Loft Design leaders Gregor Mittersinker (CEO & Founder) and Sherry Eckholm (Director of Strategy) share how AI is transforming product design and strategy. They explain how Loft helps Fortune 500s and startups alike accelerate innovation using their Growth Edge sprint process, integrate AI responsibly into physical and digital products, and future-proof product strategies through ecosystem design and user-centered data strategies.
Chapters:
00:00 – Intro
00:57 – What Loft Design is and how AI reshaped their work
04:44 – Three ways AI changed product development at Loft
06:39 – Why AI accelerates early-stage ideation (and the “pancake” metaphor)
10:02 – How clients approach AI integration & Loft’s Rhode Island Bio partnership
12:59 – Case study: Trek Bikes – finding 35 AI opportunities & narrowing to 3 high ROI bets
16:41 – Growth Edge explained: agile sprints for faster strategy & buy-in
20:30 – Bringing AI to the ride: intelligent agents for bikers
21:55 – Ecosystem thinking vs product thinking: lessons from Sonos, Ring, and thermostats
28:29 – Future-proofing product strategy in an era of rapid AI change
32:26 – Where to start: first steps for integrating AI into design processes
34:17 – Workshop case study: how Loft helped a global packaging company realign strategy
36:49 – Why “mementos” (sketches, prototypes, videos) are critical for organizational buy-in
39:11 – Who Loft works best with: industries, team structures, and innovation partners
40:45 – Closing thoughts
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Founder of Loft and design visionary with 30+ years shaping award-winning products across medtech, wearables, and digital health. 99+ patents. Former VP at Altitude, RISD professor, and systems thinke