I asked AI, if a designer should use AI and if so, where, This is the list it came up with:
Idea Generation / Inspiration: Mood boards, visual styles, concept exploration.
Rapid Prototyping / Mockups: UI/UX mockups, wireframes, or visual layouts.
Image & Asset Creation: Custom illustrations, textures, icons, or backgrounds.
Automation of Repetitive Tasks: Resizing assets, versioning, generating accessibility annotations.
Content Assistance: Writing UI copy, generating placeholder text, exploring tone/voice.
User Research & Insights: Analyzing feedback, summarizing surveys, simulating personas.
AI cautioned me about topics like originality, over-reliance, ethics & copyright, user Empathy.
So far so good. It is a lot. Every item on the list can be of value, if it gives access to better or faster outcomes. Given there is time needed (costs) to test new features or ai tools, the benefit embracing the tools must be massive,
But I ask you, what fraction of time do you spend on those activities? And assuming you get reliable results from AI, what would you expect of a benefit from using it?
Using AI can indeed be beneficial in many use special cases. But I wonder if this should be first priority?!
I think, humans need to sharpen the saw. That is to train things that make us relevant and valuable, as ai becoming mainstream. Here are 5 pillars that should be strengthened:
1. Rediscovering the Human Edge
This is answering the question, what creativity means when machines can design. It is about discovering the the difference between aesthetic output and emotional resonance. It is about identifying the “why”, the creative philosophy and values.
2. Seeing With Human Eyes
This is about training taste and intuition beyond what AI generates. It is discovering cultural sensitivity and differences, symbolism, and emotional perception of things.
3. The Designer as Storyteller
Only the designer can bridge image and impact. The designer does this with storytelling. Attaching stories to visuals to be remembered. To structure and present in stories.
4. Designing for Meaning
Infusing cultural and emotional significance into project can be done by the designer using stories. This involves working with metaphors, symbols, and color psychology. It is about designing experiences.
5. Creative Identity & Legacy
Lastly this path should shape your long-term creative voice, to build a body of work that tells a story throughout, and make you visible as a human, not as someone who mastered AI tools.
Tell me what you think. Write a comment.