00:00:00:00 - 00:00:11:10
Speaker 1
Thank you so much to everyone for joining our final On the Couch panel event for the year. We have an incredible lineup of panelists today that are joining us, and we're really excited for this session.
00:00:11:12 - 00:00:35:16
Speaker 1
My name is Tash and I work in the Industry Partnerships team at RMIT online. Before we get into it, I'd just like to take a moment to recognize and acknowledge that I'm hosting this webinar from Melbourne, which is the country of the Woi Wurrung and Boon Wurrung language groups of the eastern Kulin nations. I respectfully acknowledge their ancestors, elders, past and present.
00:00:35:18 - 00:01:00:13
Speaker 1
Now today we are dive,designing We are diving in to the design space. So we are designing in a world that's moving faster than ever. AI, as you know, is reshaping how we work, how we think and create, and we're all figuring it out in real time and to make sense of all this, we have an amazing group of speakers who are right in the thick of it and have so much experience within this space.
00:01:00:19 - 00:01:24:24
Speaker 1
I'm really excited to introduce Tom from Thinkerbell. Tom, I'll get you to give give the audience a bit of a wave. What you have already. We've got Kate from Symplicit and Al from Adobe. So welcome to you all. And thank you so much for being part of our, final on the Couch online event. We've had so much interest in this session, and we're really excited to to dive into the discussion.
00:01:25:01 - 00:01:41:12
Speaker 1
Just a really quick reminder as well. We'll have ten minutes towards the end for any questions. So I've got some of my marketing colleagues that have joined online as well. And they'll be keeping note of some of the questions. We'll try and get through as many as possible, and we really want to make this as engaging as possible as well.
00:01:41:12 - 00:02:04:23
Speaker 1
So, we'll be throwing out some questions in the Q&A chat, and we would really love to hear your responses. It just help our speakers learn a little bit more about the audience as well. So I'm going to get started, and I'd love to kick kick us off with a question for you Al. In a year defined by volatility, has design become more about problem solving or sense making?
00:02:04:23 - 00:02:07:08
Speaker 1
In your opinion?
00:02:07:10 - 00:02:31:23
Speaker 2
Well, I think I mean it's always been about both. I think the balance is probably moving much more towards that idea of sense making. I think, you know, the volatility that we see at the moment in technology, in economics and culture, in education, that creates that ambiguity. And people, you know, we really crave clarity and and meaning
00:02:32:00 - 00:02:49:05
Speaker 2
So it's not just about that, that functional problem solving. It's not just about answering this one little question that is going to get us to the next step. Yes, that's an important part of the process because we've always we've always got to be going in and working as problem solvers, and we've got to help the audience interpret the complexity.
00:02:49:05 - 00:02:54:21
Speaker 2
And I think, you know, we were just sort of having a chat before this went online.
00:02:54:23 - 00:03:19:14
Speaker 2
Busy, busy has become the new boring. You know, it's like busy is the is the baseline now and then and there's just insanity layered on top of insanity and layered on top of. And when you've got new tools coming in and all of these sorts of things, it is very much, I think, about that sense making. So creating the narratives and systems that will that will help people work out their position and orient themselves in, in, in this ever changing world.
00:03:19:15 - 00:03:40:06
Speaker 2
You know, we talk about jobs that are going to be around in five years that don't exist yet, and where's the workforce going? And all of these sorts of things. So I think that idea of, of being the, almost like the, the, the steady hand on deck who's going in and holding the rudder of the, you know, the ship and helping to go in and guide it through the rough world.
00:03:40:08 - 00:03:55:24
Speaker 2
That's, that's really where we're at. So I think it's very much about that sense making. But and it's our job as designers, regardless of what field, to interpret the complexity and craft the sort of human centered narratives.
00:03:56:01 - 00:04:02:06
Speaker 1
And Al just for the audience to just learn a little bit more about yourself. Because how long have you been in this industry for?
00:04:02:08 - 00:04:13:17
Speaker 2
Yeah. Look, so I've been a graphic designer for 25 years. I've been in design education for over 20 years, and I've then moved across into a role with the, Adobe education team.
00:04:13:19 - 00:04:22:18
Speaker 1
Amazing. And I'm sure you've seen a lot of change throughout that whole period, especially with AI as well now. It must must be must a lot of change.
00:04:22:20 - 00:04:38:06
Speaker 2
Look, I think yes. And that's the you know, obviously that's going to be the crux. And, I won't go into too much detail at this stage because I know that everybody else is, you know, got their own input. But yeah, it's a completely different beast to what it was five years ago, ten years ago, 15 years ago.
00:04:38:08 - 00:05:01:05
Speaker 2
But that's that's the nature of design, right? It's always going to be responsive. It's always going to need to be reactive. And again, I think it's why that the question you asked is so important because that sense making is the bit that probably always underpinned that in the past. But that's the driving force now. That's the bit where we need somebody who can make sense of it all when there's so much out there.
00:05:01:07 - 00:05:19:14
Speaker 1
And I'd love to, pass it over to you now, Tom, just around design and the whole keyword of you know, being a designer, do you think that design, like being a designer, will remain a distinct title, or will design thinking become a universal skill across, professions as a whole?
00:05:19:16 - 00:05:46:11
Speaker 3
I hope it remains a title for a lot of people that are probably viewing today. I don't know. I think we seem to be kind of in a design democracy of sorts at the moment. Like design not designing is becoming pretty much universal. Thanks to the canvas of the world. Like my 70 year old mother who doesn't know, her kerning from her leding can now pretty much design.
00:05:46:13 - 00:06:09:14
Speaker 3
But I think actually that means designer as a role in it's in itself is actually getting elevated. Kind of like the writing, like everyone writes, but authors, editors, journos, they still exist for a reason. So as I was touching on as that complexity grows, is that kind of disruption stack of stuff that's entering our world kind of grows.
00:06:09:16 - 00:06:32:00
Speaker 3
There's really a bigger need now, for the depth, the design, craft and taste to kind of simplify it and give us those signposts that we can trust. So I reckon, yeah, design thinking, is becoming widespread, but maybe the role of designer, is remaining really distinct because mastery still counts for something.
00:06:32:02 - 00:06:33:03
Speaker 2
Yeah.
00:06:33:05 - 00:06:40:14
Speaker 1
And do you mind sharing, Tom a little bit about, you know, yourself in your current role as well? I just would love for the audience to learn a little bit more about about you.
00:06:40:16 - 00:07:02:15
Speaker 3
Yeah. I'm Tom Wedbon chief creative at Thinkerbell, We’re a creative company we call ourselves, not an ad agency. And I guess in that, remit we kind of exist to keep things interesting. And that touches everything from design, product design, brand architecture, all the way through to ads and and craft and things like that.
00:07:02:15 - 00:07:20:21
Speaker 3
And my background has always been pretty much in the traditional form of advertising for maybe 15 years. And then we were talking about what we did before that prior I was a chef, which was creative in its own sense, I guess. So yeah, that's where I come from.
00:07:20:23 - 00:07:46:10
Speaker 1
So different that a great skill to have. Kate you're on my screen, and I'd love to. I'd love to just ask you to surround this whole topic around design. So designers are now also, you know, making choices that impact not just users, but entire ecosystems. In your opinion, how do we balance the speed of innovation with the responsibility to really slow down and think critically?
00:07:46:12 - 00:08:15:03
Speaker 4
I yeah, so I think the ecosystem part of that is quite interesting because, for history, I studied industrial design with RMIT, and I think through designing product, you realize that the choices that you're making in designing that have an impact. So you would do a lifecycle assessment. You understand the different materials, the production method, distribution and how that's going to create the overall picture of the product that you're creating.
00:08:15:05 - 00:08:41:09
Speaker 4
And when we talk about design in a service sense, it's a similar kind of you have to have a similar kind of take on it. There's data being pulled from somewhere. There's impacts on society, and still on the environment. But I think in that space to, balance innovation and critical thinking, I really think it comes back to the people who are leading that work.
00:08:41:09 - 00:09:02:00
Speaker 4
So if we've got that set as an agenda that we're aiming to meet, if we're really focused on doing work that is creating meaning, that is providing longevity, that is socially inclusive. If we have that driving, from the top, then we're going to see that filter all the way through. And it's difficult to kind of push against that.
00:09:02:00 - 00:09:05:22
Speaker 4
I think when you're not seeing it right, the way through the structure.
00:09:05:24 - 00:09:11:08
Speaker 1
Can that be overwhelming at times, like looking at that whole ecosystem.
00:09:11:10 - 00:09:36:02
Speaker 4
Yeah. And I think, it's probably something that we're maybe we're becoming more aware of it now, like it's always been there. But the ecosystem awareness is becoming stronger. If I think about some of the clients we've been working with, they kind of getting to a point from a digital sense, that ecosystem, the digital ecosystem is aging and it's irreplaceable.
00:09:36:02 - 00:09:51:12
Speaker 4
And it turns out it's a random bunch of tools that are held together with, sticky tape and Blu TAC and all those kinds of things. So to uplift one part of it, you actually do need to look at how it's connected in with everything else and uplift as a whole.
00:09:51:14 - 00:09:59:14
Speaker 1
And, Kate I know that you work with, you know, a wide range of clients, at symplicit. Would you mind just sharing a little bit about some of the work that you're currently doing?
00:09:59:16 - 00:10:19:17
Speaker 4
Yeah, sure. So, I work on the client facing side, so I get to work, with different, industries and people every day, which I love. My area of expertise, like is in government. So, government organizations. And what did you ask? What did you want to know about that?
00:10:19:19 - 00:10:27:05
Speaker 1
So I know that you work with so many different clients. Yeah. Just be great to learn a little bit about some of the things you're currently working on at Symplicit
00:10:27:07 - 00:10:45:06
Speaker 4
Yes. So, I guess we have two ways of working with either, doing project delivery work for a specific piece of work with a client, or we're working, as part of their team working embedded with the organization. So, at the moment I'm doing that embedded role. Yeah.
00:10:45:08 - 00:11:01:15
Speaker 1
Awesome. Yeah. And speaking of brands, so, Tom, I know that you work with so many different brands at Thinkerbell when, when we first caught up in, you were sharing some of the brands, you know, so so Interesting. And and some brands, you know, have been around for so long. Other brands that you work with are quite new.
00:11:01:17 - 00:11:11:22
Speaker 1
I'd love to just hear from you a little bit around, you know, how do you design when the brief itself is uncertain or, you know, changing on a weekly basis?
00:11:11:24 - 00:11:39:02
Speaker 3
Yeah. It's a very good question. And one we are constantly evolving, against ourselves, I reckon, as Al was kind of mentioning in this kind of state of flux or volatility that we're in at the moment, like things are moving faster than ever before. You're kind of, designing in an environment where, like the tech, the expectations and even the context, like whether it's political or, environmental, it's kind of shifting mid project.
00:11:39:02 - 00:12:09:00
Speaker 3
And so I reckon one of the best things you can do is kind of embrace that ambiguity, like just lean into the uncertainty of it. A lot of original thinking kind of comes from that space. And so yeah, if you can take that on, and just be comfortable in that space of, you know, shifting briefs and kind of a false sense of that rigidity or that, that thing that we're trying to align ourselves to and know that it's going to move.
00:12:09:02 - 00:12:30:02
Speaker 3
I think that's a good mindset to at least take into to any challenge these days. In terms of like the briefs themselves, I again treat them as almost like a hypothesis, and they don't have to be the commandments of how we're going to do this. It's not kind of black and white, and the answer is not going to be black and white.
00:12:30:02 - 00:12:49:22
Speaker 3
And if it is, you probably haven't added the creative layer that we as designers or design thinkers or people in this creative field need to be adding to kind of add value. So I think just leaving it a little bit open is, is always good. And also just taking yourselves back to what is the client problem?
00:12:49:22 - 00:13:08:09
Speaker 3
Like what's the business problem that sits behind this doesn't have to be a business problem, can be a design problem, can be an art problem, whatever it is. But work out what that is rather than just focusing on the first version of it. And I guess to the point you're asking around our our clients. I think we were talking about Vegemite or maybe yogurt.
00:13:08:09 - 00:13:33:00
Speaker 3
One of ours is, Farmers Union Greek style yogurt. It's been around for like 130 years or something. And, the product itself hasn't changed, but the product is still yogurt. It's a it's a really simple one. But through that time, we've moved through evolutions and trends and things where, the business needs us to focus it towards lower sugar or it needs to be protein rich or it needs to be something else.
00:13:33:00 - 00:13:53:18
Speaker 3
And so the exact same product just needs to be reinvented and moved with the times. And so I reckon one of the main things you can do is just have yourself a really strong foundation of knowing what is true of that brand, so that you can execute timely on top of it. But try and have something timeless that weights it all together.
00:13:53:20 - 00:14:19:17
Speaker 1
Yeah, amazing. And I've just I'm actually just looking at the Q&A chat is a really lovely comment in here around Tom. You've, you know, created some of the country's most popular and effective campaigns for brands like Cadbury, Toyota, Snickers, Furphy, Foxtel the list goes on. I guess for those that have tuned in that are working in that design space, like I know you've given us some really great advice around, you know, really understanding the product in the brand.
00:14:19:19 - 00:14:31:13
Speaker 1
I guess in your, in your opinion, working across so many different industries and helping so many different clients with their marketing campaigns, like, do you have any other tips around balancing that.
00:14:31:15 - 00:14:33:02
Speaker 3
Balancing which bit the.
00:14:33:04 - 00:14:35:01
Speaker 1
Working across all brands?
00:14:35:02 - 00:15:06:14
Speaker 3
Across all of it. Whether it's from a brand point of view or even like a discipline point of view, I think, diversity is to be embraced. We we kind of have this, philosophy that the best work you will create, creates, is created at kind of the edge of ecosystem. So whether that's like, and media and design rubbing up against each other, that feels like the right spot or or whether it's a style of media and, and a style of artwork and things.
00:15:06:19 - 00:15:31:12
Speaker 3
It's where those two things compete and the tension arrives that it kind of brings you something new. I think the same is true of just having a widespread client base and kind of being able to, dabble in multiple fields and just see what you can cross-pollinate across. Obviously you want to play within your category and you kind of want to drive your, your brand within those categories.
00:15:31:18 - 00:15:48:15
Speaker 3
But stealing from other categories and working at new ways of doing things in the dairy field that might have worked for years in the alcohol or entertainment space. I think there's a lot to be said for just diversifying where you get your influence from. So yeah, think wide.
00:15:48:17 - 00:16:10:01
Speaker 1
Yeah, great. It sounds like there's a lot of crossover as well. Working across so many different brands, so many good takeaways that you can take away from working across so many different marketing campaigns. But Al I'd love to go back to you just around, have you had a moment this year in your current work where you've realized that the old rules of design, they just don't apply anymore?
00:16:10:03 - 00:16:32:07
Speaker 2
Yeah, probably, but it's a really interesting one, because I also think in some ways, and I think it's been also reflected on what like both Kate and Tom have talked about, which is the idea that those underlying the principles of design are more important than ever. When you've got so many tools around that can go in and do that low lift stuff.
00:16:32:07 - 00:16:54:08
Speaker 2
I think the big thing that's changed is probably that linear workflow going in and doing the research, the ideation, the prototyping and then iteration as you're going through, obviously that that time frame is sped up, remarkably gone from, you know, so weeks to, to literally minutes. So yes, I think that I think that that that workflow has definitely changed.
00:16:54:08 - 00:17:15:08
Speaker 2
But I think those rules of design, the, you know, the underlying principles, like I said, I think that they're actually more important than, than ever because they're the thing that makes that difference. It's, you know, again, as Tom said, you know, mystery still accounts for something knowing what you're actually talking about, rather than just sort of blindly going out there and going, oh, we'll get to X to go and and do Y and Z.
00:17:15:08 - 00:17:39:16
Speaker 2
For me, I think, I think that that idea of actually understanding and again, I mean, it comes back to that idea of sense making, you know, somebody, you know, steering the ship in the right sort of direction. But yes, I think, you know, we've had to re rethink what, what originality is what what authorship is and ethics is this huge piece particularly in that AI space.
00:17:39:18 - 00:18:00:00
Speaker 2
So yes, yes, I think the, the, the old design rules of are integral, but I think the workflow is going to be very different moving forward. And I think the expectations from customers, I think the expectations from ourselves, from our clients, from from industry, from everyone is is the thing that's really changing.
00:18:00:02 - 00:18:21:12
Speaker 1
And when we caught up, you know, I remember we had an initial discussion just around some of those skills that you need working in this space. And you touched on having that growth mindset and being willing to adapt. Do you mind touching on that a little bit? So I thought I'd just to give the audience, some tips around how they can adapt and, and be a bit more, you know, flexible in their current roles.
00:18:21:14 - 00:18:22:14
Speaker 1
Look, I think.
00:18:22:16 - 00:18:41:24
Speaker 2
I think that idea of, of of adaptability, I mean, my, my education background has always been focused on that idea of digital literacy and digital fluency. And I think that's the key bit now is that with with the way the tools are working, you've got to be adaptable, you've got to be comfortable going in and using all those different tools.
00:18:41:24 - 00:19:04:19
Speaker 2
So, you know, things like curiosity, you know, again, as both Tom kind of sort of said, you've got to be willing to sometimes diving into the deep end and go around and and find your way resilience adaptability are always going to be those, those ones because change is happening so fast. If we try and keep up with exactly what's happening now, the technology will have moved on.
00:19:04:19 - 00:19:27:05
Speaker 2
And particularly in education, I think that's a that's a major issue at the moment, is going in and trying to put principles and resources in place to go in and work with these various technologies that are out there. By the time you've gone in and created that legislation, that technology's shifted, you know, absolutely, hugely. But the ethical literacy is really that that key.
00:19:27:05 - 00:19:45:15
Speaker 2
And I think, I think it really is that important bit. And again, it goes back to what Kate was talking about, that idea of responsibility as designers. And I think absolutely, I think literacy is, is one of the key to so what we're going to be doing moving from.
00:19:45:17 - 00:19:58:19
Speaker 1
Yeah, those are great insights. And and Kate, I'd love to go to you now just around, how do you keep empathy and emotion at the center of design in an age of automation and AI tools? Really big question there.
00:19:58:21 - 00:20:21:03
Speaker 4
The really big one. Yeah. And I think Al kind of touched on the process. Like we can see that changing with time. But for me this is all about understanding what the human value is in that process and making sure that we're not using AI to replace any of the tasks that help us work out what that is.
00:20:21:05 - 00:20:53:21
Speaker 4
So I think, being really selective about where you're using AI in your processes, like using it to, provide critique or review or alternative perspectives rather than actually doing the activities that give you the details around what people are doing and how they're behaving, and using your human intuition, I guess, to work out, the motivators and the the human story behind the, the situation that you're looking at.
00:20:53:21 - 00:21:11:13
Speaker 4
So, yeah, being really selective about how, how you use those tools and I think ethics, ALS already said a lot of really great things about how ethics are embedded in how we use AI. So that was my, other point to touch on.
00:21:11:15 - 00:21:18:02
Speaker 1
Yeah. Great. And is there a particular skill, in your opinion, that you feel like you're losing because tools are doing it for you?
00:21:18:06 - 00:21:42:03
Speaker 4
Yeah, I've really thought about this thanks to your prompt because I, I, I didn't think there was, like, I think there's skills that I'm recognizing are more important. Like, I'm really mindful of, of that critical thinking muscle and making sure that I'm not taking what I'm reading or saying is gospel and really questioning the source and the truth behind something.
00:21:42:05 - 00:22:12:10
Speaker 4
But I was realizing I'm using AI a lot more to kind of do that, open ended thinking. So to come up with multiple ideas, to come up with multiple versions of something. So I'll ask for 5 to 10 versions of, of a block of text or something like that. So I'm not, you know, racking my brain trying to stretch that and come up with those multiple options.
00:22:12:12 - 00:22:32:16
Speaker 4
In saying that, I'm also realizing that, when I do this, I'm asked like, I've, I've put the prompt into, AI, I am saying, do you do these things for me? I can't keep up with the pace. So I am taking a lot of reflective time. So I'll get it to spit out the options. But then I'm still spending a lot of time really thinking about what is it telling me?
00:22:32:17 - 00:22:54:19
Speaker 4
Why is it choosing these words, and just taking the time to process it? So even though I'm kind of replacing the mental brain work in generating the ideas, I'm just spending it somewhere else, I guess. So, I was thinking about efficiencies. Am I finding any efficiencies in using AI? And I was like, really? Probably not. I'm just spending my mental energy differently now.
00:22:54:21 - 00:23:18:10
Speaker 4
But I'm really keen to hear because this was a fair bit of reflection for me to kind of get to that response. I'm kind of keen to hear from other people around how they're using AI. If there's any places that they're realizing they're able to shift that mental effort and use an AI tool, in their work, in their personal life, and if there's any benefits that they're seeing out of that, too.
00:23:18:10 - 00:23:20:13
Speaker 4
I'm. Yeah. Really keen to hear.
00:23:20:15 - 00:23:47:00
Speaker 1
Yeah. Awesome. Thanks so much. Thanks so much for that, Kate. If you if if anyone feels comfortable just popping into the chat, just Kate's question around AI. That would be great. And we can we can reach out to see you comments as well. But I'd love to move to you now. Tom, just around, with so much visual noise out there, what does it really take for a brand's design to cut through?
00:23:47:02 - 00:24:09:18
Speaker 3
Yeah. Good question. And it is piling up like, but nothing else at the moment. And, the volume of stuff that's just entering our lives is insane. One of the things we kind of preach here, everyone's looking for distinctive assets like DBA is, is kind of bread and butter for the design world and the branding world.
00:24:09:18 - 00:24:12:04
Speaker 3
But at Thinkerbell we call them FDBA’s
00:24:12:04 - 00:24:12:11
Speaker 3
*Redacted*
00:24:12:11 - 00:24:36:19
Speaker 3
Disitinctive brand assets. It's got to be something that moves beyond color, logo, typeface, wordmark and things like that into something with meaning. And it's as soon as you can get into that space that you've built an entity or built something around, meaning that people can connect with, you get to move the needle a little bit more than just kind of showing up with the latest trend.
00:24:36:19 - 00:25:03:00
Speaker 3
So I reckon distinctiveness, you know, if you've got to stand out, you've got to cut through, still cut through within your category, but you've got to cut through. You've got to apply consistency and just make sure that you're doing that relentlessly. Like we're in a really fragmented world. There's so much noise out there. You've got to show up in 13 different places looking like the same thing.
00:25:03:02 - 00:25:21:14
Speaker 3
So I'd say consistency is probably out there. And then. Yeah, tie, tie your, distinctiveness too, meaning like give yourself a strong point of view on something. It's not just esthetics, but it's also behavior. And attitude that you can kind of layer on top of that that'll let you cut through. I reckon.
00:25:21:16 - 00:25:38:21
Speaker 1
It's a really big question, but those are definitely, some really good, really good tips. I'd love to hear from the audience as well. How many of you actually work with, brands in your current role? It just be good to get a bit of a sense check. And Kate, I've seen some quite some responses come through around your question.
00:25:38:22 - 00:25:59:24
Speaker 1
AI, I can see here from Gloria. I ask AI to teach me things, provide me context on why it takes some choices. That way I don't outsource my thinking completely and I grow my knowledge. Thank you so much for sharing Gloria It's great. You've got another message in the chat. I feel like so many people are, responding in the chat.
00:25:59:24 - 00:26:19:11
Speaker 1
This is great. Thank you very much. From Bianca. It very true with using AI to do more powerful tasks like mapping different sets of data. It's not always 100% correct and so still requires time to validate what it is spitting out. Thank you so much. And a really great shout back to Kate's point just around how it's, you know, really important to have that reflective time.
00:26:19:13 - 00:26:39:06
Speaker 1
But to still, you know, use AI to be a bit more productive in the workplace. We'll go to questions in five minutes, but I'd love to just go back to Al i remember when we, when we also caught up, you know, you you spoke about how important it is to have a well crafted portfolio. Would you mind sharing some tips around that?
00:26:39:08 - 00:26:53:03
Speaker 1
Whether it's the, to people in the audience that want to actually transition into this industry or working professionals that, you know, already working in, in design roles, just the importance of that of that portfolio piece.
00:26:53:05 - 00:27:14:18
Speaker 2
So, absolutely. And I think, you know, as I do that I also wanted to just sort of reflect on, on what Kate was saying with, I think the really important bit for me, as far as what I do in my role and with Adobe is, is that AI is is a companion piece as opposed to, you know, AI does X, so I can go in and do Y.
00:27:14:24 - 00:27:32:19
Speaker 2
It's that idea that I can use AI to go in and, you know, draft, you know, go through my inbox and go in and tell me what are my main priorities. And that's, that's really useful. And in a design sense, if I want to go in and do some iterative practice, I want to go in and see how it looks like in 45 different versions.
00:27:32:21 - 00:28:05:16
Speaker 2
I can certainly do that. But the design thinking still underpins. And the reason that I mentioned that is that I think that's the the important bit with the digital portfolio is, is always and as with any piece of design art is it's telling a story. And I think if you're going to be going in and using these tools and there are some really low list tools out there like Adobe Express or other sort of low lift tools that are designed for not necessarily not necessarily industry, you know, graphic designers, because they're still going to be going in and using that industry standard sort of software.
00:28:05:22 - 00:28:30:02
Speaker 2
But I think the ability to go in and tell that story means that a portfolio then becomes a really important thing for for everyone, whether you're an engineer or you're in marketing or you're a designer or you, you know, a nurse or you are an educator, people want to go in and see how you think, you know, it's not so much about that final output.
00:28:30:02 - 00:28:47:21
Speaker 2
It's about that process, you know, and again, I think in in education, that's very much where all of higher education is looking now. It's where we're trying to train people who can actually talk about what they've done, present their work, not just present. This is what I've finally come up with, but the why. Because the why is the important bit.
00:28:47:21 - 00:29:03:19
Speaker 2
Now, when we know that we've got a tool that can go on and create a logo in three seconds, or you can go in and you look at a finder.com and get someone to go in and create something for you. What is the value of actually doing that properly? And being able to communicate that is absolutely critical. And I think that's what a portfolio does.
00:29:03:19 - 00:29:32:00
Speaker 2
The portfolio goes in and shows industry “Hey, not only this is the work that I can do, but this is how I think” that's the real value that any company, whether it be, you know, a nurse and the way that they go in and think about interacting with patients or whether it be, you know, a chef in the way that they go in and, you know, pay attention to the to them is on place or whatever it is, it's really, really important to to have that level of of authenticity and understanding.
00:29:32:00 - 00:29:55:22
Speaker 2
And I think if you've got a tool that's going to go in and help tell your story in an authentic way. Absolutely. You know, I think it's the most valuable thing because a CV will go in and say, yes, you've studied this, you've been here, you've worked here, but it doesn't tell your story. It just goes and gives you these little very minor snippets that that theoretically go up to make your whole.
00:29:55:22 - 00:30:03:15
Speaker 2
But it doesn't obviously it doesn't because you've done more than, you know, lines on a, on on a word document.
00:30:03:17 - 00:30:13:00
Speaker 1
And I can imagine that, you know, those, those things that you mentioned make you stand out as well, rather than just, you know, going for a job and just having your CV there. And oh.
00:30:13:02 - 00:30:45:22
Speaker 2
And that's that's always the thing, right? It's that you need to have that point of difference. You need to have that thing. And it's the same with an advertising campaign. It's the same with, with with anything that you're going in. And I think there is so much out there. What is the value that you're bringing? And if that's going in and using some design bells and whistles to go in and just make it look slick, polished, professional, as opposed to just a standard flat out, you know, CV, you know, two columns headshot in the top left you know, engaging with them in a multimedia space or multimodal space, you know, putting in QR code and going in
00:30:45:22 - 00:31:04:08
Speaker 2
and giving them a, you know, maybe it's a video link or it's a podcast or it's just something else that's that's not just a standard way of going in and transmitting information as a text plus image that's that's what people are looking for. They're looking for something. That's that little point of difference that's going in and telling that unique story.
00:31:04:10 - 00:31:24:22
Speaker 2
And I really, really believe that. And I think it's it's the thing that I've found as an educator. It's the thing that I find now working in the education team with Adobe, with all of the universities that we work with, every student wants to be able to go in and tell that story. And if there are tools out there that can help them do that, then we need to be going in and putting those tools in as many hands as we can.
00:31:24:24 - 00:31:38:05
Speaker 1
Yeah, that's fantastic and really amazing feedback. I just wanted to hand it over to either Kate or Tom to see if you had any additional thoughts on, some of the things that Al was just sharing around crafting a, well, having a well crafted portfolio.
00:31:38:05 - 00:31:39:22
Speaker 3
Yeah. Have you got it kate otherwise?
00:31:39:24 - 00:31:54:06
Speaker 4
Yeah, I've got the tiniest little thing, though, because it's an analogy. And what I'm thinking about is high school maths. And it's like you get two points for showing you're working and you get two points for getting the right answer. So you got to show you the working 100%.
00:31:54:11 - 00:32:12:04
Speaker 2
Yep. And that's what that's that's what assessment is becoming. You know, I think if you look at across higher education that's what we look to, it's not the idea about the final. Yes. Okay. So you can write a 3000 word Essay great. How did you get to that point. How did you do that? I mean, you take a look at the universities that are really taking the lead in this space.
00:32:12:06 - 00:32:31:12
Speaker 2
That's where they're using AI generate that basic content and then become the the analyst. They become that critical voice that is going in and taking a look at it and going, why is this good? Or why is it bad? And understanding it's the same thing. You know, I always used to love when I was, a graphic design teacher, These
00:32:31:12 - 00:32:48:17
Speaker 2
Students go in and put off paths and, you know, areas and issues that they came up against when they were doing a design. You know, this is my final bit and rubbish. Was this. And this is why I moved away from that. Well, you know, when I finished the job reflecting back and going, yeah, I reckon it would have been really good if I could go back like, yeah.
00:32:48:19 - 00:32:53:15
Speaker 2
Tell you, working is 100% what, what education is about.
00:32:53:17 - 00:33:08:21
Speaker 1
I can say so many thumbs up and reactions in in this, in this online meeting. So I think, that a lot of people really loved your analogy? Thanks so much for that Kate I'll just quickly go to Tom in case he had anything to add, and then we might jump straight into some, questions from the audience.
00:33:08:23 - 00:33:37:09
Speaker 3
Only a tid bit. And it's more like, what is the function of a really well crafted portfolio? And it's probably the next job, or it's employment or it's whatever it is. And so when we're looking at them from the, an objective view of, you know, we're hiring in that space, we're not hiring you based on, you know, what you've done for other people, but on a point of view and your taste and your ability to, use that point of view to create work.
00:33:37:09 - 00:33:58:23
Speaker 3
And so I think anything that can demonstrate, that you understand yourself and you understand, like your view on design, esthetics, the world. I just include it and a lot of time, AI ain't going to be helping you with that, but that's got to come from you, and that's going to come from, the imperfections that is being human.
00:33:58:23 - 00:34:01:10
Speaker 3
So lean into, the
00:34:01:10 - 00:34:02:01
Speaker 3
*Redacted*
00:34:02:01 - 00:34:15:17
Speaker 3
the mistakes, the stuff that you've got wrong along the way, but you've learned from because, you know, that's what's more valuable to us, when we're looking at hiring than, a really slick, polished portfolio.
00:34:15:19 - 00:34:31:09
Speaker 1
Awesome. I feel like we can probably talk about this, for another ten minutes. But I really want to get to the questions now. Thank you so much for sharing your insights and and some of your advice as well. But we've had quite a few questions that have come through. I'll read the question out and then feel free.
00:34:31:09 - 00:34:48:09
Speaker 1
Whoever wants to kind of jump in but well try and, limit your response time just to see if we can get to atleast 3 or 4 before we jump off. The first question that I've got is, can the panel comment on their favorite or most useful AI tool and how it's benefited their workflow?
00:34:48:09 - 00:34:49:24
Speaker 1
this icon?
00:34:50:01 - 00:35:12:02
Speaker 2
I'll go in and, you know, flag the fact that I work for Adobe, AI assisted acrobat, I find it incredibly useful because it's a great way of going in and synthesizing the information that I need going and pulling out the insights and things the thing I really like about it is the fact that it's not going in and drawing out on any other Data source so it's a sandboxed environment.
00:35:12:04 - 00:35:38:01
Speaker 2
It means that if I'm going in and trying to get some resources and information out, it's coming directly from the material that I've got. So if I'm trying to synthesize information, really, really useful, and I use copilot a lot, particuly just as that sort of starting point when I have my morning coffee and I'm sitting down, get it to do some of that, you know, take a look at the inbox, one of the three things that I absolutely have to do in the next six minutes.
00:35:38:01 - 00:35:55:00
Speaker 2
And one of the one of the things that I've got only 15 minutes to do before somebody starts breathing down my neck, but that I find it incredibly useful. I don't tend to go in and use AI tools to substitute for for my design. Thinking and process is still, and I don't think I ever really will.
00:35:55:02 - 00:35:55:10
Speaker 1
Thanks.
00:35:55:11 - 00:35:59:02
Speaker 3
Al Black out like we are on
00:35:59:02 - 00:35:59:13
Speaker 3
*Redacted*
00:35:59:13 - 00:36:17:19
Speaker 3
every, platform at the moment. And weavy is a great one to showcase just how many we're using. Like, you can put full workflows in there from prompting through the output and everything in between. I think what it's taught me is the most useful AI. It's probably not AI.
00:36:17:20 - 00:36:38:10
Speaker 3
It's no, it is AI because I do it through Gemini. But I'll set myself, once we've kind of reviewed work, I'll set myself a three hour window before I actually understand how I feel about that work. And it's just building in time for pause and friction, because if we get caught up in a meeting, we love something.
00:36:38:10 - 00:36:48:13
Speaker 3
We run away with it. We go and create it. We just haven't set with it long enough. So really, the best AI is just a three hour window of not using AI.
00:36:48:15 - 00:37:07:12
Speaker 1
And Tom I've got you on my screen. So I feel like this one that is relevant for yourself. This next question, do you find that clients and stakeholders are changing the way they work with design agencies like yours because of AI, for example, that I want to pay for things that they think AI could do for them.
00:37:07:14 - 00:37:26:22
Speaker 3
I think we went through that little state of flux maybe six months ago. I think there was a, I don't know, some people might have felt it. We're going to get great economy here. Real efficiency. We can cut out ten people's workload. It hasn't worked that way. If anything, we need to employ more people that can sit with it, take the time and and do it.
00:37:26:22 - 00:37:53:02
Speaker 3
So I don't think the efficiencies have come from there. I do think one of the really weird, interesting spaces that we're in at the moment that some clients are starting to explore is that with generative like GEO instead of our SEO we're going to ChatGPT, say to look at what car we should buy and things the best. The top results in that space are coming from ChatGPT pulling from a whole bunch of, different sources.
00:37:53:04 - 00:38:04:22
Speaker 3
But designing for those sources and putting it into those spaces is really interesting. And so it's almost machine is designing for machine to read it to feedback to human. And we're getting into this weird
00:38:04:24 - 00:38:05:07
Speaker 3
*Redacted*
00:38:05:07 - 00:38:09:10
Speaker 3
loop where, machines actually better at talking to machines.
00:38:10:04 - 00:38:25:06
Speaker 3
But the output that we want to, we want to get to. So we've got a couple of GEO products at the moment underway that we're kind of testing, which is kind of hinting that way in some, some regards. So, yeah. But yeah.
00:38:25:08 - 00:38:29:21
Speaker 1
Did you have anything that you want to add on to to what Tom shared? Kate
00:38:29:23 - 00:38:56:03
Speaker 4
Yeah. So I was thinking about, exactly that kind of spike that Tom was talking about this amazing perceived benefit. But actually, we're finding that, clients might want to implement AI tools and look at their own documents and data sources, but actually they need to do the work to set them up in a way that the machine can then go through and create the benefit out of it.
00:38:56:03 - 00:39:01:13
Speaker 4
So there's actually a whole piece of work that needs to happen before you get that benefit.
00:39:01:15 - 00:39:18:03
Speaker 1
Awesome. Thank you for sharing. I know that we can probably go all day with with some of these questions. We probably have time maybe for one more. I'm just going to have a look at some of the questions that have come through for the audie from the audience. So we've got one here around talking about change.
00:39:18:03 - 00:39:23:07
Speaker 1
How should designers and business analysts deal with working in a space where you have a tight budget?
00:39:23:07 - 00:39:25:21
Speaker 3
Almost no more context, just,
00:39:25:23 - 00:39:26:06
Speaker 1
You're.
00:39:26:08 - 00:39:45:23
Speaker 3
To a degree, But I think with with anything, I'd go, back to the first point of call. Like what? What's going to affect the biggest change for whatever the brief is. Understand that really tightly. And that way, any moves you make are going to be the most effective within the budget you've got.
00:39:46:00 - 00:40:05:06
Speaker 1
Yeah. Great. I can see I can see just in the chat. I think Maggie's shared exactly the same thing as you, Tom. So, thank you so much for that. I think we might, leave it there, but thank you so much. You know, to the incredible panel of speakers to Al Kate and Tom. You know, I really appreciate you joining today's, session.
00:40:05:08 - 00:40:21:09
Speaker 1
for the audience we’ll have a recording that we'll send, that you can, you can pass along and you can watch in your own time. So that'll be sent to you shortly. And then we also have a full calendar of 2026 events. So, please keep an eye out on our social channels for our events next year.
00:40:21:11 - 00:40:43:02
Speaker 1
It's hard to believe that this is the last one, but, Yeah, it's been great to have so many people engaged and so many people join today's session. If you're also interested in exploring our design related short courses or degree programs, please feel free to check them out on our website. And again, just a huge thank you to our wonderful speakers.
00:40:43:04 - 00:40:55:12
Speaker 1
I can see a lot of claps coming through the Q&A chat. So, yeah, I really appreciate you taking the time and and sharing your insights. And thank you so much to everyone for joining and for a really great session, and hopefully we'll see you in 2026.
00:40:55:22 - 00:40:56:05
Speaker 4
Thanks.
00:40:56:05 - 00:40:57:20
Speaker 2
But thanks everyone.
