AI Speeds the How, Design Protects the Why
AI can speed up the how. Design protects the why. Treat AI like a junior teammate. Keep judgement, conversation, and accountability with people.
What actually changed
At first, people used AI quietly to check ideas and draft messages. Then the tone in Slack shifted, and tools added AI. The conversation moved from avoidance to integration.
Designers adopted it quickly. Engineers were more cautious. That gap revealed a lot about how teams work.
My focus was not just personal adoption. I worked with the team to shape how we use AI in practice.
How I use it day to day
- Validate if I have missed something in a flow
- Surface broader ideas when I feel stuck
- Draft quick prototypes with clearer handovers
Treat AI like a junior teammate. Use it to explore, draft, and test. Keep accountability with people. The upside is faster cycles and sharper delivery. The risk is letting the tool sit in the middle of every conversation, which weakens thinking and trust.
Shifts in technical teams
Ironically, engineers can benefit most from scaffolding and validation. Some still resist. I used AI at times to sense-check feasibility. That sometimes changed the conversation and exposed unclear ownership.
Prototypes are the meeting room again;
AI accelerates them.
AI speeds up throwaway prototypes that surface risks and unknowns early. It also makes gaps visible. Designers can look proactive. Engineers can look hesitant. The work is to align on ownership, not just speed.
The human dimension
AI changed trust as much as process. Designers asked why engineers were not using it. Engineers questioned why designers were. Tension followed around contribution and accountability.
I do not treat AI as an oracle. I use it conversationally: probe, suggest, test. Judgement is the edge. That is a design contribution that compounds.
Use AI as a teammate,
keep judgement as your edge.
Where design adds value
As John Maeda notes, design is culture as much as craft. Don Norman reminds us speed still needs to be human-centred. I try to work at both levels: nudge culture in how we work, raise craft in what we ship.
Design balances the equation:
- Validate AI outputs before shipping
- Keep people talking, not only prompting
- Protect creativity and mental health in workflows that can turn transactional
AI helps us ship faster. Design helps us ship the right things, the right way.
These reflections come from projects like notification systems, WMS and stock tooling, and ongoing reporting work. See Selected Work for outcomes and decisions.
Keep the why in view
Speed is only useful if direction is sound. Use AI as a teammate. Keep judgement as your edge. Keep conversation human.