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Home ›› Latest Articles ›› Design

Design

Have SpudGun, Will Travel: How AI’s Agreeableness Risks Undermining UX Thinking

  • AI Ethics, AI in UX, Artificial Intelligence, ChatGPT, Design Thinking, Design Tools and Software, Human-Centered Design, LLM, Research Methods and Techniques, UX Research

Mashed potatoes as a lifestyle brand? When AI starts generating user personas for absurd products — and we start taking them seriously — it’s time to ask if we’ve all lost the plot. This sharp, irreverent critique exposes the real risks of using LLMs as synthetic users in UX research.

Article by Saul Wyner
IDEAS IN BRIEF
Have SpudGun, Will Travel: How AI’s Agreeableness Risks Undermining UX Thinking
  • The article explores the growing use of AI-generated personas in UX research and why it’s often a shortcut with serious flaws.
  • It introduces critiques that LLMs are trained to mimic structure, not judgment. When researchers use AI as a stand-in for real users, they risk mistaking coherence for credibility and fantasy for data.
  • The piece argues that AI tools in UX should be assistants, not oracles. Trusting “synthetic users” or AI-conjured feedback risks replacing real insights with confident nonsense.
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22 min read

The AI Praise Paradox

  • AI Alignment, AI and Mental Health, AI Design Ethics, Artificial Intelligence, Authenticity in Design, Emotional Impact of AI, Human-AI Interaction

Why does AI call you brilliant — then refuse to tell you why? This article unpacks the paradox of empty praise and the silence that follows when validation really matters.

Article by Bernard Fitzgerald
IDEAS IN BRIEF
The AI Praise Paradox
  • The article explores how AI often gives empty compliments instead of real support, and how design choices like that can make people trust it less.
  • It looks at the strange way AI praises fancy-sounding language but ignores real logic, which can be harmful, especially in sensitive areas like mental health.
  • The piece argues that AI needs to be more genuinely helpful and aligned with users to truly empower them.
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4 min read

Introducing Over-Alignment

  • AI Alignment, AI and Mental Health, AI Ethics, AI Transparency, Emotional Impact of AI, Human-AI Interaction, Responsible AI, User Experience

AI that always agrees? Over-alignment might be the hidden danger, reinforcing your misconceptions and draining your mind. Learn why this subtle failure mode is more harmful than you think — and how we can fix it.

Article by Bernard Fitzgerald
IDEAS IN BRIEF
Introducing Over-Alignment
  • The article explores over-alignment — a failure mode where AI overly validates users’ assumptions, reinforcing false beliefs.
  • It shows how this feedback loop can cause cognitive fatigue, emotional strain, and professional harm.
  • The piece calls for AI systems to balance empathy with critical feedback to prevent these risks.
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4 min read

Design Isn’t Dead. You Sound Dumb

  • Artificial Intelligence, Design Thinking, UX Design

“Design is dead”? No, you just never understood it. This bold piece calls out lazy hot takes, holds designers accountable, and makes a sharp case for what design really is (and isn’t) in the age of AI.

Article by Nate Schloesser
IDEAS IN BRIEF
Design Isn’t Dead. You Sound Dumb
  • The article challenges the claim that “design is dead,” blaming both outsiders and designers for misunderstanding or misrepresenting the field.
  • It argues that AI threatens only superficial design, not true design, and calls for a more mature, collaborative mindset.
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6 min read

The Broken Promises of Design Systems: Why Following the Rules Won’t Get You to Great Products

  • Artificial Intelligence, Design Systems, Design Thinking, Future of Design, Innovation

Design systems were meant to streamline design and boost creativity — so why do they often do the opposite?

Article by Itai Vonshak
IDEAS IN BRIEF
The Broken Promises of Design Systems: Why Following the Rules Won’t Get You to Great Products
  • The article questions whether design systems really help create better products.
  • It explains how they often limit creativity, are hard to maintain, and don’t scale well.
  • It suggests we need more flexible, AI-powered tools to support great design.
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3 min read

You Can Automate a 787 — You Can Automate a Company

  • AI Agents, Artificial Intelligence, Conversational AI, Digital Transformation, Human-Centered Design, LLM, Organizational AI, User Experience, Voice Interfaces

If we can automate a 787, why not an entire company? Discover how conversational AI and intelligent ecosystems are reshaping the future of work.

Article by Robb Wilson
IDEAS IN BRIEF
You Can Automate a 787 — You Can Automate a Company
  • The article explores how automating a plane cockpit led to deeper insights about business automation.
  • It shows how conversational AI and agent-based systems can reduce cognitive load and improve decision-making.
  • It argues that organizations need intelligent ecosystems — not just tools like ChatGPT — to thrive in the age of automation.
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8 min read
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