Bodine&Co. Learning

September 2025

June 2025

May 2025

April 2025

July2025

January 2025

Our research-proven methodology will lead you to AI that your users, your business, and the world actually need.

Kerry Bodine

CEO & Co-author of Outside In

Dan Saffer

How to Select AI Projects That Are Actually Worth Doing :: DEEP DIVE

Product Designer

Designer

Principal Designer

Are your proposed AI solutions high-risk, impractical, or outside of today’s AI capabilities? Learn the right way to select AI projects.

Assistant Professor of The Practice at Carnegie Mellon University

Strategic AI Project Selection - JUMPSTART

Portfolio Officer and Execution Center of Excellence Leader

AI has the potential to transform every product, service, and experience we build — but only if we choose the right things to build in the first place. And by "right," we mean AI that's:- Good for business- Good for users- Good for the world How To Select AI Projects That Are Actually Worth Doing is for business leaders, designers, and innovators who want to move beyond the hype and harness AI in ways that are truly meaningful. Whether you’re shaping a new product, improving a service, or evolving your customer experience, this course will help you identify AI opportunities that are:1) high-impact for your users and your business2) feasible for your organization to deliver3) low-risk for everyone (in other words, your AI decision-making will keep you out of the AI Incident Database and your CFO's office). We’ll pull back the curtain on all the AI hype, ground you in a business-level understanding of AI models and data requirements, and then demonstrate a powerful combination of research-backed methodologies for ideating and evaluating potential AI projects. You might be thinking: I can just use my existing processes and methodologies, right? The short answer is: No. The medium-length answer is: Research shows that without a shared AI design framework, project teams tend to come up with high-risk, low-value AI solutions. (We'll share more details about why this happens in our course.) And the long answer is: In the digital era, we’ve embraced waves of new design “materials” — like pixels, code, and data — and learned to shape them into interfaces, interactions, and experiences.&nbsp;Like every new design material, AI challenges us to rethink not just how we build, but what we build — and why.&nbsp;Yet AI stands apart: It’s not static or predictable. It’s probabilistic, adaptive, and deeply entwined with human behavior, judgment, and ethics — making it one of the most powerful and complex materials designers have ever worked with. If you want to wield AI for both profits and good, you'll benefit from learning to:- Articulate what AI can and cannot do- Apply AI to the design problem at hand- Mitigate AI’s unpredictability &amp; inaccuracy- Foresee potential consequences of AI- Identify the data requirements for AI applications And this is exactly what you'll get from your investment in How To Select AI Projects That Are Actually Worth Doing. Just a heads-up: This is more than a course. It’s a mindset shift. You’ll leave with a practical, repeatable process that brings clarity to one of the most pressing questions of our time: How can we use AI to boost performance, unlock innovation, AND make life better for the people it touches? Customer experience pioneer&nbsp;Kerry Bodine&nbsp;and Carnegie Mellon University professor&nbsp;Dan Saffer&nbsp;will pull back the curtain on all the AI hype and share a powerful combination of research-driven methodologies. Join a cohort of thoughtful professionals who care about doing AI right. And let’s reimagine what’s possible — and start building what matters most. We offer multiple course formats: 1️⃣ Our deep dive cohort (the one on this page) takes you on a 6-week journey into strategic AI design. You’ll complete videos and readings at your own pace, then join Kerry and Dan each week for 90-minute live sessions filled with Q&amp;A, hands-on exercises, and personalized guidance. Weekly homework assignments will focus on a real-world challenge for your organization — culminating in a capstone project that brings together everything you’ve learned into a clear, actionable AI initiative that drives your business forward. Deep Dive cohorts are intentionally small to create a highly interactive and engaging learning environment.They’re ideal for professionals who want to apply course concepts directly to the specific needs, goals, and constraints of their organization — and who recognize the value of learning alongside a diverse group of peers. This experience is designed for those seeking deeper collaboration, personalized guidance, and expert support every step of the way. 2️⃣ Prefer a faster path? Our Jumpstart cohorts include all the core content from our deep dive course —&nbsp;tailored for those looking to build their strategic AI toolbox in less time or on a smaller budget.👉 Explore the Jumpstart course → https://maven.com/bodine/ai-project-selection-jumpstart 3️⃣ Interested in private training or executive support?We also offer keynotes, custom workshops and 1:1 coaching for teams and leaders so that you can establish a shared practice for selecting successful AI-driven projects.📩 Drop us a line to start the conversation: https://kerrybodine.com/contact/ So tell us:Do you want to reimagine what AI can do?Join us. And get ready to build AI that's worth building.

Get ready to build AI that's actually worth building.
 

Course syllabus

What you need

A technical background. Our first set of video models, which we call AI Models & Data for Non-Technical Folks, will get you up to speed.

What you don't need

We know you're busy! We assume that you'll have watched all of the videos (20-ish minutes) before each live session. You may also wish to spend more time on the additional reading.

Videos & readings

Bring your reflections to share with the group —&nbsp;and your questions for Dan and Kerry.

Thursdays: 90-minute live discussion & exercises

Your homework will be tailored to a real-world challenge for your organization. Assignments will build on each other, culminating in a business proposal for one or more low-risk AI initiatives. Your homework time commitment will increase each week as you dive deeper.

Weekly homework assignments

Course schedule

Business leaders &amp; strategists&nbsp;who need clear, practical AI guidance — and are ready to meet their org's accelerating business objectives.

Product managers building AI-driven roadmaps who want to make smarter decisions and avoid costly missteps that lead to AI project failures.

UX, CX, &amp; service designers who are leading/collaborating with business/ technical teams to envision and shape AI products and experiences.

Tech leads &amp; data scientists looking to align more effectively with product and design teams on buildable and valuable AI solutions.

Anyone seeking a better way to design for AI — beyond the hype.

Who is this course for

What you’ll get out of this course

We’re at a pivotal moment in the evolution of AI. This course gives you the clarity to move past the noise and take a grounded, strategic approach to creating AI initiatives that actually deliver value to your business, your users, and the world.

See beyond the AI hype — and step into what’s truly possible.

There's so much more to the AI universe than gen AI and AI agents. Discover eight powerful AI capabilities — and learn how to unlock their potential in ways that elevate your products, services, and experiences.

Think bigger than GenAI and agents.

You’ll walk away with a practical, human-centered framework for identifying the right AI opportunities. From assessing feasibility and value to anticipating risks and aligning stakeholders, you’ll gain tools that support better decisions — every step of the way.

Learn a process you’ll return to again and again.

Too many AI projects fail because they chase flashy ideas instead of solving real problems. This course helps you sidestep those traps, focusing instead on what’s achievable, impactful, and right for your team and organization.

Design for AI with intention — and avoid common pitfalls.

You’ll learn how to spot unintended consequences early and shape your solutions for fairness, accountability, and trust. Because designing with care is good ethics and good business.

Proactively shape positive outcomes.

AI design is a team sport. You’ll gain insight into the roles, relationships, and conversations that bring successful AI projects to life — and practice building alignment across disciplines.

Build the team it takes to make it real.

Every project tram must answer two questions:- What's the right thing to make?- How do we make that thing right? This course answers that first and most critical question for AI initiatives. Customer experience pioneer&nbsp;Kerry Bodine&nbsp;and Carnegie Mellon University professor&nbsp;Dan Saffer&nbsp;will pull back the curtain on all the AI hype — and share a powerful combination of research-driven methodologies so you can select successful AI-driven products, services, and experiences. Please note:This course will jumpstart your AI projects, giving you the technical and business foundations you need to accelerate your AI projects in just two weeks. Complete the videos and readings on your own time, then join Kerry and Dan for two 90-minute Q&amp;A sessions. This cohort is ideal for those who want to build their strategic AI toolbox in a short time or with a limited budget. If you'd like a deeper dive with 1) a smaller cohort, 2) additional sessions with Kerry &amp; Dan, and 3) assignments tailored to a real-world challenge for your organization, please check out our deep-dive six-week course, which covers the same topics. https://maven.com/bodine/hcd4ai

Flip your old project selection process on its head.

We know you're busy! We assume that you'll have watched all of the videos (45+ minutes) before each live session. You may also wish to spend more time on the additional reading.

2 Mondays: Live Q&A

This course will jumpstart your AI projects in just two weeks. If you'd like a deeper dive with a smaller cohort, additional sessions with Kerry &amp; Dan, and assignments tailored to a real-world challenge for your organization, check out our <a href="deep-dive six-week course" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">six-week course</a> on the same topics.

That's it!

Business leaders who want to understand the technical AI landscape and leverage AI to meet the accelerating needs of their organizations.

Product managers who want to include AI features in their roadmaps and avoid common pitfalls that lead to AI failures.

Customer experience &amp; employee experience professionals who want to leverage AI to increase revenue, decease costs, and bolster brand image.

Designers who want to lead and collaborate with business and technical teams to develop AI products, services, and experiences.

Creative agency owners who are being asked by clients to recommend AI solutions —&nbsp;and need a solid foundation of AI technology &amp; concepts.

Gartner predicts that we're just about at the top of the AI hype cycle —&nbsp;which means we're heading down into the trough of disillusionment. We'll cut through the hype so that you can approach your AI initiatives strategically and with clear, actionable steps.

Distinguish reality from hype

With all the hype, it’s easy to assume that GenAI is the only type of AI that exists today. But "generation" is just one of eight AI capabilities that you have at your disposal. You'll explore how the full suite of AI capabilities can come to life to add value to your business.

Broaden your AI toolkit

Throughout the course, you'll learn a set of new tools —&nbsp;and an end-to-end methodology —&nbsp;to find AI opportunities, de-risk your AI solutions, explore data requirements, and identify potential harms.

Establish a strategic AI project selection methodology

Research shows that traditional human-centered design methods for solution brainstorming lead to high-risk, low-value AI initiatives. The methods you'll learn will weed out these ideas early in your process.

De-risk your AI initiatives

We’ll take you through a two-part method to first identify unforeseen consequences (both the good and bad) and then resolve negative consequences where possible.

Identify potential AI harms

Project teams for AI include functional roles and expertise that business leaders, designers, and product managers don't normally interact with. Through course discussions, you'll identify the key players.

Build effective AI project teams

Why AI Projects Fail (And How to Select Ones That Won’t)

Designer. Author. CEO.

Designer. Author. Assistant Professor at Carnegie Mellon University.

This free session gives you a sneak peek into the foundational concepts we expand upon in our 6-week Maven course launch

A preview of our full Human-Centered Design for AI framework

And examples of each. You’ll walk away with a clear picture of where things typically go wrong—and why.

The 5 main types of AI failures

We'll dig into the specifics of where/why project teams go astray. Spoiler alert: It's people and process, not AI tech.

The number one reason that AI projects fail

We'll preview the methodology in our 6-week Maven course, which starts July 14.

How to select AI projects that are actually worth doing

How to Find Unexpected AI Outcomes

Co-author of OUTSIDE IN, international keynote speaker, coach and consultant

Assistant Professor of The Practice at Carnegie Mellon University and Author

Developed at Salesforce, this method helps you and your team consider both positive and negative outcomes

A new technique for uncovering AI Consequences

Learn what False Positives and False Negatives are and how to use them to think through possible AI errors

The types of AI errors to look out for

AI can cause all sorts of harms to your users and some of them aren't obvious

Learn directly from Bodine&Co. Learning

Bodine&Co. Learning

Courses

How to Select AI Projects That Are Actually Worth Doing :: DEEP DIVE

Strategic AI Project Selection - JUMPSTART

Lightning Lessons

Why AI Projects Fail (And How to Select Ones That Won’t)

How to Find Unexpected AI Outcomes