𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚’𝙨 𝙖 𝙡𝙤𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙣𝙤𝙞𝙨𝙚 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝘼𝙄 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙜𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙚. 𝘽𝙪𝙩 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙙𝙤𝙚𝙨 𝙞𝙩 𝙢𝙚𝙖𝙣 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙙𝙚𝙨𝙞𝙜𝙣?

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆:

We’re going live with Sumin Chou, Managing Partner at Schema — a research and design firm working at the intersection of data, technology, and human experience. Sumin has spent decades shaping digital products for The New York Times, Neiman Marcus, Victoria’s Secret, CBS Interactive, and more. Now he’s turning his attention to one of the most important questions in tech: as AI takes over execution, what becomes of design thinking?

In this conversation, Kyle Shannon and Anne Murphy dig into how AI is reshaping the role and value of design — and where designers have the greatest impact right now. Expect a grounded, thoughtful take from someone who’s been at the forefront of digital product design for 25+ years.

𝗜𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗲𝗽𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗱𝗲:

• How AI is changing what “design work” actually means

• Where human design judgment is irreplaceable

• What organizations get wrong about AI and UX

• The difference between AI-generated interfaces and AI-augmented thinking

• What Sumin’s current work at Schema reveals about where this is all heading

𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗴𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁:

𝗦𝘂𝗺𝗶𝗻 𝗖𝗵𝗼𝘂 is a Managing Partner at Schema, a research and design firm that transforms complex information into clear, intelligent digital experiences. He previously co-founded Concentric, a creative studio whose clients included Neiman Marcus, West Elm, and the Council on Foreign Relations. Before that, Sumin served as Digital Design Director at The New York Times, leading creative for all of the company’s online properties, and held senior roles at Time Inc. and multiple agencies. His work has been recognized by Cannes Lions, the Webby Awards, Communication Arts, and the Society of Publication Designers. He currently serves as an executive judge for the Webby Awards and is focused on how AI can augment human decision-making through thoughtful interface design, data visualization, and responsible product strategy.

𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗱𝗺𝗮𝗽:

• 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗔𝗜 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 — without losing the human judgment that drives results

• 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗸 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗔𝗜 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗨𝗫 in a way that goes beyond “it generates images fast”

• 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗮𝗻 𝗔𝗜-𝗮𝘂𝗴𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝗽𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲 that keeps strategy, not tools, at the center

• 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗔𝗜 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗮𝗰𝗲𝘀 — what makes one responsible, useful, and actually human-centered

• 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗲𝗿 when generative tools are changing the baseline for execution

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗹𝗸𝗶𝘁:

• 🔗 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗺𝗮 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻: https://www.schemadesign.com/

• 🔗 𝗦𝘂𝗺𝗶𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗲𝗱𝗜𝗻: / sumin-chou

• 📄 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗡𝗲𝘅𝘁, 𝗯𝘆 𝗦𝘂𝗺𝗶𝗻 𝗖𝗵𝗼𝘂: / designing-what-comes-next-schemadesign-ajhqe

• 𝗦𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘀 𝗔𝗜: https://she-leads-ai.mn.co/

• 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗜 𝗦𝗮𝗹𝗼𝗻: https://thesalon.ai/

• 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗜 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺: https://ruready4ai.com/

𝗟𝗶𝗸𝗲, 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲, 𝗦𝘂𝗯𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗯𝗲

Catch a new episode of The AI Readiness Project Wednesdays at 3pm (PDT), co-hosted by Anne Murphy of She Leads AI and Kyle Shannon of The AI Salon. Want to meet others navigating this new terrain with humor and humanity? Visit The AI Salon or She Leads AI to find your people.