Automation & Design: How to Avoid a Deeper Digital Divide

People are overwhelmed with their digital lives, and organizations can't keep up with the design debt resulting from building siloed experiences. Our best solution is to throw more humans at designing digital experiences, but there's a limit to the amount of change this can impact. Meanwhile, software companies are creating automation tools for design, content, and UX. The business and design community quickly has to develop a point of view, standards, and common ethics for how technologies like AI are used in front-end experiences. Why? Because automating design for the customer, user and citizen’s digital experiences will either be the greatest unlock of personal freedoms experienced in our life times, or encode biases, disempowerment and inequity into the very fabric of our increasingly digital lives.

Join Howard Pyle, founder of ExperienceFutures.org and multi-decade digital innovator in a conversation with Ethan McCarty, CEO of Integral and SPS Strategic Communications lecturer. Howard will lay out the argument that designers and those who lead design decisions must recognize the moral imperative of ensuring the rush to automating design results in greater freedoms, access and equity for all of us who interact with universities, companies and governments on line.

About the Speakers:

Howard Pyle, Senior Vice President in MetLife’s Global Brand and Marketing & Founder, ExperienceFutures.org

Howard is a Senior Vice President at MetLife where he is responsible for brand design, UX, integrated marketing, sponsorships, digital channels, and customer experience across the enterprise. He recently founded ExperienceFutures.org, a community of designers, technologists, and policymakers who aim to develop design ethics and standards for digital experiences powered by Machine Learning and AI. Howard has led digital transformation and design programs for large brands, agencies, and startups throughout his 20+ year career. He believes strongly in the power of creating meaningful experiences that enable brands to connect authentically and collaborate with global audiences. His work has focused on bringing together design, marketing, and technology in both large and small organizations. Before joining MetLife, Howard was VP of Marketing Innovation at IBM and launched a network of design studios that focused on digital marketing, product innovation, and brand experience. He also led developer marketing across the company and was responsible for the global brand experience, and campaigns for IBM’s relationship with software developers across all business units. Previously, Howard was Senior Partner at OgilvyOne, where he led digital on the global IBM account. He also founded several startups focused on digital platforms and creative product development.

Ethan McCarty, Founder and CEO, Integral and Lecturer, Strategic Communication Program

Ethan is the founder and CEO of Integral, an employee activation agency serving leaders of Communications, HR, Marketing and Technology. Formerly the global head of Employee and Innovation Communications for Bloomberg LP and Global Director of Social Strategy for IBM, Ethan has more than 20 years of experience leading digital communications, engagement and marketing initiatives at scale. He is a lecturer at Columbia University on Employee Activation and Digital Media & Analytics.

For questions, please contact Charlene Perilla-Iqbal at cp2746 [[at]] columbia [[dot]] edu.

For additional information about program offerings at Columbia University’s School of Professional Studies, please contact an Admissions Counselor at 212-854-9666 or inquire [[at]] sps [[dot]] columbia [[dot]] edu.