A global design alliance is harnessing the power of AI to empower designers and foster innovation. Despite concerns about AI's impact on human creativity and jobs, many designers are embracing AI as a tool to enhance their work. Cecilia Brenner, the managing director of Design for Good, a global design charity, believes AI can help designers focus on empathy and creativity. Since its founding in 2022, Design for Good has united top designers from corporate giants like PepsiCo, Nestle, and Microsoft to work towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Brenner, who joined the alliance as a corporate designer and later became its CEO, has been instrumental in introducing AI design tools. In 2025, she onboarded two Silicon Valley AI startups, Miro and OpenStudio, to enhance collaboration and creativity. Miro, a program partner, enables designers to use its AI tool, while OpenStudio, a new alliance member, provides AI tools and designs for Design for Good's projects and in-house design academy. Koraldo Kajanaku, co-founder of OpenStudio, believes AI can speed up the design process and enable more people to participate in it. He envisions a future with billions of designers, empowered by technology, who can easily turn concepts into tangible creations. AI is particularly useful in designing for human and environmental health, as it can predict outcomes and identify potential consequences before implementation. Design for Good's partnerships with AI startups and its focus on SDGs demonstrate the potential of AI to drive positive change and foster collaboration in the creative industry.
