Paul Woods is an award winning designer, bestselling author, and founder of design and technology company Alice.
Over the course of his career, Paul has led projects for clients such as Google, Volkswagen, Lucid Motors, Red Bull, The City of Santa Monica and many others. His bylines regularly appear in publications including Fast Company, Creative Review, AdWeek, The Drum, and Automotive World. He is a holder of several patents in automotive experience design.
Paul ’s best-selling book on creative culture, “How To Do Great Work Without Being An Asshole,” was published worldwide in 2019 via Laurence King and is available worldwide in nine languages. His follow-up book, “Sh*t They Didn’t Tell You,” a how-to guide for young creatives looking to start a career in the industry, was released in 2021.
Paul is the current president of AIGA Los Angeles, and a member of the Board of Advisors at The University of Michigan School of Information.
Between now and 2030, which specific skills, technologies, or priorities will matter most in shaping the future of graphic design?
The value of craft, of care, is going to take a greatly elevated position. We saw it recently with the Apple TV ident being created using practical effects , paired with a soundtrack by Finneas. They could have easily been produced using CGI or AI, but Apple made an intentional choice to lead with human craft. In this case, it acts as a proxy for the quality of their programming and product. And this is just the start. As AI accelerates volume production, we will see more conscious celebrations of human craft permeate culture.
How do you stay relevant in an industry that changes so quickly?
Curiosity is our superpower. Staying relevant means having an appetite to consistently learn. When change comes, including AI, it’s better to lean into it than resist it. Designers are problem solvers first and foremost, and new tools such as AI enable us to solve bigger, more important problems, or at the very least free us from iterative tasks so we have more time to focus on them. Most importantly, surrounding yourself with people, ideas, and work that challenge assumptions helps keep perspective sharp. Staying relevant means staying curious, staying uncomfortable, and growing alongside the next generation of designers.
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