From Research to AI: The Changing Role of UX Designers - AJ Bubb, S7, Ep. 8

In this special crossover episode, we’re joined by AJ Bubb, host of the podcast Facing Disruptions, for an unscripted, high-energy conversation that flips the format. Instead of a traditional interview, this episode brings two hosts together for an authentic exchange on UX, product thinking, and the evolving role of designers.

From hybrid roles and AI disruption to building high-performing teams and breaking silos, this episode dives into what it really takes to stay relevant in today’s fast-changing landscape.

Discussion Points

• Tell us about your Journey. (AJ to Dushyant) 2:24

• How do you design with empathy when you’re not at the edge, close to the user? (AJ to Dushyant) 6:42

• How do you build teams that handle pressure and solve the right problems, not just deliver solutions? (Dushyant to AJ) 20:08

• What does the future of high-performing teams look like? (Dushyant to AJ) 26:35

• As new tech reshapes the rules, has it actually made your work better, especially on products like your podcast app? (Dushyant to AJ) 40:11

• AI went from doing the work to supporting thinking. What changed, and what does that mean for the future? (Dushyant to AJ) 44:30

• With AI speeding up product builds, are clients now expecting working products instead of just wireframes? (AJ to Dushyant) 59:50

Show Notes

~ You can't just give one screen and say, can you please beautify it? You are not going to get the output. - Dushyant Kanungo

~ You're hiring to solve the problem, not for the solution. You need people who can think about the problem. - AJ Bubb

~ You need to give them that levy, the time to breathe, think, and do their best. — Dushyant Kanungo

~ We now get more time to think about the strategy part of UX than we ever had before. - Dushyant Kanungo

~ If you're an engineer and you think you're being paid to code — you don't know what your job is. - AJ Bubb

~ A dream without a plan is just wishful thinking. You are not going to win the lottery without buying the ticket. - Dushyant Kanungo

AJ’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ajbubb/

His Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@FacingDisruption

#DesignLeadership #UXDesign #AIandUX #ProductThinking #Podcast