This Week In Design: Feb 2nd Week

Using data-driven storytelling to shape product strategy

This article by Jane Hext, an Experience Researcher at Adobe Design's Research & Strategy team, explores how to effectively transform complex UX research data into compelling narratives that can influence product strategy. She shares her experience leading a product adoption study and presents a three-step process she developed for distilling multiple research insights into a focused, actionable story. The article details how to investigate research data to find key insights, identify the primary audience for research findings, and determine the appropriate level of detail and clarity for presentations - all aimed at creating a single, cohesive narrative that stakeholders can rally behind rather than presenting fragmented stories to different teams.

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Why AI (desperately) needs designers

Artificial Intelligence, despite its benefits, presents designers with unprecedented challenges that demand our action. This thought-provoking article explores the critical role designers must play in shaping the ethical development and implementation of AI technologies. Drawing heavily from Helen Armstrong's book "Big Data, Big Design," the article argues that as AI increasingly shifts control away from users and impacts society at an unprecedented pace, designers have a fundamental responsibility to ensure these systems remain human-centric, ethical, and transparent. The piece examines five key areas where designers need to engage with AI - from designing predictive systems and anticipating future scenarios to creating personalized experiences, using AI as a design material, and addressing AI's environmental impact - while emphasizing the urgent need for designers to take action in protecting user interests and promoting responsible AI development.

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This AI Feature on Duolingo Could Give Your Language Lessons a Boost

Duolingo's expansion of its AI-powered Video Call feature allows users to practice language conversation with an AI character named Lily. Originally launched on iOS in September, the feature is now available on Android devices and supports additional languages including German, Italian, Portuguese, Japanese, and Korean. According to Duolingo's head of AI, Klinton Bicknell, the company is "all in on AI," and this feature represents their effort to provide users with a judgment-free environment to practice speaking skills - a service that previously was only available through expensive tutoring or travel. The article examines the feature's functionality, benefits, and potential privacy concerns, while highlighting Duolingo's broader commitment to incorporating AI technology into language learning.

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ROI and the ego trap: Critiquing how we talk publicly about the business of design

Scott Berkun critically examines a LinkedIn post by design executive Jeff Mahacek about the business value of design, using it as a springboard to discuss broader issues in how designers communicate about their profession. Drawing from themes in his book "Why Design Is Hard," Berkun challenges common arguments about design's ROI (Return on Investment) and critiques what he calls the "ego trap" - where designers blame everyone except themselves for their challenges in business. The piece thoughtfully unpacks the flaws in typical design ROI studies, explains how executives actually make investment decisions, and argues for a more nuanced, self-aware approach to advocating for design's value in business, suggesting that designers need to take more responsibility for effectively communicating their worth rather than simply lamenting their perceived lack of recognition.

Full read here