DESIGN.ED 2024: Foreword from the AI of the Storm

URGENT: Hurricane Helene Disaster Relief

Hurricane Helene has caused widespread damage, power outages, and tragically, loss of life across the Coastal Empire on the southeast coast of the United States, affecting residents in Bryan, Chatham, Effingham, Liberty, and Long counties.

The United Way of the Coastal Empire has activated its Rapid Response Disaster Fund.

Donations to the fund will help provide critical response and recovery support to residents impacted by Hurricane Helene.

To help those affected, please consider donating to the disaster relief efforts.

DESIGN.ED 2024: Foreword from the AI of the Storm

When nature and technology collide, innovation emerges from unexpected places. As Hurricane Helene swept through Savannah, Georgia, on September 25, 2024, leaving the city powerless, it created an unlikely testing ground for the resilience of both human adaptability and artificial intelligence.

In the AI of the Storm

I was delighted to accept the invitation from Jane Vita , Annukka Jussila and Tarja Chydenius to deliver the foreword for the DESIGN.ED panel discussion, "The Future of Service Design in Education." This compelling panel, held on October 1st, 2024, was a side-event within the SDN 2024 Service Design Global Conference in Helsinki (October 2nd-4th).

As I found myself amidst downed trees, a damaged property, and no electricity, I initially thought it would be impossible to write and record my Foreword in time for the DESIGN.ED panel. Then, a thought struck me: could generative AI tools help me overcome these obstacles and deliver my message? It was the perfect opportunity to put these technologies to the test.

And the result? Well, I invite you to watch the video below and judge for yourself!

The complete text of the Foreword is located at the end of this article.

The Present, Not the Future

It was an honor to contribute to this important discussion that involved both the DESIGN.ED panelists and SDGC24 participants would have.? Although I could not join the session, I believe the discussion explored the rapidly evolving landscape of work and life, particularly the impact of AI and its implications for service design education.

My foreword attempted to highlight that the convergence of human creativity and AI capabilities isn't a future scenario—it's our reality today. To foster the discussions, I presented three key themes:

• AI's Impact on Work: Artificial intelligence is automating tasks once performed by humans, demanding a reassessment of essential skills and emphasizing the need for adaptability and lifelong learning.
• The Vital Role of Service Design: Service design, with its focus on ethics, collaboration, and understanding human needs, offers a holistic framework for navigating this changing world. Although service design holds significant value, it frequently goes unrecognized. This oversight can be attributed to longstanding biases that link design with "feminine" attributes such as empathy, collaboration, and intuition, traits that have historically been undervalued in conventional business environments.
• Essential Skills for Future Designers: Tomorrow's designers must cultivate human intelligence, navigate complex knowledge landscapes, and build institutions of trust. Service design education should prioritize curiosity, critical thinking, and evolutionary epistemologies.

A Symphony of Human and Machine

The integration of AI into service design isn't just a technological upgrade—it's a revolution in how we approach human experiences. As educators, professionals, and students, we stand at an exciting crossroads. Our challenge is not to resist this change but to shape it, ensuring that efficiency gains don't come at the cost of human connection.

The hurricane that temporarily disrupted our technological infrastructure ironically highlighted our incredible capacity to adapt and innovate. It reminded us that the most powerful processor remains the human mind, especially when augmented—not replaced—by artificial intelligence.

Charting the Course Forward

As we navigate this AI revolution, let's remember that our goal isn't to create a future dominated by technology, but one where technology amplifies our humanity. The discussions at DESIGN.ED 2024 are not just about adapting to change; they are about actively shaping a future where:

• Ethics guide innovation
• Collaboration transcends digital barriers
• Human needs remain at the heart of design

Embracing the Storm

Just as Savannah will become stronger after Hurricane Helene, our approach to service design will evolve more resilient through the AI revolution. By embracing both the challenges and opportunities this transformation brings, we can create a future where technology and human ingenuity don't just coexist—they flourish together.

The storm of change is here. And with our collective wisdom, creativity, and adaptability, we're not just weathering it—we're harnessing its power to propel us toward a more innovative, inclusive, and inherently human future.

Thank you for joining this vital dialogue. I am excited to witness the transformative power of our collective efforts!

The Foreword’s text and video were crafted with the assistance of AI tools during a power outage caused by Hurricane Helene — a testament to the resilience of human creativity and the supportive potential of artificial intelligence.?

Foreword: DESIGN.ED – Future of Service Design in Education

Good day, and welcome to DESIGN.ED – Future of Service Design in Education!

This is an AI-generated avatar video created by Mauricio Manhaes to deliver the following message:

On behalf of Mauricio Manhaes, I want to express how honored he is to address such an important topic with this audience. He also would like to thank Jane Vita, Annukka Jussila, Tarja Chydenius, and all the panelists for this opportunity.

Today's discussion centers on the evolving global landscape of work-life needs, impacted by the rapid rise of Artificial Intelligence, and its implications for the future of service design education.

The Changing Nature of Work

As Yuval Noah Harari astutely observed recently, "Anything which is just information in, information out is ripe for automation". This statement has profound implications for the future of work, as tasks traditionally performed by humans, such as drawing, coding, accounting, and even aspects of law and medicine, are increasingly susceptible to automation and replacement by AI autonomous agents. This shift necessitates re-evaluating the skills and competencies required to thrive in the twenty-first century workplace.

The traditional notion of a lifelong career is being replaced by the need to "reinvent ourselves and do it not once, but again and again". Some researchers have somewhat negatively termed this process as the "renewal of the ephemeral." This demands adaptability, resilience, and a commitment to lifelong learning. As few other professionals, designers are one of the best positioned to lead the application of what Horst Rittel defined as the "awesome epistemic freedom" necessary to "change current situations into preferred ones" as defined by Herbert Simon. Therefore, instead of being trained to be "second-class engineers", designers must be educated and prepared to navigate a future where job roles are constantly evolving and the ability to acquire new skills is paramount. And, to do that, design education must double down on the foundational characteristics of design.

Service Design's Growing Importance

Service design, with its holistic approach, offers a powerful framework for navigating this changing world. By emphasizing ethics, collaboration, and a deep understanding of life needs, service design can help organizations create more inclusive, equitable, and ultimately, more successful experiences for employees, customers, and communities.

Despite its growing relevance, service design often faces an uphill battle for recognition within organizations. Why?

Because, as one study suggests, design is often misconstrued as merely "beautification" work, rather than the core driver of innovation and positive change that it truly is.

This misconception is fueled by deeply ingrained biases that associate design with "feminine" qualities like empathy, collaboration, and intuition, which have historically been undervalued in traditional business settings. In a similar context faced by women in organizations, this leads to the misguided expectation that designers must "learn business" before they can have a "seat at the table", as if they are somehow deficient, placing the burden of adaptation solely on the designers themselves.

Sharpening Service Design Education

To face current paradigms and emerging challenges, service design education must sharpen its focus on:

• Exposing and dismantling the implicit biases that limit the understanding and appreciation of design within organizations.
• Promoting designerly ways of knowing as a core human competency, essential for innovation and success throughout human history, and exponentially more in the age of AI.
• Developing evolutionary epistemologies and methodologies that empower designers to leverage the power of AI ethically and effectively in expanding human intelligence.

Essential Skills for the Next Generation of Designers

Future designers will need to be adept in the following areas:

• Mastering Human Intelligence: AI tools can augment human capabilities, enabling designers to delve deeper into research, explore a wider range of ideas, and prototype solutions more rapidly. To effectively leverage these tools, designers must develop a nuanced understanding of human capabilities and limitations, using them to enhance their own creative processes rather than becoming overly reliant on AI tools.
• Navigating New Landscapes of Knowledge: Just as Google's AlphaGo uncovered novel strategies in the ancient game of Go and changed how humans have played this game for 2,500 years, designers must be prepared to challenge established paradigms and embrace new ways of thinking. The rapid pace of technological advancement necessitates a willingness to venture beyond traditional boundaries and explore uncharted territories of knowledge.
• Building Institutions of Trust: In an age where AI can create hyper-realistic yet entirely fabricated content, the ability to discern truth from falsehood is paramount. Designers will play a crucial role in shaping AI systems that prioritize transparency, accountability, and ethical considerations, fostering trust between humans and technology.

Redesigning Service Design Education

To equip future designers with these essential skills, service design education must:

• Embrace Endless Questioning: Cultivate a culture of curiosity and critical thinking, encouraging students to question assumptions and explore multiple perspectives.
• Overcome Blank Pages: Provide students with the tools and techniques to navigate the ambiguity and uncertainty inherent in the design process, leveraging AI to break through creative blocks and generate novel solutions.
• Disrupt Linear Sequencing: Prepare students for the iterative and collaborative nature of design in the age of AI, where insights and feedback can be rapidly integrated and iterated upon.

Conclusion

The future of work is being reshaped by AI at an unprecedented pace, demanding a fundamental shift in how we approach service design and its role in shaping a life-centered future.

By embracing the holistic and inclusive foundational characteristics of design and empowering the next generation of designers with the skills and mindsets needed to navigate this complex landscape, we can help ensure that AI serves humanity, not the other way around.

On behalf of Mauricio Manhaes, I want to thank once again Jane Vita, Annukka Jussila, Tarja Chydenius, and all panelists for this opportunity to address such an important topic with this selected audience.

Please, let the discussions begin.