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ON-DEMAND VIRTUAL EVENT
Designing with AI: Artificial Users, Automation, & Human Intelligence in Design Research
AI is everywhere in research—but should it be standing in for real people? Join Dan Perkel, Partner, Sr. Executive Design Director at IDEO, and Prayag Narula, CEO of Marvin, for a lively fireside chat on the rise of synthetic users and what it means for the future of insights.
They’ll explore where AI adds value, where it falls short, and how teams can balance speed, cost, and human depth without losing sight of what makes research meaningful.
You’ll learn:
💡 Why synthetic users are sparking debate across the industry
💡 Where AI can (and can’t) replace real human voices
💡 Practical examples of AI in research workflows—from interviews to analysis
💡 Smart alternatives to synthetic participants that still deliver speed and scale
💡 What leaders should consider before betting on AI-generated insights
Speaker Spotlight
Dan Perkel
Dan Perkel is Partner and Sr. Executive Design Director at IDEO, where he leads the Media, Entertainment, and Technology practice in North America. He helps global companies design new platforms, elevate customer experiences, and drive sustainable growth.
Previously, Dan’s work spanned interactive entertainment, gaming, streaming, advertising, financial services, and retail.
He earned his Ph.D. from the UC Berkeley School of Information, where he studied how creative communities use digital media. Dan also holds a Master’s in Information Management and Systems from UC Berkeley and a Bachelor’s in Science, Technology, and Society from Stanford University.
Prayag Narula
Prayag Narula is co-founder and CEO of Marvin, an AI-native customer insights platform trusted by Fortune 500 companies to better understand their customers. Marvin brings together AI-powered research tools, an intelligent knowledge repository, and agentic AI to help teams connect with their users, learn faster, and make better decisions together.
Prayag has spent his career at the intersection of research, technology, and entrepreneurship. Before Marvin, he co-founded and led LeadGenius. He previously worked as a researcher at the University of Helsinki, studied at UC Berkeley’s School of Information, and published more than a dozen papers on human-computer interaction, user-centered design, and artificial intelligence.
