Global Youth Council — Co-creating the Future of Search and AI

Client: Google Knowledge + Insights Team
Duration: 2 years | 3 iterative 10-week co-creation sprints

Challenge

As Google prepared for a new generation of users, the company needed to understand how Gen Z — the first generation to grow up fully immersed in digital technology — imagined the future of Search and AI-driven experiences. The goal was to translate youth expectations and behaviors into actionable insights for next-generation Google products.

Approach

Across three global co-creation sprints, I helped design and facilitate a mixed-method research program that evolved with each iteration:

• Diary studies and weekly focus groups captured participants’ daily interactions with technology and their evolving trust in AI.

• Collaborative design workshops encouraged youth participants to prototype future Google experiences, exploring early generative-AI use cases.

• Each sprint expanded to new regions, surfacing cultural nuances and expectations across global markets.

• Insights were synthesized into design principles and product opportunity maps shared across Search and emerging AI teams.

Outcome

The Global Youth Council became a sustained program influencing Google’s long-term Search and AI strategy. Findings informed early concepts that would later evolve into Gemini integrations, while also shaping how Google positions its AI capabilities for younger, globally diverse users.