In this episode, I speak with Timothy Achumba, Design Director at Microsoft, about AI-first product design, leadership, and the future of design.

We discuss his journey from Wunderlist to Meta to Microsoft, how his team explores AI through rapid prototyping, and why the role of design is shifting toward judgment, taste, and experimentation.

We also cover mechanical keyboards, mentoring, and what designers need to focus on to stay relevant in an AI-driven world.

Chapters

00:00 Intro
01:06 Timothy Achumba intro
01:15 Config London and speaking on stage
03:26 How Timothy got into mechanical keyboards
04:44 Keyboards as a surface for expression
06:17 Designing custom keycaps
09:01 Timothy’s role at Microsoft Design Lab
09:57 Prototyping first and using the scientific method
11:24 How AI changes knowledge work
12:53 Why chat interfaces are powerful but limited
16:21 The Wunderlist story
20:18 What happened after Microsoft acquired Wunderlist
23:07 Microsoft vs Meta
25:10 The role of design at Microsoft vs Meta
26:47 The intensity of working at Microsoft
28:08 Quick fire round
29:49 How incubation teams influence larger organisations
34:27 Being a director and staying hands-on
36:58 Mentoring designers and career growth
38:56 Should designers learn to code?
39:53 Why design is becoming more like pottery
43:11 How designers can build AI work for their portfolio
45:38 If everyone can prototype, what is the value of design?
49:29 Why craft matters even more now
52:03 What stops senior designers becoming principal or director
55:54 Managing time, meetings, and focus
57:30 Why traditional design processes can hold teams back
01:00:34 Why the scientific method matters in design
01:01:47 Why designers still matter in the AI era
01:04:41 Final thoughts