Canvas 26: How AI Is Reshaping the Role of Design

Miro's Head of Design for AI hosts a fireside chat with three design leaders — Cat Drew (Chief Design Officer, UK Design Council), Anna (Head of Product Design & Research, Kingfisher), and Peekay Alpundrick (Experience Design Director, VML / WPP) — on what AI is really doing to design teams. They cover the speed trap nobody talks about, the "tyranny of text" pulling teams away from visual thinking, why collaboration has to become more intentional, and whether the double diamond is still fit for purpose. They close with bold predictions — including tokens becoming the new currency of design work, and a stark warning: AI won't fix a messy team; it'll expose it.

Watch all Canvas 26 sessions: https://www.youtube.com/watch

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction & Session Overview

01:12 Meet the Panel: Cat Drew, Anna & Peekay Alpundrick

02:07 What's Exciting — and Challenging — About AI Right Now

03:27 The Token Economy: Who Pays for All This Iteration?

05:06 80% of Designers Are Already Using AI

07:49 The "Tyranny of Text" Problem in AI Collaboration

09:50 Why Collaboration Must Become More Intentional

12:31 Timeless Human Design Skills AI Can't Replace

13:48 Is the Classic Double Diamond Still Valid?

15:46 Many Small Diamonds: A New Way to Think About Process

17:22 Prototyping IS the Research — Rethinking Discovery

19:09 Blending Roles: How Design Teams Are Evolving

22:25 Designers as Stewards in the Agentic Era

25:38 Design Systems Matter More Than Ever for Governance

27:51 Closing Predictions from the Panel

29:42 Tokens Are the New Bitcoin — and Other Bold Calls

30:09 Audience Poll Results & Closing

What's your biggest challenge as AI reshapes your design team? Tell us below 👇