My thing is field-building and ecosystem design, currently for AI Safety. Until now I have specialized in digital product design and generalized in every other kind of design, and I’ve worked almost exclusively in early-stage startup environments. I’m obsessed with the power of tried-and-true tech startup practices and principles (e.g. design thinking, lean startup methodologies, and so on), and applying them to web projects in the AI Safety field, as well as to the ecosystem as a whole. I like making things succeed, and I’m always looking for that 100x impact idea to execute. I’ve led or co-led several projects in the EA space including AISafety.info, AISafety.com, and Cage-free Hub, and I’ve worked at Ought (Elicit) as a designer.
On a more sincere note, I’m deeply inspired by the potential for properly-aligned AI to end all suffering for all sentient beings across all of time. If AI is the next iteration of the universe, then the importance of pouring truly good intentions—both intellectual (🧠) and felt (❤️)—into this effort cannot be overstated.
Here’s, so here’s my initial pitch:
I’m a designer coming from the for-profit space, in which companies invest heavily in design and marketing. The role of design–particularly skilled, quality design–has grown in the last, say, decade, due to growing evidence in its ROI. For instance, for myself and friends of mine who specialize in web design, a website’s conversion rate will jump 10%–25% from a redesign (typically a more out-of-the-box or low-skill solution, redesigned to a customized and professional solution). Name any successful tech company–Stripe, Slack, Github–they have invested tens to even hundreds of thousands on their marketing website. Many others invest similar amounts in logos and branding.
The EA world has not picked up on this very important “secret” of the for-profit world, and there’s no clear reason why. After all, EA organizations have just as much an incentive to inspire, persuade, and communicate to their audience as do for-profit companies. When I, for instance, look at an amazing for-profit company websites, I:
- Feel a sense of trust–this organization has it together
- Understand quickly what the organization does, why it’s important, and why they are amazing at it–I’m more sold
- If the topic is inspirational, I feel inspired and called to action
- Leave with a more memorable impression of this organization
When I look at even the best EA websites, I don’t feel particularly inspired, nor do I quickly understand what the organization does and why it’s important, nor do I leave with a memorable impression, and so on. And really, these should be the most inspiring websites in the world! Our bar should, if anything, be even higher than non-profits–our work is as important as it gets, isn’t it? If I was a billionaire thinking of getting into Effective Altruism, for example, and taking the first step by looking at an organization’s (or a few organizations’) website(s), I would definitely want to feel more inspired (plus other aforementioned things).
TLDR: I got into marketing and design ten years ago because I believe it is very important for an organization’s success (in whatever terms that means)! I’ve been pleased to see the for-profit world more and more learn of and integrate the power of design. I am a bit saddened that the EA world–the place where the most important things are happening–haven’t yet learned this.