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Show Notes
In this episode, we welcome Sharbani Dhar, a leading voice in customer experience design and founder of dotinfinity. She joins host Louis Granger to discuss the evolving role of design and AI in shaping meaningful customer journeys. With a career rooted in UX leadership, Sharbani brings a strategic, customer-first approach to AI, moving beyond the common “tech-first” mentality that often misses the mark on delivering real business value.
Sharbani shares how dotinfinity was founded on the idea that design and research should be central to solving complex customer challenges, not just surface-level enhancements. She highlights the Responsible AI Canvas her team developed, which guides organizations in responsibly adopting AI with a human-centered lens. The conversation covers actionable insights into aligning AI with core business goals, the importance of employee engagement, and why effective AI implementation requires a focus on problem-solving, not just technology.
Key themes and ideas:
1. Moving from transactional design to strategic influence
- Sharbani explains how design and research are often undervalued, perceived as transactional rather than strategic. She advocates for the integration of design as a driver of business outcomes and deeper customer connections.
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Quote: "It’s not just about making things look good – it’s about creating meaningful experiences that shape customer journeys and drive business results."
2. Responsible AI adoption: human-centric, problem-first
- AI implementation is more than adopting the latest tech trends; it requires a problem-first approach to identify where AI can genuinely solve challenges and deliver ROI.
- Sharbani introduces her team's Responsible AI Canvas, a three-step framework that helps organizations assess AI readiness, align technology with KPIs, and execute responsibly.
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Tip: Align AI initiatives with real organizational goals and assess readiness across people, infrastructure, and governance.
3. Building an AI-empowered workforce
- AI implementation requires both the right tech and the right people. Sharbani stresses training and workforce alignment, so employees not only support AI initiatives but grow with them.
- The episode highlights Australian government guidelines that Infinity follows: Responsible AI Training, Data & Governance Training, and Diversity & Fairness Training, each critical to minimizing biases and fostering ethical AI.
4. Effective metrics beyond NPS
- Sharbani shares her skepticism of Net Promoter Score (NPS) as a metric, noting it often fails to capture real customer satisfaction or journey pain points. Instead, she advocates for metrics that reflect customer engagement, trust, and brand loyalty.
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Quote: “NPS tells us how likely customers are to recommend a product, but it doesn’t reveal the whole story.”
5. Ecosystem thinking in AI implementation
- A siloed approach to AI often limits its potential impact. Sharbani advises organizations to adopt ecosystem thinking, which includes partnerships and integration across customer journeys. She shares a compelling example of a Canadian health insurer collaborating with supermarkets to reward healthy customer behaviors through AI.
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Takeaway: Look for opportunities to integrate AI solutions within a broader ecosystem that aligns with customers’ lives.
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