Bold & Boutique

Louise is the author of the upcoming book Designing AI Interfaces , which distills her extensive experience from tech giants like Google and Microsoft into practical guidance for creating exceptional AI products. Whether you're a seasoned designer or just getting started with AI, this conversation offers valuable insights into the future of interface design and the unique challenges of buildin...

Most work doesn’t speak for itself. This episode is for everyone who's sick of presenting amazing work and ideas that don't land. International keynote speaker, coach, and designer Ben Sauer breaks down how he teaches the art of strategic storytelling. Ben Sauer trained people all over the world, including at NASA, and his frameworks are used by organizations like Amazon, Google, and the BBC. In t...

Bold & Boutique  isn’t just about voice, design or AI — it’s about building something meaningful by going deep, not wide. It’s a show for creatives, strategists, and entrepreneurs who believe that staying niche can be a superpower. Let’s explore what it really takes to grow a business rooted in expertise. Season 1 dives into the rise of AI characters and virtual brand ambassadors, but future s...

After user research and quantitative testing comes the real force multiplier: a  design system  that lets every team spin up on-brand AI characters without reinventing the wheel. Phoebe explains why a system is more than a style guide and how it becomes the shared language for voice, visuals, and behavior across markets. Highlights - Style guide ≠ design system  – how reusable assets, research-bac...

Now that the standout virtual-character concepts have been refined through qualitative feedback, Phoebe and Maikel jump into the numbers phase —where data, not gut feeling, decides which designs go live. Key take-aways - From shortlist to scorecard – Why you first narrow to a small set of high-potential designs, then pit them head-to-head in structured tests rather than betting the budget on a boa...

The blank-canvas magic is over—now the real work begins. In the second half of our deep dive, Phoebe walks Maikel through the refinement and optimization phases that turn rough concept art into AI personas customers actually love. What we cover - Qual → Quant → Optimize – Why early qualitative interviews reveal the “why,” how quant perception tests deliver the “how much,” and where each feeds the...

What actually goes into creating a virtual face—or voice—for a brand? In the first half of our two-part deep dive, Phoebe and Maikel pull back the curtain on the creative pipeline that turns raw brand values into an engaging AI character. In this episode you’ll learn - Why personas beat static logos – How embodiment, interactivity, and subtle anthropomorphism boost customer identification and enga...

This episode traces the influencer journey from 1950 s silver-screen endorsements to today’s AI-generated brand ambassadors—and everything in between. Inside the conversation - Origins & essentials – How post-war celebrity ads forged the trust-plus-aspiration formula modern creators still rely on. - Platform power plays – Instagram aesthetics, YouTube depth, and TikTok’s viral algorithm—and wh...

In our debut episode we explore how AI-powered virtual characters are reshaping the branding playbook. From voice assistants that greet you with “Hey Mercedes” to Puma’s Instagram-native avatar Laila , we unpack why always-on, perfectly on-brand spokespeople are so appealing—and where they outperform their human counterparts. You’ll hear: - What makes a Virtual Brand Ambassador (VBA) different fro...