On the evening of March 24, 2025, João Marrucho, a UX design expert from the University of the Arts London, was invited to deliver an academic lecture titled Design for Today: Service Design, AI Challenges, and Real-World Opportunities at the Academic Lecture Hall on the second floor of the School of Arts. The lecture was hosted by Professor Xia Jinjun, Vice Dean of the School.
João, a product and service design expert from Portugal with over 20 years of industry experience, has provided innovative solutions for digital transformation in international financial institutions such as Barclays and HSBC. Currently teaching UX design at the University of the Arts London, he previously worked at the Royal College of Art and led strategic design projects for companies including EY and Paragon Bank, combining cutting-edge academic perspectives with practical industry expertise.
The lecture focused on the transformation of design disciplines amid the AI technological revolution. Through real-world cases such as digital platform development and intelligent service systems, João systematically elaborated on four core themes: contemporary interpretations of fundamental design principles, human-centered service design decision models, industry-specific challenges in AI implementation, and practical pathways for empowering design through intelligent tools. João emphasized that designers must maintain their role as "gatekeepers of human wisdom" within AI workflows, achieving a dynamic balance between technological tools and humanistic values through demand insight and ethical governance.
During the Q&A session, faculty and students engaged in discussions on hot topics including "the role of designers in the AI era," "human-machine collaboration mechanisms," and "AI's impact on the future design industry and social development." Drawing from his practical cases, João provided constructive suggestions for the transformation of design education, fostering a warm and friendly atmosphere of exchange.
This academic event forms a crucial part of the School's international exchange initiatives. By establishing a platform for global academic dialogue, it supports faculty and students in grasping frontier trends in design disciplines during the intelligent era. Attendees noted that the lecture not only demonstrated paradigm shifts brought by AI technology but also reaffirmed the humanistic core of design, offering a theoretical and practical framework to address industry transformations.
