In this episode of Designed to Accelerate, Steph Louis and I sit down with Kenneth Hearn — AVP of Digital Process Automation at Navy Federal Credit Union — to explore how AI is expanding the pool of people who get to ideate within the enterprise, and what that means for the future of solution design.

We discuss:

• How AI tools like Pega Blueprint empower everyone to ideate, not just developers and architects
• Why Kenneth sees AI as a steady evolution rather than a disruption, even after 20 years in the field
• The difference between using AI at "design time" and "run time" and how a regulated bank got AI approved for design work
• Where the Solution Designer role is heading as ideation spreads from IT to the businessNext Steps:1. Join the next cohort of our Design Accelerator Workshop: https://workshop.digitalfastforward.com2. Request a complimentary copy of Clay's book, "The Ultimate Guide to Pega Value Acceleration": https://book.digitalfastforward.com

AI is changing the economics of building software and operating businesses. But lower cost and faster execution don’t automatically create better outcomes. In this episode of Designed to Accelerate, Steph Louis and I sit down with Reshma Block — Founder & Principal at Compass Consulting and former CTO at Tricon Residential — to explore a hard truth many leadership teams are struggling to confront:AI won’t save bad strategy.While at Tricon, Reshma led an enterprise Automation & AI strategy that helped transform the company's operations at scale and contributed to Fitch upgrading the company’s borrowing rate based on the strength of the technology assets her team built.In this conversation, we unpack:* Why many organizations are getting lost in the “AI Fog”* The difference between “investing in AI” and building a real AI strategy* Why AI lowers the cost of ideation, but increases the need for clarity and governance* What becomes obsolete in the AI era — and what becomes even more important* How leaders can use AI to strengthen business cases and accelerate executive buy-in* Why strategy, orchestration, and change management matter more than everIf you’re a CIO, CTO, COO, transformation leader, or enterprise architect trying to navigate the next wave of AI-driven change, this conversation is for you.

Most solution designers and architects are now grappling with how to introduce AI into their design process—from ideation through prototyping and delivery.But far fewer have a clear understanding of how solution design actually works from end to end.In this episode of Designed to Accelerate, hosts Clay Richardson and Steph Louis kick off Season 2 by introducing a more practical perspective on solution design—and why AI will force solution design to evolve from a narrow concept into a structured, repeatable journey.The conversation explores the shift from design thinking to AI-driven design, why many teams remain stuck in abstraction, and what it takes to move from ideas and workshops to real-world execution.Clay and Steph also introduce the concept of the Solution Design Journey—a continuous, end-to-end process that spans from initial problem framing through delivery, with clear ownership, decisions, and accountability along the way.If you’re trying to turn AI potential into real-world outcomes, this episode provides a foundation for thinking differently about how solutions are designed and delivered.

Most conversations about AI and the Business Analyst role focus on one question:Will AI replace Business Analysts?That’s the wrong question.In this episode, we explore what’s actually changing—and why tools like Pega Blueprint are exposing a deeper shift in how value gets created.The real transformation isn’t about replacement.It’s about moving from:→ order-taking→ to value creationIn this conversation, Clay Richardson and Steph Louis sit down with Ben Baril (Senior Director, Solutions Consulting at Pega) to unpack:• Why Business Analysts are still optimizing for feasibility over value• How AI is lowering the barrier to designing and shaping solutions• What it means to evolve from BA to Solution Designer• The difference between “Dumb AI” and “Smart AI” for BAs• Why creativity and human judgment become more important—not lessWhether you call the role a Business Analyst or Business Architect, the shift is the same:👉 The value the role delivers is now front and center.

Most organizations are experimenting with AI.But far fewer are figuring out how to turn those experiments into enterprise solutions that deliver real business value.In this episode of Designed to Accelerate, hosts Clay Richardson and Steph Louis sit down with Steve Bixby (SVP of Product Engineering at Pega) to explore what it actually takes to move from AI experimentation to enterprise-scale solutions.The conversation wrestles with challenges that keep organizations focused on low-hanging-fruit AI and solution use cases, why integration remains one of the biggest barriers to enterprise AI, and why the role of solution design will become more important in the age of AI-powered solutions.If you're experimenting with enterprise AI but struggling to move beyond prototypes, this episode explores the challenges of designing solutions that actually deliver operational value at scale.GuestSteve BixbySVP of Product Engineering, PegaAbout the PodcastDesigned to Accelerate, hosted by Clay Richardson and Steph Lewis, explores how leaders design enterprise solutions that deliver real value through workflow automation, AI, and intelligent platforms.

AI is transforming how enterprise software gets designed and built. But what happens when AI begins to collapse the lines that separate design, architecture, and build. In this episode, Clay Richardson and Steph Lewis sit down with Pega’s Chief Product Officer, Kerim Akgonul, to explore how AI is shifting the boundary between design and development.Using the analogy of collaboration across a new home architect and new home builder, this conversation unpacks:

• Why design is starting to feel like build
• How AI is collapsing traditional role boundaries
• The rise of the “solution designer”
• Why speed without guardrails creates technical debt
• And what high-fidelity design really means in an AI-first world

AI can generate workflows, screens, and prototypes in seconds. But acceleration doesn’t eliminate the need for architectural clarity.This conversation explores what enterprise teams must rethink as AI reshapes modern software delivery.

What happens when the founder of Pega joins the conversation? A masterclass in solution design, AI, and value creation. Hosts Clay Richardson and Steph Louis sit down with Alan Trefler to explore how design thinking has evolved—and why solution design is becoming the real differentiator in the AI era. From Blueprint to solution design guardrails, this episode dives deep into how organizations can go from idea to implementation—faster and smarter.

AI is moving fast—but speed without direction doesn’t create value. In the debut episode of Designed to Accelerate, hosts Clay Richardson and Steph Louis set the stage for a bold new conversation about what it really takes to design for value in the age of AI. From reducing AI anxiety to rethinking how humans and machines work together, this episode lays the foundation for leaders, designers, and technologists navigating massive change. If you want to understand where AI is going—and what it means for you—start here.