Malini B. Leveque

🌐✨ Embracing the Future of Design: Exploring AI's Impact on Digital Experiences ✨🌐 AI is reshaping the landscape of digital product design, ushering in a new era of personalized and adaptive interfaces. From learning systems to generative interfaces, the possibilities are endless. This talk from Peter Smart, Chief Experience Officer at Fantasy, shows a vision on generative interfaces, showcasing practical examples, implementation challenges, and highlighting the transformative potential of these technologies. Amazing times to be a designer and exploring the frontier of design innovation and envision the possibilities ahead! https://lnkd.in/ezsNxUj9

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⚡ AI x Design Thinking⚡ Just before the holidays, I participated in this great workshop series from IDEO U and wanted to give a shout out. Solid intro on how AI/LLMs can be leveraged in brainstorming/ideation > data synthesis/generating insights > storyboarding/prototyping concepts and some of the limitations/pitfalls to watch for. Good overviews, demos, and interactive sessions + opportunity to connect with a large group of multi-disciplinary folks from around the world. Thanks IDEOU - keep them coming 💡 https://lnkd.in/g5BYDV7r

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A brief commentary on the need to create better linkages between the theoretical approaches of design science research (DSR) and practical application within commercial contexts in the age of technology. I've taken a moment to consider how a dual process would work across both spheres and what each can contribute to the other. I'll continue to work on the development of a facilitatory model over the course of my research and hope to be a little bit louder about the work I'm doing in this space. #DesignScienceResearch #technologyintegration #appliedresearch

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Embracing AI in Design School: Advice for a Dad Last week, during a talk on AI and Product Management, a concerned dad asked me what advice he should give to his daughter who is studying design in college. Her program discourages using large language models (LLMs) and views AI tools negatively. Here was my advice: 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐔𝐬𝐞 𝐀𝐈 𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐓𝐨𝐨𝐥 Technology often offers us new ways to be creative, from the camera and 3D animation to video installations and various graphic tools I've learned over the years. AI provides a new avenue for creativity and expression. Encourage your daughter to explore the capabilities of these tools and how to use them to achieve her vision. 𝐈𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧 Understanding proportion, color, scale, texture, and other design principles will always be relevant. No matter where technology goes, learning how to conceive a work, explain her process, and take criticism constructively will serve her well. 𝐀𝐝𝐯𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐀𝐈 Encourage your daughter to think critically about issues like consent, compensation, and ownership of creative work. Have her learn about bias, privacy, security, and AI ethics. This thoughtful engagement will ensure that AI is used responsibly and ethically in her creative process. When faced with tension between opportunity and risk, the instinct might be to resolve it quickly. Instead, encourage her to embrace and navigate this tension thoughtfully. I sincerely hope she has a long and rewarding career. #designeducation #artificialintelligence #designthinking #creativity #technology #responsibleAI #productdesign #futureofwork #education

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I’ve expanded on my earlier post with examples and deeper insights in a new Medium article. 🚀 In this extended version, I dive deeper into balancing autonomy with strategic alignment, guiding teams like a fleet of ships, and setting the stage for cross-functional success. If these leadership themes resonate with you, I’d love for you to explore the full article here : https://lnkd.in/g_q2Yxfk Let me know your thoughts!

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Products like Recraft are like the Perplexity for creating images with #GenAI. They are leaning into the benefits of going beyond a conversational prompt-based interface ONLY and integrating traditional, familiar GUI-based workflows with prompts to provide outcomes that creative people seek. In this example, they've notably improved the experience of creating multiple #images in a consistent style using #AI. In addition, they seem to be among the few (only one?) offering SVG export, making them a great option for #illustration. https://lnkd.in/eiGPqbKU

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As 2024 comes to a close, it’s the perfect time to reflect on the blog posts I’ve shared throughout the year. This retrospective is an opportunity to look back and identify common themes, celebrate the most popular content, and remember the individuals who inspired us and are no longer with us. It’s always fascinating to see which topics resonated most with readers. Here are the standout posts that garnered the most attention this year: - #Presentation and #Storytelling Skills for Strategy Development and #StakeholderEngagement (1,933 views): Storytelling continues to be a critical skill for engaging stakeholders and driving influence. This post’s focus on developing storytelling skills likely resonated with professionals in leadership, design, and strategy roles. - Dealing with #Uncertainty and #Ambiguity (1,278 views): Professionals across industries are grappling with fast-paced changes, particularly in volatile economic conditions. This post’s focus on strategies to navigate uncertainty likely struck a chord with readers facing complex challenges in their projects and workplaces. - Crafting Customer-Centric #Roadmaps (1,061 views): Businesses in competitive markets increasingly recognize the importance of aligning product roadmaps with customer needs. This post’s practical approach to JTBD likely appealed to product managers and strategists seeking actionable tools for roadmap planning. - #ProjectManagement, #Negotiation, and #ConflictResolution (812 views): Negotiation and conflict resolution are evergreen topics, and their relevance likely increased this year due to hybrid work challenges and global economic pressures. This post's practical and timeless nature made it a valuable resource for professionals. - Beyond the Hype: Bring #AI and Human Needs Together with #JobsToBeDone (703 views): AI remains one of the hottest topics globally. This post likely gained traction because it addressed a common tension: balancing technological advancement with genuine user needs. The Jobs-to-be-Done framework gave readers actionable insights, making the post highly shareable and practical. As I reflect on the diverse topics we explored this year, I’m energized by the possibilities of what lies ahead. From uncovering new trends in design and technology to celebrating cultural and artistic achievements, 2025 promises to be another year of discovery and growth. Let’s continue to push boundaries, embrace creativity, and learn from one another. #ArtificialIntelligence, #DesignSkills, #JTBD, #ProjectManagement, #Storytelling, #TrendWatching

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UX leaders: Better understand what motivates designers and how you can help them thrive by taking 3 minutes to read this excerpt from Scott Berkun’s new book “Why Design Is Hard”: https://lnkd.in/ev6XyMss

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This HBR piece on "The Art of Asking Smarter Questions" struck a chord with my approach to design leadership. It echoes the Six Thinking Hats method, emphasizing structured thinking and diverse viewpoints. In design, asking the right questions fuels breakthroughs. How do you leverage inquiry in your work? #DesignThinking #Innovation #SixThinkingHats #Leadership https://lnkd.in/ettHPN4c

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Empathy in Application Design: Why Great Leaders Foster Great Teams As leaders in product design, empathy isn’t just a tool; it’s a necessity. Empathy fuels the connection between design vision and human need, but it also creates an environment where designers can bring their full selves and creativity to the table. In my experience, fostering a culture of empathy has fundamentally improved team dynamics and the quality of our work. Here’s how I see it in action: ↳ Open Communication: Empathy encourages active listening, where team members feel truly heard. This creates space for honest feedback and innovation because designers feel safe to express ideas and iterate openly. ↳ User-Centric Vision: When we prioritize empathy, we keep our users front and center. Our product decisions are made with their experiences in mind, ensuring we’re solving real problems in meaningful ways. ↳ Empowered Teams: By showing empathy toward our teams, we support their growth and confidence, which in turn fuels their passion and productivity. A team that feels valued is a team that strives for excellence. → True Story... sharing insights from what it's like to be on a great team: In a project designing a web app for elderly users, our team faced a common challenge: most of us were young and didn’t fully understand the tech limitations older adults might face. To bridge this empathy gap, we held “empathy workshops” where each team member simulated age-related challenges—using gloves to limit dexterity, applying screen filters to mimic vision impairments, and adjusting text sizes to the maximum. A few product team members quickly realized the frustration of navigating with shaky hands and commented, “We had no idea how challenging even simple actions could be.” This experience reshaped our design & development process: we made buttons larger, simplified navigation, and enhanced contrast. By stepping into our users’ shoes, our deliverables went beyond meeting requirements—they genuinely addressed user needs, making the app truly intuitive. With empathy as a foundation, we didn’t just deliver a product; we delivered a meaningful, user-centered experience. Empathy-driven leadership isn’t a buzzword; it’s a pathway to building cohesive, high-performing teams. Leaders who prioritize empathy create an environment where collaboration thrives, communication flows, and great design flourishes. #Leadership #ProductDesign #Empathy #Teamwork #UXDesign #LeadershipInAction

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Designing Behavior Change with AI: How Anticipation Can Transform User Experiences #UX #AI #productDesign

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Patterns for implementing human-centric design thinking and UX to GenAI #GenAI #UX #AI

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Stumbled upon this article and it really got me thinking about the role design plays in shaping user experiences. As a designer, I’m always looking for new insights on how we can create more intuitive, user-first interfaces. This article shares some thought-provoking ideas on design innovation and its impact on business. It’s a great read for anyone in the design or tech space. Highly recommend checking it out! https://lnkd.in/e9fcqAYt

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Skipping strategy in UX design isn’t just missing a step—it’s missing the chance to lead. My latest post explains why UX strategy is essential to project success and how it transforms designers into strategic partners. https://lnkd.in/gtmnFA7a #userexperience #uxstrategy #businessalignment #productdesign #leadership #designleadership

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Great writeup on the value design can bring to product organisations irrespective of technoöogical shifts such as AI.

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When Dropbox shifted to #VirtualFirst, my Design team helped lead the efforts to create the new model in a way that actually reimagined modern work. By applying a human centered design approach to build Virtual First—understand what users need, develop hypotheses, design and pilot solutions, observe results and iterate— what we saw as a result was true cultural transformation. This way of working is intentionally designed to make space for creativity, tinkering and deep work, while also reserving time for synchronous collaboration and IRL time when we need it. Through this process, we quickly realized there was a need for more conversation around the unique challenges of working in distributed ways. That’s how we came up with the idea for Remotely Curious—a podcast where we dive deep into the world of remote work and the struggles that come with it. One of my favorite episodes is on the topic of setting boundaries, an art that can take practice while working remotely. It’s something we’re laser focused on here at Dropbox—83% of employees feel successful in designing their own work schedules, but we know our employees want continued support around boundary setting between their work and personal lives as we continue in our Virtual First journey. Psychologist, professor, and best-selling author Andrea Bonior joined Remotely Curious to guide us through the specifics of setting boundaries in the workplace. One lesson that really stuck with me from the conversation was the idea that "clarity is kindness." It’s easy to fall into the trap of people-pleasing, where we start equating saying “yes” as being nice and saying “no” as being “difficult” or creating an uncomfortable environment. But clarity—being clear about your limits and expectations—is actually one of the kindest things you can do for yourself and your team. As leaders in a distributed environment, this is incredibly important to maintaining balance and remaining in control of our work. Creating healthy boundaries in my life enables me to be both a better leader for my team, and a better father and equal contributor at home. By being intentional in supporting myself as well as having a support system, or a “Team Alastair” around me, I can maintain better balance so that I can be the best version of myself, maintain peak-level performance and continue to scale both professionally and personally. I highly recommend giving this one a listen, and would love to hear your thoughts. https://lnkd.in/dn8As9zG #productivity #innovation #futureofwork

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Here's a slide from my October 2024 talk about triaging UX, showing a word cloud of several things we can do to help drive the discipline forward. Which ones stand out to you? #ux #realuxtalk #uxtriage

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“People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” – Maya Angelou This truth is especially powerful in product and UX/UI design. While creating a beautiful, user-friendly application might seem straightforward—I've had the privilege of doing it for nearly two decades—the real impact lies in the emotions we evoke. It’s those feelings that turn one-time users into loyal advocates. If you’re curious about how emotions shape user experiences or want to know more about neurodesign, check out this article and others written by @jashsak https://lnkd.in/gtj5JpD6

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The 4 Stages of AI Image Generation: An Experience Map #GenAI #UX #productDesign https://buff.ly/3VKxjKs

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