We recently caught up with one of our speakers from our AI and New Directions in Design event. With almost two years having passed by since the event, we were eager to catch up with some of our speakers — kicking it off with Miki Arai, Senior Manager, Information Design at Deloitte Canada. In the coming months, we will be continuing the conversation with other speakers from our past events including popular topics such as AI, Healthcare, and Circularity.
DM: How has your role as a designer at Deloitte Canada’s AI practice changed since we last spoke in 2021 and since the recent unveiling of ChatGBT to the world? It seems like everyone is now aware of AI's potential capabilities and threats.
MA: The unveiling of AI tools like ChatGPT has made everyone more aware of what AI can do and the potential risks involved. There’s been a growing demand for incorporating human-centered design principles and doing thorough user research. We want AI solutions that are not only useful but also aligned with our human values. In my role, as I lead a design practice for AI service, I've become a big advocate for the value of design. I believe in taking a human-centered, empathetic approach to shape the way we interact with AI and data, and create experiences that are super human-friendly. It's all about bridging the gap between technology/data models and humans, so we can have a better understanding and build trust in these AI-powered solutions.
DM: You spoke about being an interpreter of data and information. How has your design sensibilities improved an audience's understanding of complex information on any recent projects?
MA: I love engaging with people from diverse perspectives while keeping the audience/end-user’s needs and the purpose of the solution in centre focus. Design processes have an amazing ability to bring people together and make things clearer. Designers are tactical by demonstrating how things may work and bringing clarity to the complex problems. This provides an opportunity for everyone to navigate, collaborate and propose a user-friendly, human centred view in the solution driven by highly complex data and information.
DM: What is the continuously evolving role of the designer in the world of AI today? Do you have any recommendations for designers entering this space?
MA: In the world of AI today, the role of designers is continuously evolving and expanding. My team has grown from two people to ten in the last five years, as designers are increasingly seen as pivotal contributors to the development and deployment of AI technologies. Here are a few things we can consider as designers:
Remain Curious: Keep learning about new things — emerging technologies and businesses, and keep iterating and adapting our design approach. Listen to feedback, experiment with process by trying out new design techniques and technologies.
Embrace a Human-Centered Approach: Always prioritize human experiences. Get to know the needs, motivations, and challenges of the users and stakeholders you're designing for.
Learn and Collaborate: Work closely with others; data scientists, engineers, and domain experts. Collaborate across disciplines to understand the technical aspects of AI. This collaboration will help us translate complex algorithms into user-friendly interfaces.
Miki Arai
Miki leads a design practice which focuses on strategic information design, data visualization and UX/UI design at Omnia AI, Deloitte Canada’s Artificial Intelligence practice. She brings a user-centred design lens to solve complex challenges at the intersection of business, data and technology. Having lived, studied, and worked on three continents, Miki also brings a global perspective to the design process and delivers thoughtful solutions with a business lens.