Three talks at this year's see Conference in Wiesbaden shifted how I think about design, democracy, and what AI still can't do. Some takeaways from a packed two days:
🔹 Gilda Sahebi showed how division fuels populist politics — and how we, as designers and citizens, can counter it by embracing ambiguity and seeking understanding over persuasion. A crucial mindset for collaboration.
🔹 Boris Eldagsen reframed the intelligence vs. creativity debate: while AI excels at remixing ideas, humans still lead in true innovation. Could AI become our "creative sparring partner," much like chess computers elevated human players?
🔹 Marta Cerdà Alimbau and many others reminded us of the magic in unrestrained creativity, while Swaantje Güntzel held up a mirror to humanity's impact — like a toy vending machine revealing plastic waste in seabirds' stomachs (powerful storytelling).
The conference brilliantly balanced the practical (communication design, AI, art) and the societal (democracy, polarization). It left me with one question: shouldn't design also move beyond depicting the world to actively shaping it? Strategic design — the practice of using design methods to tackle business and societal problems at a systems level, beyond the surface of a product or service — and user-centered innovation give us the tools.
One recurring theme: the best creative work thrives when clients trust the process, not just predetermine outcomes. A principle worth defending, especially as procurement grows more detached.
What's your take? Where do you see creativity, AI, and design's responsibility heading?
Read next:
- The role of designers is changing rapidly in the AI era — what shifts when AI handles the "how"
- Optimistic about the state of the design scene — why the pendulum is swinging back
- A European approach to design — a meaningful counter to platform decay
- Design translates technology into culture — the thread this resonates with
FAQ
What is the see Conference?
The see Conference is an annual design and digital culture event held in Wiesbaden, Germany, that brings together designers, technologists, artists, and journalists to debate the social, political, and creative stakes of their craft. The 2025 edition ran in late April and featured talks on AI creativity, design and democracy, and the responsibilities of creative practice.
Can AI be truly creative, or only remix what humans made?
At the 2025 see Conference, photographer Boris Eldagsen argued that AI excels at remixing existing ideas but still trails humans in genuine innovation. His framing positions AI less as a replacement for human creativity and more as a sparring partner — similar to how chess engines have historically pushed human players to play better. For design teams, the practical translation is to treat AI output as raw material, not as finished work.
What is strategic design?
Strategic design is the practice of using design methods to tackle business and societal problems at a systems level, beyond the surface of a product or service. It treats design as a way of framing problems, not just solving them — and it is what design consultancies increasingly sell when execution gets commoditized by AI.
How does design relate to democracy?
Journalist Gilda Sahebi used her see Conference talk to show how division fuels populist politics, and how designers can counter it by embracing ambiguity and prioritizing understanding over persuasion. For design teams, the translation is practical: build a working culture that tolerates disagreement and resists premature consensus, especially in AI projects where the "right answer" is rarely obvious from the start.
Where is the role of designers heading in the AI era?
The see Conference reinforced a shift already visible across the design industry: from making artifacts to framing the questions AI will then answer. Strategic design becomes more important as generative tools commoditize execution, and design judgment — the trained ability to evaluate fit, quality, and appropriateness — becomes the harder-to-replace part of the job.