#78: The long game
Design & AI, AI & design
Welcome friends and new subscribers!
I had no post last month. It’s been quite hectic from my personal life—but in a good way! thank you very much for the great responses from my last post, How to read more books for people with demanding personal lives. Today’s post is about design, AI and playing the long game. Enjoy!
I’ve been thinking a lot about the career track of an Individual Contributor (IC). It is the path I am on, and it is my roots.
I like working with my hands, I like visualizing ideas, I like making things happen—not necessarily just on my own all the time. While I do have a rough model of how my career should grow, now and into the future, no matter what, I’ll always have a soft spot for IC work.
I don’t really believe in a rigid and highly structured framework for what a career in any creative industry should be. But then again, my definition of what a ‘creative career’ is extremely broad. It is not at all limited to what is traditionally labeled as such. To me, anyone who has the capacity, skill, power and desire to make something out of nothing to solve problems for humans IS a creative person. This applies to anyone from a product-focused entrepreneur to a software engineer—even the trades. They’re all using creativity in their own ways. It may be that some are just more visible, louder and—arguably—sexier than the others, but no one has a monopoly on creativity. The modern world just wouldn’t function as well as it is now if that is the case.
With the rapid rise of artificial intelligence, the playing field for every one of these fields will change, possibly forever. Recently, Microsoft’s Chief Marketing Officer Yusuf Mehdi was quoted in this article from CBS News, “Why does product design sometimes fail? It's complicated”:
"We're at the dawn of the next wave of computing, probably the most impactful thing you and I will ever get to see in our lifetimes." - Yusuf Mehdi, Chief Marketing Officer
This speaks volumes for the current state of design. Everything from our workflow to our processes and output will change, drastically. The future of our profession, like many adjacent others, is hard to predict. However, I suspect that the best way to do so is to get as close to the action as much as possible.
In the real world that means work for the companies that are at the forefront of this technology, or study at the universities where AI is being researched & built. That is not always possible for a lot of us so the next best thing is to be informed and follow the patterns that are emerging. Pay enough attention to the people who are behind all of this, including the funding aspect. Look at their products, and use them cautiously. Don’t turn a blind eye to what is happening. Being informed by the right kinds of information is a stellar superpower. It not only makes you less receptive to conspiracy theories (giant waste of time, in my opinion!), it gives you a better judgement for how to see the world, and in turn, get real focus on what really matters in the long run.
I know there’s been a lot of hype products and tech over the years. From everything I’ve heard and known about AI so far, it is far, far from it. It will continue to be ubiquitous now and into the future. It’s a bet a lot of companies are making. I do think nothing about this is to be taken lightly. If you’re planning to still be in the workforce for at least a few decades from now, AI is worth studying. It is worth looking into. It is worth taking as seriously as humanly possible, for it really will change everything. Beyond how we work, but also in how we live. OpenAI’s latest demos is a testament to that ‘magic’ that we’re only seeing the surface of at the moment. Both scary and utterly thrilling at the same time. (But let’s be real, it’s more the former…)
With a little bit of luck and a whole lot of intuition, we can be a lot better at making these necessary bets to win in this new world of work. I define winning in this case as: staying relevant enough to not just maintain career status but also accumulate enough assets1 that would result in various ROIs2 that would afford us viable options later on. Hopefully, in the kind of work that brings positive value to the world around us.
Any game that is worth playing is worth playing in the long game. Careers that bring meaning and fulfillment to one’s life is no different.
So.. how can designers ‘play the long game’?
THE WORK
Even in the age of AI, I stand by this: there’s no better way to make yourself relevant than the quality of projects you become a part of, or start yourself. No matter what, protect the work that you do, always. Protect the things you put a stamp on for they are the most visible advertising for what you do. Don’t compromise on the things that have your signature on it. Never leave your craft behind, regardless of how far you go up in your career ladder. Now more than ever, being able to make, create and produce things yourself, even as a proof-of-concept, is a highly valued skillset. Keep augmenting your craft, possibly with AI.
THE COMPANY
Like what I’ve mentioned earlier, it is not always possible to work with top tech companies, especially those that are leading AI development. That shouldn’t stop anyone who has an interest in it to explore, experiment, ship and advocate in their own companies. This can only be possible if you know what you’re looking to do, and most importantly, you are driven by learning more.
As designers and technologists, we are in a prime position to influence that change. Because of the nature of our work, we are more exposed than most people to what is happening with AI. Start with where you are. Learn from your current position. Find ways on how you can, not just leverage, but also get involved with these new technologies. Start building that intuition by exposing yourself to all of this.
‘Participate in it’
It just seems right to end this with Airbnb cofounder and CEO Brian Chesky’s latest sobering message about Design and AI from this article:
"I think AI can either displace a lot of creatives or it can empower a lot of creatives," he said.
"As a RISD graduate running a tech company, I would implore creative people, journalists, writers, people that identify as technologists, RISD graduates, Royal College of Art graduates... if you think AI's here to stay and you think it's going to be more important – and how could you say none of that's true – then my general advice is to participate in it." -Brian Chesky
✨ Now, a little note on where I truly stand in all of this:
My perception towards AI and Design changes constantly. It’s mushy and messy and it is utterly overwhelming, as what I’ve documented here. Do I want to personally believe we are capable of handling this technology in a way that is responsible and ethical? Doubtful but I have hopes that we will be able to, as a species, someday. Do I think that the world is ready for what this technology will bring? Like most of you, a big, resounding NO. Do I want to put my future at the hands of this technology just because a few powerful individuals are strongly advocating for it? I don’t know.
What I do know is that the best way to answer tough questions… is to face those tough questions head on. There’s no other way but to move forward, grow up and get myself as educated as I can about this. Otherwise, I’ll risk letting myself walk in the dark, which I’m almost certain will be the regrettable consequence of ignoring something as powerful as Artificial Intelligence.
Will be sharing more of my learnings on this subject on this platform, please watch out for it.
Thank you for reading working title,
Nikki
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If you have a spare moment, I’d love to hear your opinion on my newsletter. This will help me understand what to write about and curate better. I am also on Notes, where I post previews and premature ideas that fuel my writing streaks.
In a design career, this would typically mean any or all of the following: your portfolio, your CV, your network
Financial (sense of security), spiritual (sense of fulfillment), emotional (sense of pride) satisfaction