MAKE WAY FOR PERSPECTIVE

Original thoughts, musings on innovation, creativity and technology

This is a movement to reimagine how we design and build with AI, for humanity. These are 8 Human-1st Principles for Designing with AI — not as a final word, but as a starting point. A spark. A call to co-create.

If you believe in building AI with ethics, empathy, and imagination. If you want to help shape what responsible, human-centered AI can be. I'm bringing together a roundtable of changemakers, designers, technologists, and dreamers who believe AI must serve the greater good.

Join the movement: AIDesignforGood.com

Nodes of Design Podcast

In this episode of Nodes of Design, we dive into the transformative power of Ikigai—a concept that guides you to a life filled with meaning and joy.

Through thought-provoking insights and actionable takeaways, this episode will empower you to craft a career and life aligned with your unique purpose. Tune in to learn how to design your dream job and unlock the potential of living a fulfilled, balanced, and intentional life.

Listen now and take the first step toward your Ikigai! Comment + share on LinkedIn.

Alice Au Quan Alice Au Quan

Is it a Tree? Elizabeth's Creativity Story

What if we looked at things from a different perspective? As a child, my colleague Elizabeth  drew trees as if she were lying on the ground, looking up. Her unique view was a reminder that creativity knows no bounds

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Alice Au Quan Alice Au Quan

Embracing Ikigai in the Face of Adversity

Just like a potter shapes a lump of clay into a beautiful pot, our lives are molded by our experiences, choices, and resilience. Every setback is part of the process of becoming who we are meant to be. Embrace the journey and find your Ikigai.

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Alice Au Quan Alice Au Quan

Dreaming Big in the Age of AI

As artificial intelligence and automation increasingly shape our world, the need for nurturing human creativity, intellect, and intuition becomes more critical. We stand at the crossroads of possibility and pragmatism, where the tension between daring to dream and making grounded decisions are constant. How do we dream big in the age of AI?

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Leading with Purpose
Innovating with Impact

  • I speak on building ethical, human-centered AI (AI Design for Good) and creating lives of meaning and impact (Make Way). Through keynotes, panels, and workshops, I help leaders think bigger, lead boldly, and stay human in an AI-powered world.

    Now booking paid speaking engagements. Let’s shape what’s next—together.

  • Shaping the Future with Meaning: I’m passionate about serving on boards committed to designing a better future through ethical innovation, human-centered technology, philanthropy, and social impact.

    I bring expertise in product design, AI ethics, innovation strategy, and purpose-driven leadership, with decades of experience scaling organizations like GoFundMe, Google, Ripple, and Walmart.

    If you're seeking a dynamic, innovative design executive with deep expertise in AI, commerce, and future innovation—and a heart for social impact—I’d love to connect.

CONFERENCE WORKSHOP

Purpose By Design

Every one of us is navigating our career journeys seeking purpose. We are all multidimensional with personal and professional ambitions. Pursuing our passions and achieving work all matter. We may find ourselves in a place where we aren't sure of our north star and we want to find it again, or frankly, we need to create it, especially during times of change and crossroads. This framework I've been using with teams for decades is proven. Each of their careers have blossomed into incredible purposeful and rewarding outcomes. It's a framework to guide career and personal development so you can design your dream job again and again!


LEARN | An understanding of true purpose and how to use the framework

REFLECT | An opportunity to apply the framework on a personal level through exercises

SHARE | Connect with other leaders to learn, grow and give

Testimonials

  • “Absolutely loved your talk on ikigai! Your talk was so inspiring — Days and many talks later I’m still thinking about it!!”

    Cindy K. Lam, Ph.D.
    UX Researcher, Google

  • “Hi Alice - thank you for an inspiring workshop this morning! I can't wait to map out by my Ikigai.”

    Nicole Stern
    User Experience Leader, Indeed

  • “I thought your presentation on your Ikigai and how your values align with what you want to pursue really inspired me.”

    Adhithya Ramakumar
    Design Leader Android, Google

  • “Hi Alice! I loved your workshop on Ikigai, excited to go through the questions step by step!”

    Megan Cackett
    Sr. UX Researcher, Google

  • “Thank you for your presentation on Ikigai. I hope there are more in-depth workshops on this in the future.”

    Junius Gunaratne
    Engineering Lead, Google

  • "Your Ikigai talk at UXU was wonderful. As a UXer who went to school to be a singer and ended up in UX before that was a real job, thank you for such a wonderful talk!"

    Rachel Lavelle, MFA
    Sr. Interaction Designer, Google