About Sivan Lapidus
Head of Design, Absa Personal and Private Banking
Sivan Lapidus is the Head of Design for Absa Personal and Private Banking, where she leads a multidisciplinary team of over 130 professionals shaping customer-centric digital experiences for more than 10 million customers.
As a member of the Absa Digital Executive Committee, she has spearheaded the design of award-winning innovations including ChatWallet, AbsaID, and Credit Coach, redefining how Africans bank in the digital age.
With over two decades of experience in financial services design, Sivan is a recognized thought leader in human-centered UX. She has spoken at global conferences and was recently appointed to the Board of Directors for the Design Institute of South Africa, where she champions authentic design leadership and
inclusive transformation at a national scale.
Talk topic
The Designer’s Dilemma: Retaining Human Value in the Age of Intelligent Machines
AI is reshaping the landscape of design faster than we can keep up. Familiar rules no longer apply — new possibilities and responsibilities are emerging.
In this talk, Sivan will explore four plausible futures for design in the age of AI — from uncharted frontiers of rapid innovation to carefully governed, human-centered utopias — and what each means for the role of the product designer. How might the designer retain meaning and purpose in their contribution? It’s not about predicting a single path but preparing to navigate whichever Wonderland awaits.