You've still got that special sauce.

I'm going to reassure you that AI isn't job-destroying and I'll tell you how AI can help you with non-design tasks that slow us down and distract us anyway.

Long story short, AI isn't ready to replace steps in the design process. Despite the pace of AI news and the massive amounts of hype, AI tools can't exactly step in and design for you.

Here's an example of the current state of AI wireframing tools.

They're too unpredictable and often just shuffle around pre-made, poorly fitting components.

These tools aren't reliable or high enough quality for professional design work. AI image generators, on the other hand, might be fun to play with but are still too risky due to copyright issues, reliability, and compatibility.

As a result, image generator products like Midjourney or Dahle should not be used for public distribution.

They should only be used for ideation, prototyping, or internal usage. Most AI tools are built to recognize and output text, which makes them bad at UX design but great for things like summarizing and editing writing, helping generate UX copy, and efficiently communicating in the right tone and with the right impact.

It's easy to feel caught up in the turmoil of AI news cycle, leading to feelings of being left out or late to the party. The truth is, if you're not using AI right now in your work as a designer, that's okay.

You're not behind, which means it's easy to catch up, so to speak.

AI might be more useful in the future for design workflows, but right now, focus on honing your craft with traditional tools and sprinkle in text-based AI to make that busy work a little less busy. AI as we know it is built on existing knowledge, things that came before.

Us humans, we're still uniquely positioned to make new things, come up with new ideas.

We'll be okay.

Thanks for watching.

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