Killing the blank page
Summary
This talk is a case presentation about using generative AI and graph languages to come up rapidly with complex enterprise designs. We are using a repository based enterprise architecture tool and EDGY, an open source visual language, to feed GPT4 with context-rich queries. The resulting maps and models are ... wrong. But they have proven to be inspiring or even triggering for conversations across a diverse stakeholder community, and shortcut our way to a set of correct and useful models that inform design decisions. Moreover they can highlight blind spots and interrelationships previously unknown and thereby enrich the design process with minimal effort. Takeaways Recognising blank page moments in complex challenges How to embed context and an ad hoc Training in an LLM prompt How to make generate a web of coherent maps such as Journey, JTBD, Organization, Process Maps that cover a complete design related to a given challenge How to use these maps and how not to use them when co-creating with others When to keep tackling the blank page yourself instead
Key Insights
-
•
Designers often face the 'blank page' problem when tackling complex enterprise domains without sufficient research or domain knowledge.
-
•
Enterprise design requires making the invisible 'dark matter'—complex social, technical, and political systems—visible and understandable.
-
•
EDGY is an open source graph language that models enterprise complexity across three facets: customer experience, enterprise architecture, and organizational identity.
-
•
AI, particularly GPT-4, can augment designers by consuming structured repositories as context, reducing reliance on generic internet knowledge.
-
•
Using AI in enterprise design is more effective as augmentation of human creativity rather than automation or replacement.
-
•
Three AI collaboration modes identified are the 'jester' for provocative incorrect ideas, the 'sidekick' that integrates research context, and the 'matrix' that transforms knowledge across enterprise perspectives.
-
•
AI-generated diagrams are imperfect but valuable as starting points to defeat the blank page and stimulate discussion.
-
•
Inputting domain-specific research and insights into the AI prompt improves the relevance and quality of generated task maps.
-
•
Biases can be intentionally introduced in AI prompts to explore specific enterprise perspectives, such as organization design or brand identity.
-
•
Enterprise design must bridge silos by fostering knowledge sharing and cross-team collaboration, which AI and graph languages can facilitate.
Notable Quotes
"Designers are thrown into environments with experts that have decades of experience, and we have to come up with something relevant really quickly."
"The blank page can be terrifying because you don’t want stakeholders to laugh or say you got it all wrong."
"Behind simple tasks, there’s often big complexity hiding, especially in enterprise environments."
"We think the problem of 'dark matter' in enterprises is about making invisible things visible and bridging silos."
"AI is better seen as augmentation to make us more efficient, not automation to replace us."
"We use our model repository as context to help AI generate answers based on our specific enterprise knowledge rather than general knowledge."
"The jester mode throws something in your face, maybe wrong or uncomfortable, but at least it moves the conversation forward."
"AI-generated diagrams are usually not perfect, but they offer a better starting point than a blank page."
"If you say, ‘let’s look from an organization design perspective,’ AI reproduces the bias of that perspective in its output."
"Enterprise design is about sharing knowledge, analyzing it, improving it, and then consuming it to create better outcomes."
Or choose a question:
More Videos
"Employees can take as much or as little time off as they want, so long as their job gets done."
Lavy Kumar Kat Temple Shan Sebastian Tara Jensen Jenn ChouFuture of Work
June 9, 2021
"The pandemic pushed us to be creative, and it’s been fun for users to participate remotely in the design process."
Andreas Huebner Amy Takata Craig BrookesWhat Is It Like To Be Part of The UX Team at Compass?
March 11, 2021
"Regular surveys showed teaching quality mattered 11%, but logistic regression revealed it actually represents 77% of the decision."
Ricardo MartinsUnlocking the power of advanced quantitative methods
March 12, 2025
"Closing the distance is about connecting not only with customers but also between cross-functional team members."
Monty HammontreeThe Future of UX Research
December 3, 2020
"We need to share the importance of design ops visibly so everyone understands their role in enabling design success."
Benjamin RealShowing the Value of DesignOps by Not Having a DesignOps Team
October 21, 2020
"Be a magnet for skills around you; build partnerships with legal, procurement, HR to share the load."
Kate TowseyAsk Me Anything (AMA) with Kate Towsey
April 2, 2025
"Enterprise UX is still nascent—businesses worldwide are just beginning to figure out where UX fits."
Steve Portigal Chris Chapo Kelly Goto Christian RohrerDiscussion
May 13, 2015
"If it didn’t come from Amazon or Costco, I probably don’t own it because I know the experience will be consistent."
Sam ProulxOnline Shopping: Designing an Accessible Experience
March 28, 2023
"Consistency between control labels and prototype instructions matters a lot, because mismatches can cause big problems for alternative navigation."
Sam ProulxPrototype Reviews, People With Disabilities, and You
October 1, 2021