Designing AI for Serendipity with dotdotdash

Live from the Lore Bookshop at Shoptalk Spring, Phillip and Brian sit down with friends of the podcast and creative heavyweights Nick Susi and Mai Nguyen of dotdotdash to unpack their latest work with Nike—the groundbreaking AIR Imagination project. Nick and Mai pull back the curtain on what it takes to build immersive, AI-powered brand experiences that actually feel like the brand—and why surprise and delight matter more than ever in a world obsessed with optimization. Plus, hear how they’re redefining user experience through experiments like Chromaverse and their take on AI as a “serendipity engine.”

This Is What AI Should Feel Like (Chicken Shoes)

Key takeaways:

• Nike’s AIR Imagination is a Brand Milestone: AIR Imagination isn’t just a product—it’s a community design platform that invites fans to imagine big with Nike DNA. 
• AI-Driven Remixing Is Reshaping Brand Strategy: It’s consumer-to-consumer remixing, with Nike acting as the shared language. 
• dotdotdash Built AI That  Like Nike: Behind the scenes, dotdotdash developed prompt-enhancing tech to ensure every user-generated design still looks and feels like a Nike product—proof that AI doesn’t have to compromise brand authenticity.
• AI as a “Serendipity Engine” Is the Future of Commerce: Instead of treating AI like a tool for hyper-optimization, dotdotdash sees its true power in enabling surprise, delight, and discovery. That ethos runs through everything from Nike to their own experimental tools like Chromaverse.
• Brands Need to Design with Culture, Not Just for It: As Nick’s essay “Culture as a Client” explores, successful brands don’t just extract from culture—they build multidirectional ecosystems that create mutual value. Nike’s project is a masterclass in getting that balance right.
• “AIR Imagination is Nike saying, ‘Here’s the vault. Remix what we’ve done—and what each other has done.’” – Nick Susi
• “Even with all that detail, it still came out a Nike shoe. That’s the connection—that’s the relationship.” – Mai Nguyen
• “What AI is really good at is chance, randomness, serendipity... That’s what creates emotional experience.” – Nick Susi
• “We’re not invalids. Don’t spoon-feed us everything. Help me—but don’t take it all away.” – Mai Nguyen

Associated Links:

• Order LORE by Future Commerce
• Check out Future Commerce on YouTube

• Check out Future Commerce+ for exclusive content and save on merch and print
• Subscribe to Insiders and The Senses to read more about what we are witnessing in the commerce world
• Listen to our other episodes of Future Commerce

‍

Have any questions or comments about the show? Let us know on futurecommerce.com, or reach out to us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn. We love hearing from our listeners!