Professional Summary
John Maeda is the Vice President of Design and Artificial Intelligence at Microsoft. In this role, he integrates design principles with AI technologies, aiming to enhance creativity and efficiency in organizational processes. His diverse career has spanned roles as an artist, professor, author, college president, and technology executive, cementing his reputation as a pioneer at the intersection of technology, design, and business.
Education
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT): Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Computer Science
- Tsukuba University, Japan: PhD in Design
- Arizona State University (ASU): MBA from the W.P. Carey School of Business
Career Overview
- Microsoft: Vice President of Design and Artificial Intelligence
- Everbridge: Chief Technology Officer from October 2020 to October 2022
- Publicis Sapient: Executive Vice President and Chief Experience Officer
- Rhode Island School of Design (RISD): President from June 2008 to December 2013
- MIT Media Lab: Research Professor, leading advancements in computational design, low-code/no-code, and creative commerce for 12 years
- Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers (KPCB): Design Partner and Strategic Advisor
- Automattic: Global Head, Computational Design and Inclusion
Key Contributions and Initiatives
- LEAD Doctrine: Developed at Publicis Sapient, focusing on Light, Ethical, Accessible, and Dataful technology products and services.
- STEAM Movement: Advocating the integration of Art and Design with Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) to spur economic transformation.
- Design In Tech Report: Published annually to bridge the investing world with design and technology insights.
- Aesthetics + Computation Group at MIT: Fostering a community of designers who code and engineers who design.
AI and Creativity Advocacy
John Maeda is a vocal advocate for leveraging AI to enhance creativity. According to Maeda, AI's primary advantage lies in reducing drudgery and rote tasks, thereby freeing individuals to focus on more engaging and productive challenges. He emphasizes the importance of understanding both the cognitive and contextual aspects of AI to effectively integrate it into daily work processes.
Selected Quotes and Insights
1. AI minimizes time on mundane tasks, maximizing engagement in challenges: “Ask yourself: What do you not actually like doing in your job? What are things that you enjoy doing that you want to really keep?”
2. Simon's Scissor Metaphor: AI as cognition and context: “Imagine that there are two blades of a pair of scissors. One blade of the scissors is cognition, and the other blade is context. And when you slice, slice, slice, those two together, it creates what feels like intelligence.”
3. Emphasizing prompt learning: “Try it out. Learn how prompts work, learn how context works. This technology is much like the World Wide Web’s emergence.”
Personal Life
John Maeda is married to Kris Maeda, and together they have five daughters. They have collaborated professionally on their design consultancy, MAEDASTUDIO.
Awards and Recognitions
- Esquire: Named one of the 21 most important people in the 21st century (1999)
- National Design Award for Communication Design (2001)
- Lucky Strike Designer Award from the Raymond Loewy Foundation (2005)
- AIGA Medal (2010)
- Honorary doctorates from various universities including City University of Hong Kong, Drexel University, Simon Fraser University, and Maryland Institute College of Arts
Bibliography
- "How To Speak Machine: Computational Thinking For The Rest Of Us" (2019)
- "Redesigning Leadership" (2011)
- "The Laws of Simplicity" (2006)
- "Creative Code" (2004)
- Several other influential publications on design and technology
John Maeda's extensive background in design, technology, and education positions him as a transformative leader within Microsoft. His innovative approaches and advocacy for integrating AI into creative processes make him a significant figure to follow for both technological advancements and design innovation.
