SXSW 2025: Insights and Takeaways for New Friend
Every year, SXSW takes over Austin, bringing together leaders in technology, design, and entertainment for a week of panels, activations, and unexpected experiences. This is where big ideas, emerging trends, and creative innovation collide, making it one of my favorite events to attend.
This year was no exception. From deep dives into AI and design to reflections on storytelling, branding, and the future of digital spaces, SXSW left me buzzing with inspiration and plenty of notes.
At New Friend, we don’t just absorb these insights; we bring them back to our work. SXSW is a glimpse into where technology, creativity, and human connection are headed, and we’re already thinking about how these takeaways will shape the future of digital experiences.
The Rise of Social Health
I kicked off SXSW with Kasley Killam, who spoke about the growing importance of social health. This issue is becoming impossible to ignore.
We’re in the middle of a loneliness epidemic:
One in four people feel lonely.
Twenty percent of adults feel like they have no one to turn to for help.
Social connection is just as vital to health as diet and exercise.
This isn’t just a societal crisis. It is an opportunity for designers, technologists, and creators to build better, more connected experiences. At New Friend, we’re thinking about how we can help brands foster community, engagement, and belonging in the digital world. The future of design isn’t just about usability. It is about connection.
One example of how technology is addressing this issue is Pie, an app by Andy Dunn designed to help people build meaningful friendships through structured, in-person conversations. It reinforces the idea that better digital experiences can lead to stronger real-world connections.
Amy Webb’s Tech Trends Report
Every year, Amy Webb’s trend report is one of my most anticipated sessions. This year, it blew my mind.
The top trends shaping our future:
Multi-agent systems, where AI is evolving beyond single models into collaborative networks that work together.
Metamaterials, which are engineered to manipulate light, sound, and energy in ways that once seemed like science fiction.
Embodied living intelligence, where AI-driven robots and physical agents become part of everyday life.
For New Friend, this means thinking beyond traditional UI and UX and exploring AI-driven interactions that are dynamic, responsive, and integrated into physical spaces. The future is very exciting.
The Future of AI and Design
John Maeda’s 2025 tech report laid out key shifts happening in the industry, and the good news? AI is not replacing designers. It is transforming how design is done.
We are entering the Agent Era, where AI is shifting from static models to task-completing agents. This is leading to a major transformation.
UX is evolving into AX, or Agent Experience, reducing UI in favor of AI-driven task execution.
AI automation introduces risks, requiring ethical governance and thoughtful design.
Human adaptability is key. The most successful designers will be those who learn to collaborate with AI rather than fight it.
At New Friend, we’re already thinking about AI-powered workflows, agent-driven experiences, and human-AI collaboration. The challenge isn’t how to replace design with AI. It is how to design for an AI-augmented world.
How to Stand Out as a Brand
At the Fast Company Grill, a stacked panel featuring Fara Howard of GoDaddy, Taylor Montgomery of Taco Bell, and Dan Murphy of Liquid Death shared advice on how brands can cut through the noise.
Understand your brand’s soul
Ignore the haters
Have conviction in your work
At New Friend, we believe bold and confident brands make the biggest impact. The panel also emphasized the power of humor in marketing, showing how playfulness makes brands more relatable and memorable. A well-placed joke is not just funny. It builds connection.
The Future of Online Spaces
Jay Graber shared insights into Bluesky and the growing push for users to take control of their online experiences. She is proving that digital spaces can be built around community rather than control.
At New Friend, we believe digital spaces should be intentional, community-first, and designed to empower users, not just extract value from them.
Watch the SXSW conversation here.
AI, Work, and Leadership
A talk that stuck with me was Rishad Tobaccowala’s session on rethinking work. His takeaways:
We need more leaders, not managers
Learn to collaborate with people and AI
Operate like a business of one
At New Friend, we embrace this mindset in everything we do. Whether collaborating with clients or growing the business, we prioritize nimbleness, leadership, and adaptability.
Read his new book to learn more about the future of work.
Unexpected SXSW Moments
Of course, SXSW wouldn’t be complete without a few surprises.
Disney surprised us with droids and Robert Downey Jr.
Ben Stiller spoke about Severance, and I got a free Lumon mug.
I went to a secret disco in a grocery store, because that’s a thing.
I hung out at the Inc. Founders House, where I met Ashley Tisdale and had my face printed on an espresso martini.
Keith Lee’s advice to his younger self was simple: “I wouldn’t give advice, I would just say thank you.”
Conan O’Brien talked about gaming as the future of entertainment.
And of course, Cookie Monster made an appearance.
Bringing SXSW Back to New Friend
Every year, SXSW leaves me with more ideas than I know what to do with, but a few key themes are shaping how we move forward at New Friend.
AI isn’t replacing design. It is reshaping it.
We’re thinking about how to design for AI-powered, agent-driven experiences that enhance usability and trust.
Storytelling is more important than ever.
Whether it’s a brand, product, or platform, New Friend is focused on helping businesses tell clear, compelling stories.
Digital experiences should be more intentional.
From social platforms to AI automation, the goal isn’t just to create new technology. It is to design better, more human-centered experiences.
Now, back to work. There’s a lot to build.
