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Dad as the DesignerBy Joan KellyThe first experience designer I ever met couldn’t move his body. But he taught me everything I needed to know about dignity, systems, and the unseen architecture of care. He was my father, a 100% Disabled American Veteran with Multiple Sclerosis (MS), and my first teacher in what it means to design human experiences that work. I was five years old when he became a quadriplegic. From that moment on, our family became an innovation lab. Not in the way that word is tossed around in pitch decks—but in the quiet, necessary, soul-deep way of figuring out how to live. We adapted everything: mealtimes, mobility, communication. The Veteran’s Administration would bring us early tools and systems to test, and we gave them feedback not just from theory, but from lived necessity. What this taught me, and what continues to guide every system, workflow, and AI tool I build, is that care isn’t a service. It’s a system. And if that system isn’t designed around real human needs, it fails the very people it’s meant to serve. People often ask me how I “see signals” so clearly or how I come up with experience innovations that feel intuitive and deeply human. The answer is simple: I was trained in a house where missing a signal could mean pain, fear, or loss of dignity. When someone you love can’t move, you learn quickly how to move systems for them. And so, I did. And I still do. In every healthcare journey I map, in every AI-powered experience I help build, I come back to that home. To my dad. To the wisdom of invisible labor, emotional alertness, and the discipline of care. Caregiving isn’t soft. It’s strategic. It’s complex. It’s a form of systems thinking that rarely gets the credit it deserves. So, when we talk about redesigning healthcare, or applying AI to human experiences, we need to ask: have we designed for dignity? Have we made space for the quiet needs? Have we understood that behavior change begins in spaces where people feel safe enough to be seen? Care taught me how to lead. How to build. How to see. Now, it’s time our systems do the same. Enter quiet. Leave with a roar. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

Caregiving, Dignity, and the Design of Human Systems

The Human Middle is critical for AI DesignBy Joan Kelly&nbsp;In all the noise around AI, what it can do, what it might replace, what it could disrupt, we risk forgetting one essential truth: AI is about humans. AI is not here to replace the doctor, the teacher, the customer service rep. It’s here to lift the cognitive burden of the systems we’ve made too heavy. The ones that force us to navigate 13 clicks just to schedule a visit, sort through portals and passwords to understand our care, or repeat our story six times just to get help. These systems, built with good intent, have become too complex to serve the very people they were designed for. And complexity, unchecked, crushes connection. It drains our energy before we can even reach each other. But here’s the good news: AI can lighten that load. Not by doing what only humans can do, but by clearing the path so we can actually do it. Imagine a doctor who isn’t spending her energy toggling between screens and notes, but fully present with a patient. Imagine a teacher who has real-time insights into where her students are struggling, so she can teach, not just grade. Imagine a customer service agent no longer buried under scripts and rules, but equipped to actually help. This isn’t a dream. It’s a design decision. To realize that future, we need more than algorithms. We need culture change. A new posture. A willingness to guide the personal transitions required when work shifts, roles evolve, and humans are asked to trust a new kind of co-pilot. The key isn’t in the model. It’s in the mindset. We must prepare our people for what’s coming, not with fear, but with agency. To say: “You’re not being replaced. You’re being repositioned to do the work only you can do.” Because at the center of every workflow, every experience, every breakthrough, should still be a human. We don’t need more power. We need more presence. Let’s build systems that help us get back to what matters: people connecting to people. That’s the future I want to design for. One where we enter chaos and leave with clarity. One where we enter quiet, and leave with a roar.

AI Isn’t About Replacing Humans. It’s About Remembering Them.

I'm Not Here to Talk About AI. I'm Here to Talk About You.By Joan KellyLet’s be honest, most conversations about AI are missing the point. We’re talking about tools. Hype. Threats. Efficiency. But we’re not talking about you. The doctor trying to spend more time face-to-face. The caregiver drowning in complexity. The leader trying to do more with fewer people and even fewer hours. That’s why I’m here. Who I Am: I’ve spent the last two decades building better experiences for patients, consumers, and the teams who care for them. From launching Virgin Pulse to serving as Chief Experience Officer at NYU Langone and Yale, I’ve helped global brands design systems that actually work for the humans inside them. Now, I’ve stepped into the arena where human-centered design meets intelligent technology. I call it The Human Middle, and that’s what this Substack is all about. &nbsp; Why Now: We are at an inflection point. AI isn’t coming, it’s already reshaping how care is delivered, how customers interact, and how teams perform. But here’s the thing: AI is only as good as the experience we design around it.That’s where I come in. &nbsp; What to Expect: In this space, I’ll be sharing: Behind-the-scenes lessons from healthcare, tech, and transformation Frameworks and blueprints for designing AI-powered experiences that elevate human connection Personal stories from the front lines of care, leadership, and reinvention Tools for leaders navigating complexity, growth, and the future of work Some weeks will be strategy. Some will be story. All of it will be real, human, and unapologetically bold.If you're building the future, or trying to make it make sense, this space is for you. Whether you're a hospital exec, experience leader, startup founder, or someone just trying to make your corner of the world work better... Welcome to Roar HX. Let’s build what’s next. ✦ Joan

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Caregiving, Dignity, and the Design of Human Systems

AI Isn’t About Replacing Humans. It’s About Remembering T...

I'm Not Here to Talk About AI. I'm Here to Talk About You.