Thank you for this. I've been pretty disheartened by the ways people and organizations are uncritically embracing AI. Your article frames this problem as an opportunity. Those who are attuned to the ways medium shapes message are well-positioned to step up and at least attempt to be "thought leaders" on this issue, steering decision-making in a direction that maintains some degree of taste and integrity.
This is so inspiring and energizing! Every designer should read this. Shifting to a more strategic perspective is also a way for endangered designer to stay relevant on the market.
It's a fresh perspective on AI in design, but everything you have mentioned can only be achieved by someone who is part of decision-making and strategy building. For someone who is a junior designer working mostly on execution, how can they leverage this shift?
That’s an important point, and I agree that many designers, not just juniors, don't feel empowered to shape their trajectories and struggle to find a team to work in, let alone to choose the right one among many. At the same time our reflection could be especially directed at designers who are starting out. We’ve observed a growing misalignment between how designers are often trained and the evolving demands of the current landscape, where AI and systems complexity's requirements reshape what design can and should do. These misalignments create frictions in skills and in expectations: both from designers themselves and from the organisations they join or work in.
We can challenge the idea that strategy is something you only access once you reach a certain level. Design has always been about thinking, doing, making, and winning (as the ultimate goal of strategy), so what is often called "execution" (perhaps we can call it "craft") is not separate from strategy, but together with strategy is part of each designer's unique toolbox and skill set. For junior designers especially, but for the design community more broadly, this moment calls for developing awareness of our positioning and pivoting both in terms of roles and tasks, and in terms of what kinds of problems we want to help shape and what environments we want to influence and how.
This means being intentional in recognising which skills are essential for what we want to do, which emerging capabilities (like working to shape AI systems and the conditions that they require, i.e. governance) open up new forms of contribution, and which adjacent fields or teams might be worth "infiltrating" to gain perspective and build influence. Strategic awareness, in this sense, isn’t part of specific job title: it’s a mindset.
I spent some time trying to understand what you said, and it does make sense. Knowing that there are millions of decisions and observations behind making even the smallest change in design, I guess being intentional about that is a good way to start. Thank you for making me challenge my own biases.
That's a great point, Akansha. Giulio and I had a brief conversation about your question and decided to write a post to expand on the answer Giulio started drafting here. Watch this space! 😉
To ask better questions we need to find people who are better listener. Willing to go beyond the promise that AI will make any company richer in just few days, just because it‘s there and there will be no going back.
Lots to unravel and digest from your article.
One of the challenges here is lies in the level of complexity we designers need to understand and master, in order to be able to simplify. What are the skills to master, in the topics you mentioned? Wouldn’t be people rooted into policy-making and equipped with common-sense and some design thinking mindset better equipped for the job than “service designers”?
I also appreciated a lot this new take. Thank you Marzia & Giulio
I wholeheartedly agree with the idea that we’re entering a new chapter of design — one that’s more strategic, but not without its challenges. “Designers must now understand not just user needs, but organisational dynamics…” That part is critical and often underestimated. From working in very different businesses, I’ve seen that for design to truly lead strategically, the right conditions need to exist — or be actively created. Designers often have to shift mindsets and influence the right people to make space for strategic work. In many organisations, design still doesn’t have the right to play.
You nailed it. “Designers were always good at asking questions” is where it’s at. And now more than ever we need to question, because the fact that we can build something, doesn’t mean that we should in many cases.
'[Design] will be led by those who can navigate the space between code, compliance, and conscience—and bring clarity where others see chaos.' — as always, making things visible, making things feel more familiar.
This was insightful - I'm a product manager working in ai safety, and would love to connect to dig in to your thesis a bit more. Jobs across the industry are changing and im intrigued about how the roles of product manager, AI ethicist, service designer, ux researcher, and ux eng might come together...
I needed to read this article today. Such an informed, thoughtful perspective that truly challenges us as Designers to embrace and work through the challenge, as there's a better future ahead if we do (and worse outcomes if we don't). Thanks for this article, Marzia!
Whenever I read something like this, on the "power of designers", I get mixed feelings. There is a type of wishful thinking in the design community, a belief that designers are special and have super powers. The problem is that there are many types of designers, or at least many definitions of what design is supposed to do (and how). And I would say that for us in the Service Design space, our type of design was outgrown by (digital) "product" designers. And I would say they are the opposite of what you are preaching. They are the ones that, as you are stating, will be left behind. And then, it gets me thinking... What is it that makes designers special for the utter important tasks you mention designers should take on? Wouldn't make more sense if other professionals, from other specialties and other backgrounds, to learn our craft of asking great questions, bringing the human/customer perspective, activating collaboration, visualising complex systems for evolving them in common agreements, prototyping and testing solutions, etc.? I'm not saying you are not right. I'm just saying that, sometimes, I feel that what we (you and I) call design, is not how people see design at all. And maybe it could be the time for us to find a new term to call ours, since the fight for "design ownership" and evangelisation, our type of it, seems almost lost.
Interesting. I’ve never thought of designers as “special,” but I do believe that, unlike other disciplines which tend to be vertical and deeply specialised, design is horizontal. Some of its practices -like asking better questions, facilitating collaboration, and holding space for complexity- are relevant across many situations and contexts, and they’re becoming increasingly essential in today’s uncertain world.
I definitely feel the challenge of how the design discourse has been overpowered by the digital breed of designers, who are often incredibly tactical and reactive. I don’t think the fight is lost—but perhaps it’s shifting. Maybe instead of fighting for design-as-identity, we should advocate for design-as-capability—regardless of who practices it.
Thank you for this. I've been pretty disheartened by the ways people and organizations are uncritically embracing AI. Your article frames this problem as an opportunity. Those who are attuned to the ways medium shapes message are well-positioned to step up and at least attempt to be "thought leaders" on this issue, steering decision-making in a direction that maintains some degree of taste and integrity.
This is so inspiring and energizing! Every designer should read this. Shifting to a more strategic perspective is also a way for endangered designer to stay relevant on the market.
Thank you Giulia! Best way for every designer to read this is to share it! <3
I'll sure do share it
It's a fresh perspective on AI in design, but everything you have mentioned can only be achieved by someone who is part of decision-making and strategy building. For someone who is a junior designer working mostly on execution, how can they leverage this shift?
That’s an important point, and I agree that many designers, not just juniors, don't feel empowered to shape their trajectories and struggle to find a team to work in, let alone to choose the right one among many. At the same time our reflection could be especially directed at designers who are starting out. We’ve observed a growing misalignment between how designers are often trained and the evolving demands of the current landscape, where AI and systems complexity's requirements reshape what design can and should do. These misalignments create frictions in skills and in expectations: both from designers themselves and from the organisations they join or work in.
We can challenge the idea that strategy is something you only access once you reach a certain level. Design has always been about thinking, doing, making, and winning (as the ultimate goal of strategy), so what is often called "execution" (perhaps we can call it "craft") is not separate from strategy, but together with strategy is part of each designer's unique toolbox and skill set. For junior designers especially, but for the design community more broadly, this moment calls for developing awareness of our positioning and pivoting both in terms of roles and tasks, and in terms of what kinds of problems we want to help shape and what environments we want to influence and how.
This means being intentional in recognising which skills are essential for what we want to do, which emerging capabilities (like working to shape AI systems and the conditions that they require, i.e. governance) open up new forms of contribution, and which adjacent fields or teams might be worth "infiltrating" to gain perspective and build influence. Strategic awareness, in this sense, isn’t part of specific job title: it’s a mindset.
I spent some time trying to understand what you said, and it does make sense. Knowing that there are millions of decisions and observations behind making even the smallest change in design, I guess being intentional about that is a good way to start. Thank you for making me challenge my own biases.
That's a great point, Akansha. Giulio and I had a brief conversation about your question and decided to write a post to expand on the answer Giulio started drafting here. Watch this space! 😉
Can't wait for it😊
To ask better questions we need to find people who are better listener. Willing to go beyond the promise that AI will make any company richer in just few days, just because it‘s there and there will be no going back.
Lots to unravel and digest from your article.
One of the challenges here is lies in the level of complexity we designers need to understand and master, in order to be able to simplify. What are the skills to master, in the topics you mentioned? Wouldn’t be people rooted into policy-making and equipped with common-sense and some design thinking mindset better equipped for the job than “service designers”?
I also appreciated a lot this new take. Thank you Marzia & Giulio
I wholeheartedly agree with the idea that we’re entering a new chapter of design — one that’s more strategic, but not without its challenges. “Designers must now understand not just user needs, but organisational dynamics…” That part is critical and often underestimated. From working in very different businesses, I’ve seen that for design to truly lead strategically, the right conditions need to exist — or be actively created. Designers often have to shift mindsets and influence the right people to make space for strategic work. In many organisations, design still doesn’t have the right to play.
I agree. I also think that designers must play without that "right to play" if you know what I mean.
Agree! 💪
You nailed it. “Designers were always good at asking questions” is where it’s at. And now more than ever we need to question, because the fact that we can build something, doesn’t mean that we should in many cases.
This is great, Marzia ❤️🔥
'[Design] will be led by those who can navigate the space between code, compliance, and conscience—and bring clarity where others see chaos.' — as always, making things visible, making things feel more familiar.
This was insightful - I'm a product manager working in ai safety, and would love to connect to dig in to your thesis a bit more. Jobs across the industry are changing and im intrigued about how the roles of product manager, AI ethicist, service designer, ux researcher, and ux eng might come together...
I needed to read this article today. Such an informed, thoughtful perspective that truly challenges us as Designers to embrace and work through the challenge, as there's a better future ahead if we do (and worse outcomes if we don't). Thanks for this article, Marzia!
Hi, Marzia, great article, thank you for sharing!
Whenever I read something like this, on the "power of designers", I get mixed feelings. There is a type of wishful thinking in the design community, a belief that designers are special and have super powers. The problem is that there are many types of designers, or at least many definitions of what design is supposed to do (and how). And I would say that for us in the Service Design space, our type of design was outgrown by (digital) "product" designers. And I would say they are the opposite of what you are preaching. They are the ones that, as you are stating, will be left behind. And then, it gets me thinking... What is it that makes designers special for the utter important tasks you mention designers should take on? Wouldn't make more sense if other professionals, from other specialties and other backgrounds, to learn our craft of asking great questions, bringing the human/customer perspective, activating collaboration, visualising complex systems for evolving them in common agreements, prototyping and testing solutions, etc.? I'm not saying you are not right. I'm just saying that, sometimes, I feel that what we (you and I) call design, is not how people see design at all. And maybe it could be the time for us to find a new term to call ours, since the fight for "design ownership" and evangelisation, our type of it, seems almost lost.
Interesting. I’ve never thought of designers as “special,” but I do believe that, unlike other disciplines which tend to be vertical and deeply specialised, design is horizontal. Some of its practices -like asking better questions, facilitating collaboration, and holding space for complexity- are relevant across many situations and contexts, and they’re becoming increasingly essential in today’s uncertain world.
I definitely feel the challenge of how the design discourse has been overpowered by the digital breed of designers, who are often incredibly tactical and reactive. I don’t think the fight is lost—but perhaps it’s shifting. Maybe instead of fighting for design-as-identity, we should advocate for design-as-capability—regardless of who practices it.