Next ’25 Session 2

Design and product discovery have given us powerful frameworks and artifacts—journey maps, Miro boards, Figma files—that shaped how we work. But have these tools become rituals? Like the scholastic thinkers of the Middle Ages clinging to Latin texts before the Renaissance, we may have fallen in love with the artifacts themselves rather than the outcomes they serve. With AI and large language models, we now have the ability to prototype ideas faster, test assumptions sooner, and even rethink the very notion of the MVP. Why settle for “minimal” when you can generate more, faster, and with less friction? Xavier Rizos explores how rituals emerge when meaning is lost—when process replaces purpose. By connecting ancient wisdom to modern design practice, we’ll ask: how can we dwell in reality, let go of illusions, and move from surface-level rituals back to the deeper fruit of discovery? This is a provocative invitation to question our habits, confront our attachments, and embrace a more fluid, AI-enabled way of designing and building.

AI is transforming everything — from how we communicate to how we manage tasks in both our personal and professional lives. It holds incredible potential to support independence and improve access. However, AI can also unintentionally reinforce ableism. When trained on biased data, AI systems risk producing unfair outcomes. Tools that assume 'typical' behaviours or ways of interacting often create experiences that can exclude. As AI adoption accelerates at an unprecedented pace, thoughtful and responsible innovation has never been more critical. This session dives into how we can embed ethics and equity at the core of AI-driven product design. We’ll explore common pitfalls seen in today’s AI applications and share practical, actionable strategies to build more inclusive and fair products.

While opportunities expand as every company becomes an AI company, so do the risks. While more and more builders and users are becoming aware that AI should be built responsibly, there is still confusion about what, exactly, that means. Join Aubrey Blanche, a global leader in organizational ethics and responsible AI, for a tactical session on how to operationlize your team's commitment to using AI in a way that drives positive impact and mitigates the risk of harm. You'll leave the session with actionable tools you can implement today, to make a better world tomorrow.

Digital products rarely fall apart all at once. More often, they slowly drift away from what users need, becoming cluttered, unresponsive and driven by the wrong metrics. Tim Hardaker names this slow decay for what it is and shows how to stop it in its tracks. With examples from his work leading ABC’s digital platforms, Tim shares how to reconnect product strategy with real audience needs. Expect sharp insights, practical methods, and a compelling case for always-on listening.

Everything we know about business productivity is wrong. Don't believe me? Then you must be living in the post-apocalyptic wasteland created when COVID locked us all into our homes - away from our offices and jobs - for two years. Oh, wait - that didn't happen? Everything went on pretty much as before, even though everything had suddenly changed? And you still reckon we know anything about business? We've burned away all the dross of the 19th and 20th century's provably wrong misconceptions of productivity. So what really matters - and how do we lean into that?