UX and design in an AI world — Maven course by Jared Spool

What the course is

A three-week course on Maven by Jared Spool, founder of Center Centre and a UX practitioner with over 40 years of experience. The course addresses a specific problem: how to use UX research to discover where AI functionality will actually improve users’ lives, rather than deploying AI for its own sake.

Who it’s for

UX professionals and product managers who are being asked to add AI capabilities to products and need research methods to ensure those capabilities deliver real value. The course assumes you have some research experience and want to operate at a more strategic level.

What it covers

The curriculum starts with the challenge: why AI initiatives have high failure rates and low value delivery. Through a case study approach, Spool teaches techniques for mapping user experiences, identifying “experience rot” and latent needs, and distinguishing between features users think they want and functionality that would genuinely improve their workflows. The course argues that traditional methods like usability testing, basic interviews, and surveys are insufficient for identifying where AI adds value, and teaches more strategic research upgrades.

Limitations

This course is about research strategy for AI products, not about using AI tools in your research process. If you are looking for hands-on training with specific AI research tools, this will not cover that ground.