The Human Side of UX in an AI World – with Paige Maguire, S6, Ep. 5

In this episode, we are joined by Paige Maguire, Director of UX & Research at Fueled.

With a background in philosophy and law, Paige’s journey into UX has been shaped by her deep curiosity about human behavior and communication. Over the years, she has blended strategic thinking with user empathy to design digital products that are both intuitive and impactful. Her leadership brings clarity to complexity, helping teams create smarter, human-centered solutions.

Discussion Points

~ How did your journey evolve from studying philosophy and law to becoming a UX leader? 1:34
~ How do you apply advocacy and negotiation skills from your legal background to UX practice? 3:19
~ Rapid fire round 8:35
~ How is your team navigating the rise of AI in tools and user experience design? 12:10
~ How do you keep your team creatively inspired while experimenting with new tools and technologies? 19:50
~ What advice do you have for young designers who are just beginning their careers in this field? 21:24

Show Notes

~ We do a little bit of advocacy every day, balancing technical feasibility, stakeholder needs, and usability while fighting for our users.

~ Data can tell us what happened in the past, but we must always leave space for the irrationality of human behavior.

~ Start slow, but start now. That’s our mantra at Fueled when integrating AI into design processes.

~ We put our foot down - at Fueled, we do not use synthetic users for research. Nothing replaces talking to real people.

~ Design is more than putting pixels together; it's about leaving space for the creative act, the magic that brings ideas to life.

~ Don’t be afraid of AI replacing you. Let it assist your creative act, not inhibit it.

Paige’s LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/paigemaguire/