NEW YORK, NY.- An interview with Irina Naumycheva on visual language, artificial intelligence, and why getting lost in a city sparked a lifelong calling.
Irina Naumycheva is an internationally recognized graphic designer, visual strategist, and the creator of AI-Art & Design Flow 2025, a methodology that redefines how creative professionals work with artificial intelligence. Trained in classical design schools and now based in Miami, Irina shares her journey from courier routes to conference panels, from sketching logos to shaping urban navigation systems. In this exclusive interview, she opens up about creativity, cultural adaptation, and the ethical side of AI in design.
1. You were trained as a designer in other countries and now live in Miami. What drew you to design in the first place, and how has your journey evolved across countries?
I always joke that design chose me before I could choose a profession. I studied at Carl Fabergé College, specializing in Information Technology Design, and then at Moscow Power Engineering University in Moscow, specializing in Graphic Design. But long before that I was already drawing posters for school events and sketching logos in the margins of my notebooks. Over the past three years, I’ve lived in Turkey, Thailand, and Vietnam, but it was the United States that truly opened my eyes. Everything here is brighter, louder, and more open. The design language is different too. Living in different countries and cultures taught me to think more boldly and globally.
2. Was there a specific project or moment when you felt “This is what I’m meant to do”?
Yes, actually, and it started much earlier than most would think. When I was a first-year student, I worked part-time as a courier. I constantly got lost trying to find the right building or entrance, and it struck me just how confusing city navigation could be. That’s when I first began thinking — this needs a redesign. Better signage. Clearer visual language. Around the same time, I saw how the Art. Lebedev Studio was transforming public design in Moscow, and that was a spark. I realized my city was ready for change, and so was I.
3. What role do you believe design plays in shaping public life — from transportation systems to city culture?
Design is everywhere, even when it’s invisible. It’s how you find your way, how you feel in a space, how you trust a service. Good design can calm you down in a chaotic subway or make you feel safe on a new street. In city projects, I always think of the user first — the tired commuter, the curious tourist, the child trying to read a map.
4. You've received awards in both other countries and international competitions and served as a juror for programs like Apexart in NYC. What do you think makes your work resonate globally?
Maybe it’s because I work from a place of curiosity. I love learning how people in different cultures interpret visual language. My designs aren’t about decoration — they’re about translation. Taking ideas and making them feel human, readable, and emotionally real. Also, I’m not afraid to be a little weird and sometimes that’s what stands out.
5. What’s the biggest creative risk you’ve taken in your career?
Probably publishing my own methodology on AI and design — AI-Art & Design Flow 2025. It’s scary to put your process out there and say “I think this works.” But the response has been amazing and it pushed me to keep experimenting.
6. You are the author of the methodology “AI-Art & Design Flow 2025.” What inspired you to create a structured approach to working with AI in design?
It all started with creative chaos. I was working with tools like Midjourney, DALL·E, Figma, and others. While they offered incredible possibilities, I often found myself jumping from one experiment to another without direction. It felt exciting but also overwhelming, like I was bouncing between ideas without a clear path. That’s when I realized I needed a system — something that would allow me to harness the potential of AI without losing the heart of the design process.
So I began to build my own methodology, something that combined structured decision-making with human intuition. I called it AI-Art & Design Flow 2025 and it grew into more than just a personal system. It became a full framework for designers who want to work with AI creatively, efficiently, and ethically.
The methodology was published in Russia as a professional academic guide and it's already being used in both educational and practical environments. Now I’m focused on expanding its reach and preparing it for publication here in the United States. I believe that AI can be a true creative partner but only if we approach it thoughtfully. My method is designed to help designers stay in control of the narrative and keep the “art” in “artificial”.
7. If you could collaborate with any brand, institution, or artist in the U.S., who would it be and why?
I’d love to collaborate with Pentagram, especially their New York team. They've worked on some of the most iconic wayfinding and signage systems, including parts of the NYC subway. I truly admire how they manage to bring clarity and personality to such complex environments.
8. What has surprised you most about working in the design world in the U.S. compared to other countries?
In the U.S., there’s more freedom to cross disciplines. You can be a designer, researcher, teacher, and tech geek all in one. In other countries, the paths are a bit more defined. But I value both. Other countries gave me discipline — the U.S. gave me flexibility.
9. How do you see the future of design in the next five years, especially with the rise of artificial intelligence and immersive technologies?
Design will become more like choreography — a dance between human intent and machine possibility. We’ll see more real-time tools, spatial interfaces, and storytelling that adapts to context. But the designer’s role will stay vital. We’re the ones who ask “What does this mean and who is it for?” That question isn’t going anywhere.
