AI x Influence for Design Researchers
Bobby Hughes
Aardvark Design Labs
Eli Woolery
Design Better
A workshop for design researchers who want their insights to go further
You've done the interviews. You've found the patterns and written the report. And then... a stakeholder skims it, a designer misinterprets it, and six months later someone suggests research you already did.
The problem isn't your research. It's that insight alone doesn't move people — stories do. Visuals do. Things people can hold onto, share, and remember do.
This workshop teaches you how to make your research stick.
Learn AI tools and techniques to transform your findings into artifacts that travel — crisp one-pagers, sharp visuals, and narratives that make stakeholders feel what your customers feel. No design background required. No waiting on someone else to realize your vision.
This isn't about dumbing down your research. It's about giving it the reach it deserves.
Tools we'll use: ChatGPT, NotebookLM, Gemini, ImageFX
What you’ll learn
Gain practical skills across three areas:
Turn findings into clear, compelling updates and narratives that stakeholders actually read, remember, and reference in decisions.
Build simple, effective visuals that bring emotion to your work and make insights easier to understand and harder to ignore
Reduce your dependency on designers to create assets for you.
Develop storyboards and scenarios with consistent characters and contexts.
Help stakeholders and designers envision what customers need as you see it, and on your timeline.
Who this course is for
Design Researchers who want to see their insights go further
The design research 'team of one' who needs to expand their skill set and do more.
What's included
Live sessions
Learn directly from Bobby Hughes & Eli Woolery in a real-time, interactive format.
Maven Guarantee
This course is backed by the Maven Guarantee. Students are eligible for a full refund up until the halfway point of the course.
Course syllabus
2 live sessions • 9 lessons • 3 projects
Week 1
Mar
24
Session 1: Making research visible: Snacks and visual communication
Insight and Influence
Research Snacks- Bite-size communication
Creating Compelling Visuals
Mar
27
Session 2: Storyboards and the future of research influence
Storyboarding your insight
The Bigger Picture
Schedule
Live sessions
4 hrs
Scheduled as two 2-hr sessions. Work in teams on challenges to create 'snackable' research updates, compelling visuals, and storyboards for sharing with stakeholders. Learn from and interact with other top design research professionals.
Tue, Mar 24
4:30 PM—6:30 PM (UTC)
Fri, Mar 27
4:30 PM—6:30 PM (UTC)
Async content
1 hr
Optional assignment to dive deeper between sessions.
Testimonials
"The workshop helped me better understand how to leverage AI in my work instead of turning away from and fearing it. This alone is huge."
Yona
Founder, VP of HardwareEli and Bobby did an amazing job hosting, which left a lasting impression on me. It was great to listen and engage with a diverse group of design professionals sharing their experiences. If you're looking to implement AI into your workflow or just want to to learn more about the subject, this workshop is a great starting point.
Robin
UX DesignerI had a great time, made some great connections, and learned a ton about how I might apply AI in my own design thinking process. The tools you shared were so helpful and I can't wait to apply them!
Bianca
Director of Product DesignThe workshop sharpened a powerful new tool in my design toolbox. I especially appreciated the hands-on approach that helped me understand how to unlock AI as a creative collaborator that can still fit into my individual creative process.
Lina
Designer
Frequently asked questions
$350
USD