Welcome to The Gyaan Project’s 4 part series called, “Craft” in the world of Digital products. The series features four global voices. Tom Harman, Caio Orio, Lucy Datyner and Randy Hunt. Together they open an interesting view into how craft is evolving and why it still matters in the world of AI.
Part 2 with Lucy Datyner
In this 3rd part of the Series on Craft, I speak with Lucy Datyner, Principal Designer at Canva, about craft, taste, and the future of product design in the age of AI. Lucy shares how craft goes beyond polish into problem solving, why simplicity is always informed by context, and how designers can build taste through curiosity, critique, and making. The conversation explores AI as a co-creator, the importance of keeping humans in the loop, and why junior designers still matter. This episode is for designers, product leaders, and creators navigating design, craft, and AI today.
Topics discussed in the episode
(00:00) Introduction
(02:09) What does craft mean to you?
(04:16) Is craft about aesthetics?
(04:57) How do you bring craft into your work?
(07:29) What is informed simplicity at Canva?
(08:38) How does AI fit into the world of craft?
(11:05) How do you define taste?
(13:19) Any rituals at Canva to build taste?
(16:08) How do design critique sessions happen at Canva?
(17:31) How does Canva handle not being monotonous?
(20:13) What is the role of research in craft and AI?
(22:55) Will designers be left only to curate?
(24:51) Will we lose the faculty of crafting with hand after AI takes over?
(26:59) What excites you the most about AI?
(29:24) What worries you the most with AI?
(31:11) What will your poster say?
Reference links
https://lucydatyner.com/
