Our Master of Graphic & Experience Design (MGXD) students recently found out, partnering with NC State’s Laboratory of Analytic Sciences (LAS) to reimagine how analysts work with voice data and artificial intelligence.

The Paradox

AI was supposed to make things easier. But language analysts found themselves drowning—juggling multiple systems, losing context, struggling to maintain the human insight that makes their work valuable. Automatic speech recognition opened new possibilities but also multiplied tasks and fragmented workflows.

Our students saw an opportunity: What if you could design an interface that harnesses AI’s power while keeping human expertise front and center?

The Project

Working directly with intelligence professionals, MGXD students used human-centered research to create a unified workspace where analysts could search voice data in new ways, spot hidden patterns, and move fluidly through analysis—while actually enjoying their tools.

_{Scanner Persona. Designers: Diksha Bahirwani, Isha Parate, Kayla Rondinelli}

_{Translator Persona. Designers: Ned Babbott, Kevin Ward}

_{Quality Control Persona. Designers: Sasa Crkvenjas, Adam Noel}

Beyond National Security

The same design thinking around AI-assisted voice analysis could transform:

• Accessibility for hearing-impaired individuals catching conversational nuance
• Cross-cultural communication in international business and policy
• Academic research analyzing vast interview collections
• Cultural preservation of endangered oral languages

The MGXD Difference

This is design graduate school in 2026: tackling real problems with real partners, prototyping solutions where emerging technology meets human need. Our students don’t just learn design theory—they apply it to challenges where good design shapes critical decisions.

Want to work on projects that matter? This is what we do in MGXD.