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Why Young Designers Matter in an AI World
Service design, AI’s impact on software development, craft and Japanese design, and leadership through change
Roger Wong
August 04, 2025
The Antidote to AI Automation Is Young Designers
When I met Benedict Allen, he had just finished with Portfolio Review a week earlier. That’s the big show all the design students in the Graphic Design program at San Diego City College work toward.
Allen was all smiles and relief. “I want to dabble in different aspects of design because the principles are generally the same.” He goes on to mention how he wants to start a fashion brand someday, DJ, try 3D. “I just want to test and try things and just have fun! Of course, I’ll have my graphic design job, but I don’t want that to be the end. Like when the workday ends, that’s not the end of my creativity.” He was bursting with enthusiasm.
That enthusiasm and confidence are infectious. Young people are the life blood of companies. They can reinvigorate an organization and bring perspectives to a jaded workforce. Every single time I’ve ever had the privilege of working with interns, I have felt this. My teams have felt this. And they make the whole organization better.
In the age of AI, who can we in the industry harness this passion?
In Part II of my series on the design talent crisis I write about what companies and educational institutions must do in order to ensure there is a next generation of designers.
Meet the 5 Recent Design Grads and 5 Design Educators
For my series on the Design Talent Crisis, I interviewed five recent graduates from California College of the Arts (CCA) and San Diego City College. I’m an alum of CCA and I used to teach at SDCC. There’s a mix of folks from both the graphic design and interaction design disciplines.
Highlighted Links
 | Service design may be one of the most important disciplines you’ve never heard of. While user experience has become a household term in design circles, service design is just now coming into its own. Joe Foley’s piece in Creative Bloq does a good job of explaining why service design matters, how it differs from UX, and why its impact is often invisible but transformative. If you’re serious about building systems that actually work for people—beyond what shows up on a screen—this is worth your time. |
 | Designers are facing a new reality—AI-powered development is moving faster than ever, and the process has flipped. Luke Wroblewski’s post lays out what many of us have quietly worried about: engineers are now shipping features at breakneck speed, with designers called in after the fact to clean up. If we don’t figure out how to embed design systems and best practices into these agent-driven workflows, we risk becoming a cleanup crew instead of strategic partners. Wroblewski’s perspective is essential reading for anyone watching this shift unfold. |
What I’m Consuming
The Lesson of Craft. Slightly cringey, but that’s OK. Garry Tan of Y Combinator digs up the great 2011 documentary about Jiro Ono and applies the life lesson of craft and dedication to the startup world in this video essay.
Why Japan made me rethink Design. Extrapolating beyond sushi, here’s one designer’s take on Japan’s design culture. It is a lesson in empathy, anticipation, and seamless systems. This article shows how true design leadership is built on care and detail.
Every Single Human. Like. Always. If you’re leading teams through the changing landscape of AI, you’ll see yourself in this piece. The article captures how working with generative tools isn’t just about automation—it’s about communication, iteration, and embracing the same messy, human habits we see in our own work. The lessons here aren’t just for engineers; they’re for anyone navigating the intersection of people and technology.