#91 Ioana Teleanu on AI, Career Tips, and the Future of Design
Future of UX | Your Design, Tech and User Experience Podcast | AI Design
Deep Dive
What is Ioana Teleanu's current role and how did she get into the AI space?
Ioana Teleanu is a product designer for AI at Miro. She joined Miro one year ago to work on AI experiences for collaboration on a canvas. Before that, she worked on Clipboard AI as part of UiPath, which won Time Magazine's Best Invention of 2023 award.
What is Ioana's approach to designing AI products at Miro?
Ioana emphasizes the importance of intentionality in designing AI products. She focuses on finding meaningful use cases for AI that solve real problems rather than creating AI for the sake of it. Her role involves ensuring that AI features are valuable and aligned with user needs, and she works closely with the research team to identify pain points and opportunities for AI integration.
How does Ioana describe the design process for AI products at Miro?
Ioana describes the design process as starting with research insights and user problems. The team maps out workflows and identifies friction points where AI can help. They experiment with different features, reflect on their impact, and iterate based on user feedback. Prototyping in the AI age involves not just usability but also ensuring the quality and relevance of AI-generated outputs.
What does Ioana think about the future of design roles in the age of AI?
Ioana believes that designers will shift from being executors of design to curators of design. AI will handle the execution of UI, but designers will still be valuable for their vision, problem-solving skills, and ability to guide AI in creating meaningful experiences. Designers will need to focus on critical thinking, systems thinking, and collaboration to remain relevant.
What key skills does Ioana recommend for designers to succeed in the future?
Ioana highlights the importance of critical thinking, systems thinking, and collaboration. Designers need to understand complex human experiences and identify opportunities to improve them with or without AI. They should also foster collaboration skills to work effectively in multidisciplinary teams.
How can designers position themselves to work in AI-related roles?
Ioana recommends experimenting with AI tools, building side projects, and volunteering to contribute to AI initiatives within their companies. Designers should also educate themselves by learning from free resources and content. Personal branding is crucial—communicate your passion for AI and share your experiments and insights to position yourself as an AI enthusiast.
What is Ioana's favorite resource for staying updated on AI and design?
Ioana's favorite resource is her newsletter, AI Goodies, where she shares her favorite AI tools, patterns, and insights twice a month. She also recommends experimenting with tools like Notebook LM and Gemini to understand the potential and limitations of AI.
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