How HCI and Design Educators Can Future-Proof Their Students

The future of design is already here and it’s partially automated.

AI can write copy, generate mockups, test interfaces, and even simulate user behavior. But as HCI educators, we’re not here to train students to compete with AI. We’re here to prepare them to be elevated by and even outpace it.

Here’s what that looks like:

Be more creative than AI

In the age of AI, some of the most powerful design creativity still lies in human designers reframing problems, connecting disparate ideas, and producing novel, context-aware solutions. AI tools can riff and sample, but humans still compose the symphony. We need to teach our students to be imaginative, not just iterative.

Understand humans and context better than AI

AI doesn’t walk in a user’s shoes. It doesn’t know what it’s like to wait in a line, navigate a healthcare system, or feel shame when a system fails. Students must develop deep empathy and systems thinking, understanding how culture, emotion, accessibility, and context shape interactions.

Be great evaluators of design

In a world of endless AI-generated options, curation becomes a superpower. We should train students not just to make things, but to know and understand what’s good — what’s usable, beautiful, ethical, and effective. That means developing a deep sense of value. Value for the user, value for the business, and value for society. This is done by building strong foundations in design principles, UX heuristics, HCI theory, and aesthetic taste.

Design the system, not just the interface

Future designers won’t just create screens. They’ll shape systems — how teams work, how decisions get made, and how AI tools are integrated. We need to teach our students to lead: to create design systems, architect workflows, and embed design values into both tech stacks and org charts.

Teach students to be entrepreneurial

Let’s be honest: job security doesn’t look like it used to. The students who will thrive are those who can create their own opportunities — whether that’s starting a company, freelancing, consulting, or inventing something we haven’t even thought of yet. This could also be within an organization: creating new value for users and the organization. HCI programs should foster an entrepreneurial mindset, not just job readiness.

The future of design education is not about defending against AI automation. It’s about transcending it. Our job as educators is to prepare students not just to work in today’s world — but to shape tomorrow’s.

Thanks to Nik Martelaro for edits