Copyright newskarnataka
Bengaluru: When a 14-year-old aspiring designer asked what to study in an AI-driven future, industry veterans at the 9th DesignUp conference held in Bengaluru on Tuesday had a reassuring message: design’s future is human-first. Far from being automated away, design, they said, is being reshaped by artificial intelligence into a more exploratory and interdisciplinary craft, where judgment, empathy and creativity matter more than ever. ‘AI will amplify, not replace, designers’ “Design is evolving,” said Alex Skougarevskaya, head of design (content and discovery) at Canva. “It becomes much more about curation, taste, and the ability to meet user needs. AI will make you faster, but it isn’t going to decide what problem to solve or what idea to evolve.” At Canva, she explained, AI is treated as a creative partner rather than a substitute. “You should be using it every day. Instead of doing two or three concepts, you can explore 50 and still be the one in charge of what you actually design.” Experts agreed that while automation is changing workflows, it is also expanding creative capacity—allowing designers to think broader, test faster, and communicate better across disciplines. ‘Don’t box yourself too early’ Archana Thiagarajan, design leader at Adobe Experience Cloud, said that design roles will continue to evolve, mirroring the growing complexity of products and experiences. “The beauty of user experience is that it’s always been in flux,” she said. “We’ve gone from human factors engineering to UI, interaction, UX, and now product and full-stack design. There’s no shortage of tools—you have to contextualise the problem and the domain you’re in.” Thiagarajan advised young designers to embrace variety early in their careers. “If you’re independent, don’t box yourself too soon. Ask: what’s my superpower? Where can I have the most impact? And lean into that.” ‘AI lowers barriers, raises expectations’ For Fonz Morris, entrepreneur, investor, educator and former Netflix lead product designer, the rise of AI is simultaneously democratising and demanding. “AI is just a tool. It helps designers be more efficient, but it doesn’t do what I do at the level I do it,” he said. “The designer’s wheelhouse has changed—you’re no longer just a visual craftsperson. You can write, research, dabble in code, and talk go-to-market and revenue. Designers are now strategic partners.” He encouraged students to focus on measurable impact. “You can’t monetise something that doesn’t have value. Know the problem you’re solving and the bottom-line impact. That’s how you don’t get laid off—and how you get promoted.” First principles over tools While software platforms and AI assistants proliferate, the speakers agreed that the core of design education must stay anchored in fundamentals—observation, empathy, and experimentation. “Understand the user’s needs, articulate the problem, and prototype early and often,” said Skougarevskaya. “The job your niece will have may not exist today—but people will always need great experiences.” The experts agreed that interdisciplinary fluency—the ability to blend design with data, storytelling, and business—will define success in the coming decade. Design’s golden age Rather than a moment of uncertainty, this AI transition marks a golden age for design, said the panel. As generative tools free up time from repetitive tasks, designers can focus on strategy, ethics, and human context. As Thiagarajan summed up, “Design isn’t dying—it’s diversifying.”
