The AI Design Uprising: How Sensemaking is Rewiring Creativity

Since its emergence years ago, AI has revolutionized management practices across industries, gaining widespread adoption and profoundly shaping social outcomes through diverse platforms and applications. We are now in an era where innovation-driven decision‑making supersedes traditional human‑centric models. This study presents a comprehensive framework for examining the interplay between human cognition and design in today’s AI‑dominated landscape. Although automation has assumed many routine tasks, human creativity, critical thinking, and intuition remain indispensable. By situating sensemaking at the heart of design innovation, we highlight the need for deeper understanding and strategic foresight when confronting automated solutions. This paradigm shift demands a fundamental rethinking of design principles at both organizational leadership and management levels. Through a practical case study, we demonstrate how AI can enhance productivity and transcend institutional constraints, automating certain design processes while relying on human sensemaking to uphold trust and reliability in user‑centered innovations. Our theoretical analysis concludes with implications for both scholars and practitioners in design and innovation management.