UXDX Community:Seattle: Return to Human: How Intention and Connection Drive Modern Strategy

As AI reshapes work and creativity, the question that haunts us isn't what AI can do, but what it's leaving us to figure out about ourselves. In this talk, Lauren Celenza makes the case that the designers, product managers, engineers, and leaders who will stand apart in the age of AI are not the ones who prompt the best, but those who bring taste, intention, community, and genuine humanity to everything they touch. Through real-world case studies, sharp provocations, and an honest reckoning with how AI is reshaping our industry, economy, and environment, this talk offers a practical framework for reclaiming your creative soul and your strategic value.

Even the most customer-centric product teams often miss a valuable source of data: the user-facing teams outside of product who speak to customers every day. In this talk, Soha shares how she turned customer insights from seven user-facing teams across the company into a clear product strategy. Through real-world methodologies, honest accounts of victories and failures, and the creation of a collaborative workshop that brought together field teams and product leaders, Soha’s experience offers a practical framework for turning on-the-ground customer knowledge into a roadmap your teams can actually run with.