The future of UX: design that knows you better than you know yourself | Joana Cerejo
What does it mean to truly anticipate a user and not just what they'll click next...but what they're trying to become?
In Episode 19 of Human × Intelligent, Madalena Costa is joined by Joana Cerejo, design lead, AI product designer and author of the Anticipatory Design Playbook. Together, they explore the real depth of anticipatory design, how behavioral science fits into modern AI product work and why most systems fail not because of bad technology but because of a fundamental misunderstanding of human intent.
In this episode:
The three layers of anticipation: needs, behavior and outcomes
Why designing for agency can't be an afterthought
Behavioral science frameworks every AI designer should know
The filter bubble problem and collective manipulation
What the Nest Thermostat gets wrong about resilient design
Why transparency is the foundation of everything
Connect with Joana Cerejo:
→ LinkedIn: / jcerejo
→ Website: https://jcerejo.com/
→ The Anticipatory Design Playbook (Amazon): https://www.amazon.es/-/pt/dp/1041079109
→ Watch Why Personas Fail AI (And What Works): • Why Personas Fail AI (And What Works)
Human × Intelligent is a podcast at the intersection of design, AI and human agency. Hosted by Madalena Costa.
→ humanxintelligent.com
→ / humanxintelligent
→ / human-x-intelligent
→ / designwithmaddie
→ / madalenafigueirasdacosta
Guest bio
Joana Cerejo is a design lead and AI product designer working at the intersection of user experience, behavioral science, and intelligent systems. With nearly a decade of experience designing AI-powered products across fintech, e-learning, and manufacturing, she specializes in making systems that are human-centered, trustworthy, and ethically grounded. She is the author of the Anticipatory Design Playbook, exploring how AI can move beyond predicting behavior to genuinely supporting people in meaningful, long-term ways.
Chapter timestamps
00:00 — Introduction: Who is Joana Cerejo?
01:00 — What are we actually anticipating? Needs, behaviors or outcomes?
03:38 — When does anticipation become control?
05:05 — Designing guardrails: keeping the human in the loop
07:28 — Why agency can't be an afterthought
09:15 — Behavioral science frameworks: Transtheoretical Model, Fogg, Nudge Theory
12:05 — How to bring anticipatory thinking into a product roadmap
14:34 — Figma Make and the limits of AI-generated design
15:04 — Why over-relying on data leads to brittle systems
16:00 — The Nest Thermostat: a cautionary tale
17:25 — Foresight thinking and designing for future scenarios
20:21 — Where is the line between prediction and manipulation?
21:24 — The filter bubble problem and what it's doing to culture
23:24 — Who is accountable when anticipatory systems go wrong?
25:06 — The one principle teams must never compromise on: transparency
27:00 — Where to start learning about anticipatory design
28:40 — Closing reflections: designers are shaping behavior and futures
Resources & tools section
Frameworks mentioned in this episode:
→ Prochaska Transtheoretical Model - stages of behavioral change; helps design systems that meet users where they actually are
→ Fogg Behavior Model - behavior happens when motivation, ability, and prompt align at the same time
→ Nudge Theory - the right intervention at the right moment can make or break a service
Book:
The Anticipatory Design Playbook by Joana Cerejo - available on Amazon
Concepts to explore further:
→ Filter bubble effect
→ Human-in-the-loop design
→ Foresight/futures thinking methodology
→ AI literacy and explainability