In Conversation: Julia Whitney and Rebecca Groves on Leading Design New York 2025 in an AI-driven world

It feels like a fortuitous moment: Julia Whitney (Executive & Leadership Coach, Whitney and Associates) and Rebecca Groves (Leading Design curator & programme lead, Clearleft) are together in the greenroom at Leading Design London 2024, waiting to head out on stage. With both of them curating and facilitating our upcoming Leading Design New York on 27 March 2025, we took the opportunity to sit down with them and discuss their plans for this timely and significant event.

Leading Design New York 2025: shaping a shared vision

“At Leading Design New York 2025 we will gather forty design leaders to shape a shared vision for the future of design leadership in an AI-driven world” begins Rebecca. “The discussion-based format for this event is quite different from previous Leading Design conferences; it’s not about speakers talking to an audience, but instead, we’re all going to be part of the conversation facilitated by a series of design leader provocateurs. The Leading Design community is rich in diverse expertise, and a smaller, more focussed setting allows for more meaningful exchanges”.

“What’s interesting when I speak to design leaders about AI”, continues Rebecca, “is that the conversations are less about the practicalities of how to integrate it into our practice, and more about the role, responsibility and opportunity that design leaders have in shaping its impact. It’s about owning the change, not just reacting to it. Leading Design New York is going to be a really unique and exciting opportunity to provide design leaders with the space, provocations and structure to set the direction and guardrails at this seminal moment in the history of our craft”.

“The themes around the hype curve of AI are definitely there, but also the long-term questioning around what this is going to mean for design systems, potentially AI-generated personas and other aspects of design leadership in the future” — Julia Whitney

Julia adds: “I’ve been having lots of conversations with people in the coffee breaks here at Leading Design London, and a major topic for design leaders is how to incorporate AI into their teams’ current practices and what they see around the corner. It’s really interesting to hear the feedback they are getting from their clients and stakeholders too. The themes around the hype curve of AI are definitely there, but also the long-term questioning around what this is going to mean for design systems, potentially AI-generated personas and other aspects of design leadership in the future.”

Being empowered to set the trajectory of AI

Rebecca nods. “One thing for me that’s really important about the New York event is that it’s not there for us to say “how are we going to use this piece of tech?”, but it’s more about empowering us to shape its trajectory. Yesterday at Leading Design London, Maria Giudice (Executive leadership coach & co-author of Changemakers, Hot Studio) was talking about stepping into the power of your role as design leader to think about some of these really big topics. The space at New York builds upon what was discussed at the Juvet nature retreat in Norway, which Clearleft ran in 2015, where we were asking “what might AI be?” Now, we’re saying “It’s here — how do we shape it?” (A side note for film fans: the Juvet retreat location was actually where the film Ex Machina was shot!)

The New York event brings together Rebecca and Julia’s extensive experience in fostering collaboration and idea exchange among design leaders, combining insights from the retreats they’ve hosted together with their expertise in curating and presenting conferences. “I’ve worked with Clearleft for years in various capacities,” explains Julia, “so it felt like a natural fit. My role has been to help frame the experience in a way that supports open dialogue and leads to actionable insights. Having worked with Rebecca on retreats, I know how important it is to create an environment where people can naturally share and extract value from each other’s experiences.” “Exactly,” says Rebecca. “Julia’s ability to guide conversations so they feel organic yet impactful is what we’re aiming for in New York. It’s not just a chance to talk; it’s about walking away with strategies and steps to implement, which aligns perfectly with her coaching expertise.”

“Too many design leaders feel like AI is something that happens to them, rather than something they can shape. I want to reframe this so they leave Leading Design New York 2025 with the confidence to take agency in this time of change” — Rebecca Groves

Harnessing change and giving it purpose

“I hope attendees of Leading Design New York leave with a sense of empowerment”, says Rebecca. “Too many design leaders feel like AI is something that happens to them, rather than something they can shape. I want to reframe this so they leave with the confidence to take agency in this time of change. Will Miner’s (VP, Product Design, Slack) talk here in London touched on this — about sitting in change and directing it with intention. That’s what New York is about: finding a way to harness change and give it purpose.” Julia continues: “Yes, the goal is for leaders to come together, gain new insights, and feel a stronger sense of ownership. This is a place where they can discuss really important topics in a way that brings clarity and moves the profession forward.”

AI enthusiasts and sceptics shaping the dialogue together

Rebecca finishes with some insights about who is set to attend so far. “As part of the agenda, we have invited a mix of provocateurs to guide and facilitate the conversation. We have some design leaders, like Eric Snowden (VP of Design, Adobe Inc), who is driving the adoption of AI and wants to see how it can change the world. But also, we have people like Ovetta Sampson (Director of User Experience Machine Learning, Google) who will really challenge us to think about the big ethical questions. It’s about balance — enthusiasts and sceptics alike will contribute to shaping the dialogue, which is vital for a well-rounded exploration of what AI means for design leadership in the years to come.”

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Join with forty design leaders on 27 March 2025 at the Le Skyroom at L’Alliance in New York, and co-create a shared vision for the future of design leadership in an AI-driven world.

Secure your seat at the table.