Post Skeuomorphic AI: Design Principles, Metaphors, and Challenges

Colleen Estrada—Director of Design, Microsoft Office Canvas Experiences, Microsoft
Carolyn Maw—CRASH Space Co-Founder and Creative Technologist

As we transition to a broad new phase of AI everywhere, we must adopt a modern approach for the design of AI. Just as mobile designers left behind beveled edges, wood and felt, AI designers can also move beyond our own skeuomorphs and develop new design strategies that are more native to the medium of AI. What are the new design principles, metaphors and challenges that are part of AI as a design material?

This symposium asks key questions in this context. If emulating humans and cuteness creates mismatched expectations and annoying interactions, what are more appropriate strategies, forms, or personalities? If AI is not about command and control user experiences, what new skills should a designer have? If interactions are now with probabilistic, non-deterministic, autonomous systems, what are the new principles for design considering creativity, collaboration, trust, privacy, and moment by moment contexts?

Of course, asking these questions forces us to question the very definition and goals of AI. But breaking free from the constraints of conventional approaches also frees designers to discover the full potential of this new medium.

The event is presented by the MDP’s (Re)Defining AI Working Group, led by Philip van Allen (ACCD) and Colleen Estrada (Microsoft)