Sentient Design authors Josh Clark and Veronika Kindred appear on the Rosenfeld Review podcast

AI is opening the door to a new era of design—but most teams are still focused on making their existing work faster rather than reimagining what’s possible. Lou talks with Josh Clark and Veronica Kindred about their new book, Sentient Design, and what it takes to design truly intelligent interfaces.

They introduce the idea of “practical magic”—starting with bold, even impossible wishes and then working backward to create real, deliverable experiences. Rather than defaulting to chatbots and efficiency gains, they argue that AI enables entirely new interaction models, from adaptive interfaces to agents that collaborate directly within products.

The conversation also explores how design systems and past UX practices lay the groundwork for this shift, while designers themselves must unlearn habits that limit creativity. Through their “sentient design sprint” and “minimum magical product” framework, Josh and Veronica offer a structured way to move from imagination to implementation.

At its core, this episode is a call for designers to reclaim their role as inventors—embracing AI not just as a tool, but as a new design material for creating more responsive, dynamic, and human-centered experiences.

What You’ll Learn from this Episode:

• Why AI is a new “design material,” not just a productivity tool
• How “practical magic” helps teams rethink what’s possible
• Why designers are stuck focusing on process instead of product innovation
• What adaptive, intelligent interfaces could look like in practice
• How the “sentient design sprint” turns ideas into real solutions
• What designers need to unlearn to work effectively with AI

Q&A with Josh Clark and Veronika Kindred

This Q&A has been drawn from the podcast episode.

Q: What is “sentient design” in UX and AI?

A: Sentient design is about creating interfaces that can respond, adapt, and participate in the user experience in real time. It doesn’t mean consciousness—it means systems with awareness and agency that can interpret user intent and adjust accordingly. Think of it as a shift from static interfaces to intelligent, adaptive ones. Instead of fixed layouts, you’re designing systems that can make decisions with the user, not just for them.

Why is AI a turning point for UX and product design?

A: AI introduces a completely new design material. For the first time, interfaces can understand intent—not just inputs. That changes everything about how we design interactions. It’s also the first major interaction shift since mobile. For the past decade, design innovation has focused on tools and process. Now we’re back to reinventing the product itself.

Can non-designers use sentient design principles?

A: Absolutely. AI lowers the barrier to entry because the interface is often language-based. Product managers, developers, and others can actively participate in design. In fact, the best results come from cross-functional teams. AI enables everyone to contribute in the same space, which makes collaboration more powerful.

What do designers need to “unlearn” in the age of AI?

A: Many established best practices don’t fully apply anymore. Designers need to let go of rigid patterns and be open to new interaction models. The biggest shift is moving away from immediate solutioning. Instead of jumping to familiar UI patterns, start with outcomes and possibilities.

What should UX and product teams do next?

A: Look beyond tools. Start thinking about new product possibilities enabled by AI, and embrace a beginner’s mindset. This is a new medium—success will come from curiosity, experimentation, and collaboration across disciplines.

About out guests

Josh Clark is principal of Big Medium, a digital agency that helps complex organizations design for what’s next. Josh has over 30 years of experience in emerging technology, user experience, and design innovation. His projects include future-friendly interfaces for AI, connected devices, and websites for many of the world’s biggest companies. He is co-author with Veronika Kindred of the book Sentient Design: Crafting Intelligent Interfaces with AI (Rosenfeld Media, 2026).

Josh speaks around the world about what’s next for digital interfaces. He has keynoted hundreds of events in over 25 countries, and has offered countless more private workshops and executive sessions. Josh is also author of several other books, including Designing for Touch (A Book Apart) and Tapworthy: Designing Great iPhone Apps (O’Reilly). Read more »

Veronika Kindred is designer and researcher at Big Medium, where she defines and solves design problems alongside some of the world’s biggest companies. She travels internationally to lead Sentient Design workshops and speak to teams at startups and Fortune 100 companies alike. She is co-author with Josh Clark of the book Sentient Design: Crafting Intelligent Interfaces with AI (Rosenfeld Media, 2026). Sentient Design describes the practice of creating digital experiences that crackle with awareness and agency, adapting to your users in the moment. These are intelligent interfaces: dashboards that design themselves, apps that manifest on demand, agents that just get it done, and much more.

Veronika holds degrees from New York University (Politics and Data Science) and the Fashion Institute of Technology (Photography). Her photographs have appeared in O, The Oprah Magazine and UNWomen.org. Her research has ranged from AI’s effect on user experience to mobile technology’s impact on African political engagement to the nuances of congressional climate hearings. Read more »

What will Josh Clark and Veronika Kindred discuss at Designing with AI 2026?

[Talk] Sentient Design: Crafting Intelligent Interfaces with AI

Create experiences that have the awareness and agency to adapt to users in the moment. Sentient Design is the practice of crafting intelligent interfaces: dashboards that design themselves, apps that manifest on demand, agents that just get it done, and much more.

Learn how AI can elevate design (and designers!) instead of replacing them by grinding out efficiencies. Instead of treating AI as a tool, Sentient Design invites you to use AI as a design material, woven into the interface itself. What entirely new kinds of experiences can we create? What dramatic new value can they deliver?

Intelligent interfaces are the new frontier of experience design. This session delivers a map of the territory, as well as the framework and perspective to deliver these experiences in your own practice. View talk info »