The presenter barely raised her phone to the mic when a salesman answered, his tone warm and welcoming. “How can I help you?” he asked, and she explained the pressures of her job: juggling client pitches, prepping five slide decks a week, and racing against deadlines. With a touch of empathy, he replied, “Five decks a week! That’s quite a lot… I see why you need help making them faster!”
Charming, empathetic, persuasive – no one in the room questioned whether the salesman at the other end of the line was human. But in reality, he (or better said, “it”) was an AI agent programmed by the presenter to handle customer interactions in a way that felt authentic and deeply engaging.
The reveal might have stunned us, had we not been at the AI x Design Summit organised by Experience Haus. But although the context gave it away, the collective marvel was genuine. This brief interaction opened our eyes to a future where AI creates authentic connections that go beyond screens.
With oat milk lattes and other hip soft drinks in hand, we absorbed what this future may hold. Here are five key insights from the summit on how branding could evolve in 2025 and beyond.
AI-driven brand alignment and audience insight
Imposing yet friendly, Polly Barnfield, OBE, has the kind of business acumen that instantly captures the room’s attention. As the Founder and CEO of Maybe*, she developed an AI platform that streamlines brand processes without taking creativity out of the hands of brand professionals. Kicking off the Summit, Polly demonstrated how Maybe* could act as a Marketing Analyst, Brand Research Assistant, or Content Strategist. Essentially, any support role you need it to play, with the guidance of brand experts to make the insights truly impactful.
Polly Barnfield, OBE, presenting Maybe* at the AI x Design Summit
With the right direction, Maybe* can help keep brand messaging consistent across channels by interpreting guidelines and checking for alignment. One of its standout features, “synthetic audience testing”, allows brand strategists to simulate reactions from specific demographics. For instance, a fintech brand could test how its content resonates with traditional finance clients, while an automotive tech company might assess how innovation-focused messaging appeals to eco-conscious consumers. These simulations give brands a window into consumer preferences, allowing for fine-tuned strategies that connect with their audiences.
In the future we’re building at Maybe*, AI becomes an intrinsic part of the creative workflow — it handles the heavy lifting of data analysis and testing, while humans drive the creative direction and emotional intelligence that defines truly memorable brands. Together, we’re changing the very nature of what’s possible in creativity and commerce. And that’s just the beginning.
Polly Barnfield, OBE, Founder and CEO of Maybe*
Similarly, LaunchLemonade is another tool that makes AI accessible to non-technical businesses.
Remember the AI salesman from the start of this article? That’s LaunchLemonade in action. And the presenter is none other than its Co-Founder, Cien Solon. She introduced the app and its blend of operational efficiency and human-centred design. LaunchLemonade’s standout feature is its multi-LLM workflow, enabling AI models like ChatGPT and Midjourney to collaborate as role-specific experts — think writer, designer, or strategist — all tailored to industry-specific needs. With its “core memory” function, the platform ensures AI-generated content stays on-brand by referencing uploaded guidelines and audience profiles.
AI tools like LaunchLemonade take the busywork — like market research, content creation, and campaign analysis — off your plate so you can focus on what really matters: creating authentic stories that resonate.
Cien Solon, Co-Founder of LaunchLemonade
Tools like Maybe* or LaunchLemonade are part of a bigger shift in branding, where AI takes on the technical heavy lifting – analysing audience reactions, ensuring brand consistency, and making real-time adjustments – so that creatives can do what they do best: storytelling, conceptualising, and building authentic, lasting connections.
Human-centric AI design for inclusive workspaces
When Dr Anushka Patchava asked the room to define AI, the buzz faded to a weighted silence. Here we were, professionals who use AI daily, yet no one felt confident enough to pin down a definition. We tossed out a few timid guesses – “machine learning”, “tool”, “assistant” – until Dr Patchava simplified it: AI is a tool that mimics human thought, using vast data to solve problems. This launched us into a deeper discussion on AI’s dual nature: its potential for positive change and the ethical risks.
A slide from Dr. Patchava’s presentation about AI’s potential for good
When thoughtfully applied, AI can support human-centred and ethical experiences, in branding and beyond. While it has the power to drive positive change in fields like healthcare and sustainability, brands also have a responsibility to use it carefully, respecting data privacy, transparency, and fairness. In an age where consumers are more value-driven and wary about data privacy, building trust with AI is essential.
Adding to this, Creative Entrepreneur Madelaine McLaughlin shared how AI can be a game-changer for neurodivergent creatives. In a fireside chat with Emma Blackmore, she highlighted how AI tools help her stay organised and tackle complex tasks. They provide the structure needed to thrive in high-pressure environments. With AI now firmly in the mainstream, Madelaine stressed the importance of integrating AI early in the workflow to make processes more accessible.
The best AI services are ones that slip into your workflow and give you time back to focus on the human-centred aspects of design. AI will not replace the unique creative minds, but it does make us work harder to be creative. In my eyes, it enables us to do more, more quickly – not removing the risk of failure but letting us iterate, fail and innovate faster.
Madelaine McLaughlin, Innovation Manager and Creative Entrepreneur
For the creatives in the room, these conversations underscored an important point: as AI becomes a bigger part of branding, both brands and the people behind them have to use it thoughtfully, balancing efficiency with empathy, and technical capabilities with ethical responsibility.
Shifting design skills for an AI future
As inspiring as AI’s potential for good was, an unspoken worry still lingered. And this wasn’t just an educated guess I made as a perceptive observer – speaking with a few attendees, one collective question kept surfacing: “What does this mean for our careers?”
Jack Barber, Founder of the design recruitment agency Yet To Be, tackled this head-on. With years of experience recruiting for Meta, he knows a thing or two about what skills designers – UX designers, to be exact – need to thrive in an AI-driven world. In his talk, he explored how skillsets will need to shift from traditional, deterministic design to something he calls “probabilistic design”, a flexible, data-driven approach that responds to real-time patterns and evolving user behaviours. This shift is key as AI and machine learning rapidly transform what audiences expect from brands.
He also spoke of AI agents as work partners that learn and adapt from each interaction. Instead of viewing these agents as tools to replace them, Jack encouraged designers to see them as collaborators that enhance user experience, allowing for more personal and adaptive engagement. The rise of these responsive AI agents means designers will need to get comfortable working with data and creating interfaces that evolve alongside the users, building deeper connections over time.
AI is a rapidly evolving hype train, doubling in power every 6 months. This unlocks incredible opportunities but creates many user-centred challenges that designers will be uniquely positioned to solve. That said, a mindset of continuous learning, adaptability and experimentation will be critical in order to stay ahead of the curve.
Jack Barber, Founder of Yet To Be
In this new landscape, there are three critical skills for designers: systems thinking, technical literacy, and ethical awareness. By honing these, they can make sure their work resonates with both the technology and the people behind it. And rather than replacing creativity, this shift actually calls for a culture of continuous learning where AI becomes a partner in the creative process.
AI as a creative catalyst in brand development
One of the sessions that gave us pause for thought was led by Lucas Rhys, Brand Designer at Matter of Form. He showed us how AI could speed up the ideation stage, taking the initial brainstorming process from hours or even days to under an hour. In that short time, he used tools like ChatGPT and Midjourney to mock up a concept, logo, and visual style for a fictional brand, a relaxation retreat called Whispering Willows.
A slide from Lucas Rhys’s presentation, explaining the 4W1H prompting framework for AI image generation
However, he was quick to emphasise that this is just for capturing an early mood or feel. It doesn’t replace the deep research and strategy work that’s essential to creating a brand’s final look and identity.
The real takeaway? AI isn’t here to replace a designer’s expertise but to complement it. It can streamline those first steps, letting designers focus on the big-picture strategy and core brand values. With AI handling repetitive, early-stage tasks, designers can step more into a creative director role, shaping the vision and ensuring the brand’s voice stays true.
For creatives, this process means they can involve clients sooner, gathering feedback and refining ideas without losing time. It’s a clear sign that the future of branding is about rethinking roles, blending technology with creativity, and finding new ways to stand out.
Multi-sensory branding in an AI-driven world
Wrapping up the Summit, Anant Sharma, CEO of Matter of Form, shared an inspiring vision for branding rooted in multi-sensory design. While AI can definitely boost efficiency, he stressed that its real role should be to support the emotional connections that make brands memorable.
The message was clear: brands shouldn’t let AI strip away their core values in the name of digital optimisation. Instead, it should help brands deepen their sensory appeal, like how, back in the day, Kellogg’s tested the “crunch” of its cereals or how Singapore Airlines wove its signature scent into its customer experience. These small, sensory details helped build lasting emotional bonds with consumers, bonds that last up to this day.
AI can be a powerful ally here, analysing customer feedback and using predictive analytics to fine-tune these sensory elements for specific audiences. This level of customisation lets brands create immersive experiences that feel authentic and deeply connected to what today’s consumers care about.
On the flipside, over-optimising for clicks and engagement metrics can make brand experiences feel hollow and transactional. By investing in rich, multi-dimensional experiences, brands can stay true to their core values and build connections that last. It was a great reminder that the future of branding lies in using AI to support authentic, emotionally resonant experiences that connect with real people. As consumer expectations continue to shift towards authenticity, brands that focus on these genuine, multi-sensory touchpoints will set themselves apart.
In conclusion
The AI x Design Summit offered a clear view into the future of branding, where AI is a tool to enhance, not replace, the human values that build loyalty and trust. Used thoughtfully, AI can help brands act ethically, connect more deeply, and support inclusivity – all essential to staying relevant in a changing world.
At Dusted, we understand that as technology evolves, brands face the challenge of balancing innovation with creativity to stand out.
