Kickframe Newsletter
Chad Borlase on AI and design, plus what's actually working with AI adoption
If you’ve enjoyed watching a middle-aged bald guy in a black shirt talk to a screen in these last few newsletter videos, good news: today there are two of us. I caught up with Chad Borlase, who I worked with for years but hadn’t spoken to in a while. He’s spent the last 12 years running experience design and AI strategy for major global brands, most recently leading a 200-person design organization and the AI for CX practice at a large agency network. He shares some practical advice for marketers trying to be more present in AI-influenced customer journeys, and for young people getting into design roles at a time when AI is reshaping agency and marketing teams. Great chat, thanks Chad!
So, What’s Working?
Last week, three people sent me the same NYT essay from the former CIO of Lululemon. In it, she shares a great new (to me) AI buzzword: AI Wishing - the belief that leaders can point AI at a hard problem and skip the work of actually solving it. I have written recently on how AI is a change management mission that requires bespoke training. But what is actually working for teams? Below are findings from a few recent studies:
Strong Sponsorship: Business and technical leaders co-sponsoring AI initiatives, so they can unblock cross-functional issues together.
Manager Modeling: Managers openly using AI, helping their teams understand how and when to use it.
Safe Experimentation: Managers building psychological safety around experimentation, and rewarding attempt over outcome.
Workflow Redesign: Focus AI on workflows where teams are already overwhelmed, making it easier to generate buy in.
Hub & Spoke: For larger organizations, centralize standards and guidelines, let teams own their own workflow redesign.
Outcome Metrics: Measure performance based on goals tied to business KPIs, not usage metrics or self-reported time-savings.
If you have some other lessons, I’d love to hear from you. And for figuring out your own personal AI adoption, I thought this framework from David Roldán Martínez was clear and smart (I’m a sucker for a good 2X2!)
Cool Beans
HercShirt: Speaking of black t-shirts, how about one that you don’t have to wash for a month? My oldest son is off to university this Fall. Hmmm.
OpenAI Device: OpenAI is planning to launch a screenless smart speaker that will be shaped like a doughnut. Or a hockey puck, when it is marketed in Canada.
Ask Maps: Google is building agentic capabilities into Ask Maps so you can order food by providing a prompt like: “order spicy chicken wings for me to pick up on my way home.”
ChaTJB.org: Forget about the latest GPT-5.6 release, try ChaTJB.org and get an answer from “one very tired guy”. Looks like he’s recruiting other humans to help out.
