About
An award-winning designer, researcher (PhD), author, and educator with over two decades of experience, he brings together human-centered design, emerging technologies, and AI across academia, industry, and startup environments. With 40+ peer-reviewed publications and books, including *Designing AI-Powered Services*, he is an internationally recognized voice in AI and design and has delivered more than 150 keynotes and invited talks since 2020. His 25 years in education span program leadership, innovative studio pedagogy, and AI and design learning, earning him two Best Paper Awards and the Excellent Teacher Award twice. As Deputy Vice Chancellor and Program Director at Halmstad University, he launched and led the Digital Design and Innovation program in collaboration with over 90 companies, alongside leadership roles at Crispin Porter + Bogusky Europe, inUse, and AI agency eghed. His award-winning research and design work ranges from participatory design in sensitive contexts to AI-powered services, adaptive dialogue systems, and real-world UX solutions, earning recognition including the Livestrong Innovation Prize, a Swedish Design Award nomination, a Best of CHI Honorable Mention, and a patent stemming from his PhD research.
Talk details
The Design Leadership Challenge for the AI Era
About this talk
Generative AI is reshaping what design teams pay attention to, how they collaborate, and which capabilities they lose. This talk examines the less visible costs of AI adoption eroding judgment, weaker focus, and critical thinking that quietly atrophies. Design leaders will leave with practical signals to spot when AI is undermining team effectiveness, and concrete frameworks to guide tool adoption without sacrificing the capabilities that make great design possible.
Key takeaway
- A clearer understanding of why declining focus and engagement in AI-augmented teams is a design capability issue, not just a workflow problem.
- Practical signals to watch for when AI tools begin to weaken design judgment and team effectiveness.
- A set of concrete questions and decision frameworks to guide tool adoption, team practices, and capability development.