: Arpy Dragffy Guerrero (Founder & Principal Strategist PH1 Research) ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/adragffy/⁠  Brittany Hobbs https://www.linkedin.com/in/brittanyhobbs/  And if you want more AI strategy & research content, subscribe to our substack newsletter at ⁠https://designofai.substack.com/⁠  This episode is brought to you by PH1 Research, a research & strategy consultancy specialized in mapping the future of your business & product. Get more info at ⁠PH1.ca⁠  Follow us here: ⁠⁠Spotify⁠ https://open.spotify.com/show/3O11vQKPpKI5ZlJhdRGwnf ⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠ ⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/design-of-ai-product-strategy-innovation-career-growth/id1734499859⁠  ⁠YouTube⁠⁠ ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@DesignofAI⁠ —------ Teresa Torres is a globally recognized product discovery coach and author of Continuous Discovery Habits. Through her company, Product Talk, she’s helped thousands of teams build the habits that make products succeed: weekly customer conversations, continuous assumption testing, and opportunity mapping that ties directly to outcomes. She also hosts two podcasts—All Things Product (with Petra Wille) and Just Now Possible, where she interviews product teams building the next generation of AI-driven experiences. Links: Blog: ⁠ProductTalk.org⁠ Community: ⁠Members.ProductTalk.org⁠ Product Talk Academy: ⁠Learn.ProductTalk.org⁠ Twitter: ⁠https://twitter.com/ttorres⁠ Linkedin: ⁠http://linkedin.com/in/teresatorres/⁠ YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/c/ProductTalkVideos⁠

    44 min
  6. 43. Play Unlocks the Next Billion‑Dollar AI Market [Michelle Lee, IDEO]

    SEP 25

    43. Play Unlocks the Next Billion‑Dollar AI Market [Michelle Lee, IDEO]

    Product teams and founders are under pressure, stuck in incremental roadmaps and burning out on short‑term wins. Michelle Lee—Partner & Executive Managing Director of IDEO’s Play Lab—shows why play is the hidden driver of markets that reshape industries.  In this episode you’ll learn how to: Break the trap of incremental roadmaps: discover how playful divergence helps teams and founders uncover bolder product bets instead of chasing competitors. Spark breakthroughs your competitors miss: use playful tools like postcards from the future and sandboxing to unlock the next market‑shaping idea. Measure what drives loyalty and growth: move past vanity metrics to attitudinal loyalty and “time well spent” so your product earns deep, lasting adoption. —------- This is episode 43 of the Design of AI Podcast.  And please make sure to rate this podcast if you find it valuable. Your podcast ratings and comments are the best way to influence which topics we cover in future episodes.  And if you want more AI strategy & research content, subscribe to our substack newsletter at ⁠https://designofai.substack.com/⁠  Our next AI Product Strategy workshop is happening on October 30. In this 3-hour online workshop you’ll leverage our framework for discovering and pressure-testing disruptive AI product ideas. Get more info at https://designof.ai/workshop  —---------- This episode was hosted by: Arpy Dragffy Guerrero ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/adragffy/⁠  Brittany Hobbs  ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/brittanyhobbs/⁠ This episode is brought to you by PH1 Research, a research & strategy consultancy specialized in mapping the future of your business & product. Get more info at ⁠PH1.ca⁠  —------ As a Partner and Executive Managing Director, Michelle leads IDEO's Play Lab, an interdisciplinary team of designers and researchers who build upon 30+ years of toy invention to bring engaging, interactive, and playful experiences to market. She believes that play is essential across all ages. Immersed in a globally recognized human-centered design firm, the Play Lab leverages play as a mindset and approach that enables organizations to engage diverse stakeholders, imagine new possibilities, and spark action to transform behaviors, environments and systems. They've brought play to address diverse challenges from enhancing workplace culture to championing responsible digital design, inspiring underrepresented students to pursue careers in STEM, supporting organizations as they've adopted practices in line with a circular economy, and designing impactful products and services across industries, including education, consumer products, health, finance and workplace culture. Michelle regularly speaks and writes about her passion for play, including presentations at SXSW, The Delight Conference, The Culture Summit, Circularity 23, and educational institutions and organizations around the world, inviting audiences to reimagine the power of play in shaping meaningful futures. Learn more about her work: https://ideoplaylab.com https://linkedin.com/in/michellesklee

    42 min
  7. 42. HubSpot’s Head of AI on How AI Rewrites Customer Acquisition & Marketing

    SEP 9

    42. HubSpot’s Head of AI on How AI Rewrites Customer Acquisition & Marketing

    Product and growth teams are under pressure: reps spend most of their time not selling, marketers juggle every stage of the funnel at once, and new products struggle to even be seen as LLMs start deciding who shows up. Nicholas Holland, SVP of Product & Head of AI at HubSpot, explains how AI-assisted teams are already changing that—and what happens to teams that don’t adapt. In this episode you’ll learn: ➤ How AI is cutting wasted sales time and turning calls into structured insights. ➤ Why “AI Engine Optimization” (AEO) matters more than SEO for visibility in an LLM-driven world. ➤ How “vibe marketing” moves from messy brainstorm to campaign, asset, and one-to-one personalization. ➤ Why every individual needs an AI assistant, and every team needs its first agent, within 12–18 months. ➤ The risks of treating AI as optional instead of rethinking how your team works. If you’ve wondered how marketing, sales, and product roles will actually change in the next two years, this conversation makes it concrete. —------- This is episode 42 of the Design of AI Podcast.  Follow us on Substack and LinkedIn to get even more AI product strategy content. And please make sure to rate this podcast if you find it valuable. Your podcast ratings and comments are the best way to influence which topics we cover in future episodes.  —---------- Remember that on September 18 we’re hosting an AI Product Strategy Workshop online. MIT recently published a study showing that 95% of AI projects are failing.They’re spending without a strategy and building before they know what customers actually want. Join this workshop on September 18th to build out a vision, strategy and plan that will succeed for your business. Register at https://designof.ai/workshop & https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/ai-product-strategy-workshop-tickets-1560702245429  —----- This episode was hosted by: Arpy Dragffy Guerrero (Founder & Principal Strategist PH1 Research) ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/adragffy/⁠  And if you want more AI strategy & research content, subscribe to our substack newsletter at ⁠https://designofai.substack.com/⁠  This episode is brought to you by PH1 Research, a research & strategy consultancy specialized in mapping the future of your business & product. Get more info at ⁠PH1.ca⁠  Follow us here: ⁠⁠Spotify⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠ ⁠YouTube⁠⁠ About our guest: Nicholas Holland is Head of AI at HubSpot where he oversees product strategy, development, and adoption of Breeze, HubSpot's AI that powers the entire customer platform. Breeze combines a unified data foundation, AI-powered tools, digital workers (agents), and embedded workflows to help businesses become AI-first. Previously, Nicholas led HubSpot’s marketing products, growing them from ~$400M to $1.4B. HubSpot recently Launched ⁠Breeze⁠, their new AI Assistant

    46 min
  8. 41. Vibe Coding Will Disrupt Product — Base44’s Path to $80M Within 6 Months

    AUG 27

    41. Vibe Coding Will Disrupt Product — Base44’s Path to $80M Within 6 Months

    It took 30 years to build and design an easy-to-use internet. But it took Vibe Coding one year to challenge the foundations of the internet. We’re entering an era where you can build websites and apps by talking to an AI agent and they take care of the front end and back end. Today we’re speaking with Maor Shlomo, the Founder of Base44 – we’re discussing the disruptive potential and gaps of vibe coding. In this episode you’ll learn: ➤ How Maor built Base44 by himself and why Wix acquired it for $80M within 6 months ➤ Disruptions that will transform how we build and use software ➤ Software teams will get much smaller and what this means for specialist roles Our take on this conversation is that Vibe Coding is still in an early phase, offering very inconsistent results. But as Base44, Lovable, V0, Replit and others are proving, this category is innovating at an insanely fast pace and results are improving constantly. We need to take it seriously and believe that small teams will be able to deliver much more. This is bad news for head count and will mean many roles —like product managers and researchers— will merge.  This is episode 41 of the Design of AI Podcast.  We provide strategies to ensure your AI product succeeds. Follow us on Substack and LinkedIn to get even more AI product strategy content. And another important update. We’ve been getting a lot of messages from product teams. They’re getting pushed to build AI products without a clear strategy. They’re being asked to use AI as a secret weapon to gain a competitive advantage.  Join us on Thursday September 18 for an online AI product strategy workshop led by my co-host,  Arpy Dragffy and Brittany Hobbs. You’ll learn the best steps to identify, ideate, and test AI products. This workshop will be small and extremely hands-on. We’ll focus on how to leverage AI to enhance an existing app or website, as well as how to pinpoint an industry-defining net-new product.  This workshop will happen on September 18 Register at https://designof.ai/workshop & https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/ai-product-strategy-workshop-tickets-1560702245429  And please make sure to rate this podcast if you find it valuable. Your podcast ratings and comments are the best way to influence which topics we cover in future episodes.  This episode was hosted by: Arpy Dragffy Guerrero (Founder & Principal Strategist PH1 Research) ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/adragffy/⁠  And if you want more AI strategy & research content, subscribe to our substack newsletter at ⁠https://designofai.substack.com/⁠  Join the conversation on LinkedIn in our group. This episode is brought to you by PH1 Research, a research & strategy consultancy specialized in mapping the future of your business & product. Get more info at ⁠PH1.ca⁠  Follow us here: ⁠⁠Spotify⁠ https://open.spotify.com/show/3O11vQKPpKI5ZlJhdRGwnf⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠ ⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/design-of-ai-product-strategy-innovation-career-growth/id1734499859⁠  ⁠ YouTube⁠⁠ ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@DesignofAI⁠

    41 min
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We provide a pragmatic and practical deep dive into what AI can do and how it is transforming industries. We help designers, researchers, and product managers excel in a rapidly changing future. Hosted by: Arpy Dragffy Guerrero (Founder & Principal Strategist, PH1 Research) https://www.linkedin.com/in/adragffy/ Brittany Hobbs (VP Insights, Huge) https://www.linkedin.com/in/brittanyhobbs/ Please make sure to subscribe to our Substack to never miss an episode. On the Design of AI substack you’ll also receive more strategic insights and recommended products. https://designofai.substack.com/

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