Where Experts Draw the Line: Designers at the Threshold of Generative AI

As Generative AI (GenAI) becomes embedded in creative workflows, a pressing question emerges: not whether designers will use it, but when and why they will and — crucially — when they won’t use it. In this talk, Mark presents findings from research on how expert designers are navigating the arrival of GenAI in their daily work, drawing on a longitudinal study comprising over 80 in-depth interviews with practitioners across the design sector. The research reveals that designers are not passive recipients of technological change. Instead, they are active, discerning agents — selectively appropriating GenAI in ways that reflect deeply held beliefs about creativity, expertise and their sense of self. A key finding is that acceptance is shaped significantly by how GenAI is encountered: when embedded within existing tools and familiar workflows, it becomes increasingly normalised and accepted; when introduced as a standalone technology, it is met with greater resistance and scrutiny. Building on these findings, the talk introduces a framework for understanding the conditions under which designers choose to cross, or refuse to cross, established boundaries of expertise in their use of GenAI. The implications extend beyond design: as GenAI reshapes knowledge-intensive work across sectors, understanding how experts negotiate the boundaries between human and machine capabilities is one of the most important questions facing researchers, practitioners, and AI system designers alike.

About the speaker:

Mark is a researcher and academic at the intersection of design, technology and innovation, bringing a distinctive blend of professional depth and academic rigour to questions at the forefront of management and organisation studies. His doctoral research examines how generative AI (GenAI) becomes consequential for work, professional practice and expertise in knowledge-intensive contexts. Adopting a socio-technical perspective and grounded in qualitative inquiry, his research explores how GenAI reconfigures agency, expertise and the meaning of work. What distinguishes Mark’s work is the professional depth he brings to academic practice. Prior to his doctoral work, Mark spent 15 years as a digital designer and design leader, applying a human-centred approach while working with start-ups, superbrands, charities and tech giants.