Welcome to Design Assembly New Zealand Autumn Conversations! In this event, we’ll be exploring the fascinating intersection of design and artificial intelligence. Our theme is “Design and AI: How to use AI in your design process.”

Tickets are FREE for DA Friends – Access tickets with your special code

The world of design is constantly evolving, and AI is one of the most exciting developments of recent years. From generating design ideas to automating repetitive tasks, AI has the potential to revolutionise the way we approach design. But how can we harness this technology to its full potential?

To answer this question, we have three speakers who will share their insights, experiences, and ideas on how to incorporate AI into your design process. They’ll discuss the benefits and challenges of using AI, showcase real-life examples, and provide practical tips for integrating AI into your workflow.

After the talks, there will be a Q&A session where you can ask the speakers your burning questions and engage in a lively discussion with fellow attendees. Whether you’re a seasoned designer or just starting out, this event is a unique opportunity to learn from leading experts in the field and gain valuable insights into the future of design.

Join us for an engaging and informative event that will expand your knowledge of design and AI, and inspire you to integrate AI into your creative process.

Featured Speakers

Rodrigo (Rod) Acevedo, Product Design Lead | Strategist | Google RARE delegate, Rush Digital

Rod is a passionate and award-winning strategist, product designer and creative thinker. A native of Chile, he has dedicated most of his career to decolonising design practices which foster inclusion and prioritise empathetic, human-centred thinking. Over the last few years, Rod has worked on a wide range of problems across many industries including healthcare, insurance and day-to-day services, with a particular emphasis on unpacking complex design challenges.

Rod is part of the Rare with Google program and a design mentor in ADPList.

Giselle Scott, Digital Product Designer, Rush Digital.

Giselle is an experienced digital product designer with a deep passion for AI, accessibility and digital inclusion. With industry experience in healthcare and technology, Giselle leads both RUSH’s Accessibility and AI Guilds and spearheads change, from internal functions within her design team to the products RUSH creates for their customers. Giselle’s focus on designing beautiful, intuitive and accessible products, including leading the design on multi-platform digital experiences and design systems, has led to true impact and improvement in the lives of New Zealanders.

TALK TITLE: Taking advantage of AI to elevate your design practice. Over the past year, we’ve been experimenting with incorporating artificial intelligence (AI) into our design practice and let me tell you, it’s been one wild ride! But don’t worry, it won’t just be about boring technical details – we’ll discuss the transformative role of the designer in conducting research, exploration, and fostering creativity while optimising internal processes.

Jayden Szekely, Growth Focussed Marketer, AI & Automation Consultant, Experience Designer

TALK TITLE: The next communication transformation — Powered by AI & Automation. Are you ready to step into the future of design? From chromolithography to smartphones and social media, we’ve seen some major changes in the way we communicate with each other. But the real game-changer? AI and automation. In this talk, we’ll take a deep dive into how these technologies are shaping the landscape of marketing and advertising, and what that means for you as a designer.

Nick McFarlane | Graphic Agitator & Author 

Nick operates at the glitchy intersection of art, advertising, and design. As Director of Design at Proximity New Zealand / Raydar he’s responsible for overseeing anything graphic that goes out the door. As co-founder of tech start-up Podium, he’s deep in the world of sports-data, taking an innovative new product to market. Author of Hunting the Killer Idea, Nick’s always keen to go bush, exploring the creative process.

TALK TITLE: Opening the Doors of Perception 

Like many designers, Nick’s been quietly experimenting with AI recreationally, testing its effects on creativity. Mind. Blown. From generating a multitude of psychedelic imagery to expand and accelerate the concepting phase. Through to being a habitual user of ChatGPT to solve a technical problems, bounce ideas, or simply ponder the meaning of life. But will we all get hooked on this cheap synthetic? Or does a little micro-dosing help open the doors to a brave new world?

Tickets are FREE for DA Friends – Access tickets with your special code

P.S: If you’re a DA Friend and haven’t received your ticket access code, contact us!