0→1

Future of AI

Human-AI Interaction

Multi-Agentic and Multi-Modal AI Design Support System for C-Suite Executives

ROLE

Product Manager (Jan - May)

UX Designer (May - Jul)

UX Designer

DURATION

6 months (Jan-Jul 2025)

Jan-Jul 2025

Clients

Honda Research Institute 99P Lab

Joan Smith & Erin Clepper

PROJECT BRIEF

PROJECT BRIEF

How might non-technical users reflect their evolving values & ethics in

AI systems beyond the domains of transportation in the next 10-15 years*?

How might non-technical users reflect their evolving values & ethics in

AI systems beyond the domains of transportation in the next 10-15 years*?

How might non-technical users reflect their evolving values & ethics in AI systems beyond the domains of transportation in the next 10-15 years*?

*In an ambiguous brief as such, I started off by defining given constraints, as highlighted in bold

*In an ambiguous brief as such, I started off by defining given constraints, as highlighted in bold

NAVIGATING AMBUITY

NAVIGATING AMBUITY

I first prioritized answering who and why unknowns that shaped our research direction in identifying opportunities in a manufacturing & robotics domain

I first prioritized answering who and why unknowns that shaped our research direction in identifying opportunities in a manufacturing & robotics domain

I first prioritized answering who and why unknowns that shaped our research direction in identifying opportunities in a manufacturing & robotics domain

Lit Review

Industry 5.0 Shift

Transition to Industry 5.0 pushes for human-centered practices, making it a meaningful and timely area to apply ethical AI .

Lit Review

Industry 5.0 Shift

Transition to Industry 5.0 pushes for human-centered practices, making it a meaningful and timely area to apply ethical AI .

Interviews

Familiarity with AI

Manufacturing leaders face fewer AI adoption barriers, offering a smoother path for AI deployment.

Interviews

Familiarity with AI

Manufacturing leaders face fewer AI adoption barriers, offering a smoother path for AI deployment.

Interviews

Familiarity with AI

Manufacturing leaders face fewer AI adoption barriers, offering a smoother path for AI deployment.

Interviews

Complexity

Manufacturing’s decision complexity is a real-world proving ground that will push our solution to perform at its best.

Interviews

Complexity

Manufacturing’s decision complexity is a real-world proving ground that will push our solution to perform at its best.

Interviews

Complexity

Manufacturing’s decision complexity is a real-world proving ground that will push our solution to perform at its best.

Lit Review

Industry 5.0 Shift

Transition to Industry 5.0 pushes for human-centered practices, making it a meaningful and timely area to apply ethical AI .

Lit Review

Industry 5.0 Shift

Transition to Industry 5.0 pushes for human-centered practices, making it a meaningful and timely area to apply ethical AI .

Pain points

Challenges that
manufacturing & robotics leaders face

Challenges that
manufacturing & robotics leaders face

Challenges that
manufacturing & robotics leaders face

Based on ethnographic research and survey with 400+ participants

Based on ethnographic research and survey with 400+ participants

Based on ethnographic research and survey with 400+ participants

Challenge 1

Challenge 1

Leadership lacks frontline worker input on implementation realities

Leadership lacks frontline worker input on implementation realities

Challenge 2

Challenge 2

Critical data is scattered across multiple systems

Critical data is scattered across multiple systems

Challenge 3

Challenge 3

There is lost of institutional knowledge due to generational gap

There is lost of institutional knowledge due to generational gap

REFRAMED PROBLEM STATEMENT

REFRAMED PROBLEM STATEMENT

HMW support manufacturing and robotics leaders

to make informed decisions, so that

critical perspectives like floor workers are considered?

HMW support manufacturing and robotics leaders

to make informed decisions,

so that critical perspectives like

floor workers are considered?

HMW support manufacturing and robotics leaders

to make informed decisions, so that

critical perspectives like floor workers are considered?

MINIMUM VIABLE SOLUTION

MINIMUM VIABLE SOLUTION

We designed a multi-agent AI Decision Support System* that surfaces multiple stakeholder perspectives (including floor workers) at once

We designed a multi-agent AI Decision Support System* that surfaces multiple stakeholder perspectives (including floor workers) at once

We designed a multi-agent AI Decision Support System* that surfaces multiple stakeholder perspectives (including floor workers) at once

*The collaborative intelligence was inspired by our previous interviews with healthcare professionals where seven to eight medical experts collaboratively shape a patient's care plan.

*The collaborative intelligence was inspired by our previous interviews with healthcare professionals where seven to eight medical experts collaboratively shape a patient's care plan.

It captures historical contexts through a RAG pipeline* to generate responses that are grounded to the specific context of the organization

It captures historical contexts through a RAG pipeline* to generate responses that are grounded to the specific context of the organization

It captures historical contexts through a RAG pipeline* to generate responses that are grounded to the specific context of

the organization

*Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) pipeline provides context-aware responses by retrieving relevant, real-time information from external data like policy documents, past case data and regulations.

*Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) pipeline provides context-aware responses by retrieving relevant, real-time information from external data like policy documents, past case data and regulations.

It surfaces potential unintended consequences and highlights how their decisions can impact different people involved

It surfaces potential unintended consequences and highlights how their decisions can impact different people involved

It surfaces potential unintended consequences and highlights how their decisions can impact different people involved

AURA provides users with actionable solutions and trade-offs to mitigate the consequences they choose to address

AURA provides users with actionable solutions and trade-offs to mitigate the consequences they choose to address

AURA provides users with actionable solutions and trade-offs to mitigate the consequences they choose to address

LIMITATIONS WITH MVP

LIMITATIONS WITH MVP

Using buttons to capture user values and ethics limited user input to binary choices although real decision-making was much more nuanced

Using buttons to capture user values and ethics limited user input to binary choices although real decision-making was much more nuanced

Using buttons to capture user values and ethics limited user input to binary choices although real decision-making was much

more nuanced

Using buttons is a clear way to capture user input

Using buttons is a clear way to capture user input

Using buttons is a clear way to capture user input

Expressing values and ethics in decision-making cannot be minimized to a "click"

Expressing values and ethics in decision-making cannot be minimized to a "click"

Expressing values and ethics in decision-making cannot be minimized

to a "click"

IT'S TIME TO LOOK AHEAD

IT'S TIME TO LOOK AHEAD

So, how do I envision AURA evolving

to overcome these limitations?

So, how do I envision AURA evolving

to overcome these limitations?

THE FUTURE OF AURA

THE FUTURE OF AURA

Turn the volume on for a full experience!

Turn the volume on for a full experience!

1

With speech, AURA interprets users’ hesitation, tone shifts, and emotional cues to understand their personal stakes as they externalize their thoughts

With speech, AURA interprets users’ hesitation, tone shifts, and emotional cues to understand their personal stakes as they externalize their thoughts

With speech, AURA interprets users’ hesitation, tone shifts, and emotional cues to understand their personal stakes as they externalize their thoughts

2

With touch, exploration feels more fluid and intuitive than clicking through a set of buttons

With touch, exploration feels more fluid and intuitive than clicking through a set of buttons

With touch, exploration feels more fluid and intuitive than clicking through a set of buttons

3

Using spatial distance, users can dial down certain trade-offs so AURA can highlight the ones that are aligned more closely with their values

Using spatial distance, users can dial down certain trade-offs so AURA can highlight the ones that are aligned more closely with their values

Using spatial distance, users can dial down certain trade-offs so AURA can highlight the ones that are aligned more closely with their values

IMPACT

7.5% +

Confidence Level

REFLECTION

REFLECTION

Leading this 7-month Capstone Project as a Product Designer, navigating a highly ambiguous space and speculating on the future of human–AI interaction, challenged me in ways that required persistence and growth. I had the privilege of leading and designing alongside an incredibly motivated and passionate team, and I’m deeply grateful for the opportunity to have worked on such a complex and creatively demanding problem.


Hard to pick, but these are the biggest takeaways I had.

Leading this 7-month Capstone Project as a Product Designer, navigating a highly ambiguous space and speculating on the future of human–AI interaction, challenged me in ways that required persistence and growth. I had the privilege of leading and designing alongside an incredibly motivated and passionate team, and I’m deeply grateful for the opportunity to have worked on such a complex and creatively demanding problem.


Hard to pick, but these are the biggest takeaways I had.

Finding a starting point in ambiguity

Within the inherently subjective context of ethics with time constraint, my strategy was to go broad individually, then converge as a team.

We initially started with literature reviews, then shared out our findings to then align on a shared definition of “ethics” as personal principles and moral codes that guide decision-making.

Guiding the team through uncertainty

Gaining conviction through action, rather than overthinking the perfect next step, empowered the team to critically assess and refine the direction of our work, making it easier to pivot when necessary.

Balancing different ways of working within the team

Working on speculative projects under time constraints meant I had to learn how to effectively balance the team's creativity with grounded work. Deliberately planning activities like Crazy 8s and sci-fi movie nights while developing our research plans and survey questions helped the team uncover ambitious unknowns that was outside the box, while following up with grounded discussions helped surface new insights that directly supported our project goals.

Finding a starting point in ambiguity

Within the inherently subjective context of ethics with time constraint, my strategy was to go broad individually, then converge as a team.

We initially started with literature reviews, then shared out our findings to then align on a shared definition of “ethics” as personal principles and moral codes that guide decision-making.

Guiding the team through uncertainty

Gaining conviction through action, rather than overthinking the perfect next step, empowered the team to critically assess and refine the direction of our work, making it easier to pivot when necessary.

Balancing different ways of working within the team

Working on speculative projects under time constraints meant I had to learn how to effectively balance the team's creativity with grounded work. Deliberately planning activities like Crazy 8s and sci-fi movie nights while developing our research plans and survey questions helped the team uncover ambitious unknowns that was outside the box, while following up with grounded discussions helped surface new insights that directly supported our project goals.

Finding a starting point in ambiguity

Within the inherently subjective context of ethics with time constraint, my strategy was to go broad individually, then converge as a team.

We initially started with literature reviews, then shared out our findings to then align on a shared definition of “ethics” as personal principles and moral codes that guide decision-making.

Guiding the team through uncertainty

Gaining conviction through action, rather than overthinking the perfect next step, empowered the team to critically assess and refine the direction of our work, making it easier to pivot when necessary.

Balancing different ways of working within the team

Working on speculative projects under time constraints meant I had to learn how to effectively balance the team's creativity with grounded work. Deliberately planning activities like Crazy 8s and sci-fi movie nights while developing our research plans and survey questions helped the team uncover ambitious unknowns that was outside the box, while following up with grounded discussions helped surface new insights that directly supported our project goals.

IMPACT

7.5% +

Confidence Level

0→1

Future of AI

Human-AI Interaction

Multi-Agentic and Multi-Modal AI Design Support System for C-Suite Executives

ROLE

UX Designer

DURATION

Jan-Jul 2025

Clients

Honda Research Institute 99P Lab

Joan Smith & Erin Clepper