“There are many, many things that AI can do, AI cannot dream, it cannot truly create, and it cannot think. And I just think the random messiness of the human spirit is just so perfect for creativity.”

Summary

In this episode, we dive into the career of Sienne Veit, a leader who has consistently operated at the "pointy end" of innovation. We explore her journey from studying linguistics and journalism in South Africa to spearheading the first transactional mobile website for Marks & Spencer during the dawn of the iPhone era. Throughout our conversation, we discuss the art of navigating corporate "no’s" by building resilient teams and maintaining an experimental mindset. We reflect on the importance of serendipity in the workplace and why "human messiness" remains our greatest advantage in an AI-driven future. Together, we uncover how a high tolerance for chaos and a commitment to solving real-world problems can transform enterprise design.

Guest

Sienne Veit

LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/sienneveit/

Host

Danny Hearn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/dannyhearn/

Website – www.dannyhearn.me

Podcast – www.deeplyhumandesign.com

Chapters

00:00 The Human Spirit vs. AI

01:29 From Lecturer to Product Leader: A Weavy Journey

04:19 Linguistics: The Foundation of Meaning and HCI

07:43 Early Mobile Adoption: From WAP to South African Banking

10:49 Sony and the Cusp of the iPhone Revolution

12:12 Building M&S’s First Mobile Transactional Site

15:01 Early Failures: QR Codes and Text-Based Loyalty

17:25 Abandoning Wireframes for Pure Design

20:36 Loving the Unknown and Multi-disciplinary Teams

23:47 The "Shit Umbrella": Protecting Team Creativity

29:29 High Tolerance for Chaos and the Capacity to Reset

34:59 Breaking Down Certainty for Stakeholders

41:56 Diversity in Tech: From "Only Woman in the Room" to STEM

44:33 Remote vs. Relational Culture: Cracking the Team Bond

47:53 Meeting Barack Obama in Sao Paulo

51:45 The Future of the Craft: Why AI Can't Dream