✨ As AI tools flood the market, a disturbing trend is taking hold. Lack of accessibility, convoluted workflows, and poor onboarding are becoming the norm. In the race to launch first, companies are cutting corners and racking up massive UX debt, which must be repaid if they want to survive. This talk explores the impact of the AI boom on UX Research, Design, and Writing, and what happens when these disciplines are left out. With humorous (and sometimes horrifying) real product examples, we’ll examine the growing UX deficit in AI and why strong UX will be the key differentiator in the future.
❓ Have an AI mishap you want to share? Fill out this form for a chance to be featured during the talk!
👤 Clare Cady is a research and product strategist who specializes in the creation and use of ethical AI tools that solve real-world problems. Her work spans a range of disciplines including UX, academia, nonprofits, and tech startups, and has been showcased by NPR, MSNBC, Johns Hopkins University Press, and UXPA. In 2025 she founded CLC Strategies, a consulting firm that turns gut feelings into smart decisions with data, strategy, and ethical AI. When she isn't helping founders start up right, you can find her in her kitchen or garden in Worcester, MA, where she lives with her partner, dog, and sixty houseplants.
🌟 Interested in Interaction Design? You'll fit right in. Our community welcomes UX designers and researchers with a wide range of experience, so feel free to come no matter your skill level for great conversation, advice about your work, and more!
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❤️ You don't have to be a member of IxDF to participate!
About Interaction Design Foundation
The Interaction Design Foundation - the IxDF - is a transformative enterprise focused on educating, informing, and stimulating the global design community. IxDF Boston is focused on providing stimulating discussions, insightful information, and a community discussion on all things UX.
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Local Leader distinction: Local Leader of an
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Best-in-Class distinction: Completed an IxDF Course
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IxDF Connected Professional distinction: Attended 10 or more IxDF Meetups
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Ciaran Crawley
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Why Join
Meet people who love design as much as you do. Together we learn new skills, grow our networks, and discover new job opportunities.
Questions? We've Got Answers
What is an IxDF Local Group and why should I join one?
An IxDF Local Group connects you with people in your city who are building and applying design skills in their work. Together, you'll strengthen your craft, expand your network, and put theory into practice.
IxDF Local Groups meet regularly in person at cafés, company offices, or creative spaces to share ideas, give feedback, run workshops, and learn from each other. Many groups also organize IxDF Design Dinners, where the conversation goes deeper over a meal. These aren't just social events. Members find collaborators, clients, job leads, and future teammates through them.
You'll also have access to a private online forum where you can get career advice, honest feedback, and support from people who understand the work.
You don't need to have a "designer" title to join. If you care about how design shapes products, careers, and organizations, you belong here.
Join and you'll discover new skills, explore job opportunities, and build relationships with people who understand the power of great design.
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What goes on in an IxDF Local Group?
Your IxDF Local Leader organizes meetups based on what members want most. As an IxDF member, you can also plan and create your own meetups. Sessions range from hands-on and structured to relaxed and informal.
Some examples of what you'll find:
Presentations from local designers, followed by Q&A
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Workshops where you work through a real design challenge together
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Coffee meetups and design dinners with open conversations about where the industry is heading
Any member can propose, organize and post a meetup. You don't have to wait for your Local Leader to take the initiative.
What stays consistent is the people. You'll find designers and professionals who ask good questions, share what they know, and show up for each other between meetups too.
I'm not even a designer. Should I still join an IxDF Local Group?
Yes, absolutely!
Design skills make you more effective in any role. Product managers, developers, marketers, researchers, and founders all work better when they understand how to think like a designer.
IxDF Local Groups reflect that. Members come from all kinds of professional backgrounds, not just design. What they share is an interest in how design shapes products, decisions, and careers.
You'll fit right in regardless of your background.
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