How is AI transforming the way we lead design teams? On January 22nd, the
IDZ Member Circle at Bosch UX in Ludwigsburg brought together senior design leaders from both corporate and agency worlds to discuss this shift.
The IDZ Member Circles are a bi-annual format hosted by the International Design Center Berlin. As a professional network for corporate members, these circles provide a platform to share expertise, gain new impulses, and actively shape the future of design.
Cross-Industry Exchange at Bosch UX
Hosted by Dr. Judith Pfeiffer (Head of Bosch UX) and Bernd Wiesenauer (Director of User Experience Enabling), the day saw a balanced mix of leaders from global corporations and regional agencies. Despite different organizational scales, a universal sentiment emerged: as AI moves from experimentation to integration, our focus must remain on human-centricity and aligning technology with long-term business objectives.
Impulse: The Impact of Automation on UX Workflows
A part of the program was an impulse session by our own Dennis Knopf, titled "Automation in UX." Drawing from zigzag’s hands-on project experiences over the past 12 months, Dennis provided a reality check on how AI is fundamentally changing the design process.
His session addressed some critical shifts for design practitioners and leads:
Flipped Workflows: How automation is changing stakeholder expectations regarding speed and the nature of early-stage deliverables.
The Seniority Gap: The need to rethink how junior designers develop their craft - shifting focus from manual execution toward strategic curation - and how collaboration evolves in an automated environment.
Strategic Efficiency: Using AI to supercharge exploration and research while maintaining the ownership and intention to craft high-quality UX.
The high level of interest and the detailed questions confirmed that most organizations are currently in a phase of "structured exploration." At zigzag, we help our partners navigate this transition by moving automation from concept to reality - delivering intelligent, adaptive solutions that integrate advanced technology while elevating the overall user experience.
Strengthening the Professional Network
We would like to thank Dr. Judith Pfeiffer and Bernd Wiesenauer for the insights into Bosch UX, and Ake Rudolf as well as the IDZ team for the excellent organization. This type of exchange is vital for a community navigating such a fast-paced environment.
Looking forward to the next one!
