Designing with AI
How AI has changed my job
AI has changed what I consider my job as a designer to be. Less of my time goes into producing designs, and more goes into understanding the problem and making decisions. To show what that looks like in practice, I built a working prototype with Claude in an afternoon.
An afternoon with Claude
Instead of writing a cover letter, I made one as a prototype. It sells me on a single page, using Famly's own design system and brand. I drew it up in an afternoon with Claude, rather than starting in Figma. Famly makes software for nurseries and families.
From producing to directing
I started designing when iterations were done with pen and paper, and Sketch was still the main tool. Much of the craft was in producing the design itself. AI is shifting my role further towards directing: understanding the problem, making decisions, crafting the design and then using AI to explore and build much faster.
That's the part of this new way of working that excites me most: spending less time producing artefacts, and more time on judgement, experimentation and craft. It gives me time back, and I can put that time into what matters: human connection, accessibility, finding joy and play.
How I use AI
I use it as a creative and practical partner. That speed creates more room to test, learn and play, rather than becoming too attached to the first solution.
Trying out more directions early, before committing to one.
Sorting and making sense of research faster, so there is more time to think about what it means.
Quick, clickable prototypes that people can try, instead of static screens.
Experimenting with moving from design into code, and getting closer to the shipped product.
Why judgement matters more
AI can generate an interface or code very quickly. It can't take responsibility for whether we've solved the right problem.
Faster production makes design judgement more important, not less. I still need to understand the human behaviour behind the interaction, recognise what deserves attention, keep it consistent with the design system, consider accessibility, and decide what feels clear, useful and human.
Tools like Claude and Cursor give us an incredible sandbox for exploring, prototyping and shipping faster. But speed makes design judgement even more important: knowing what problem is worth solving, understanding the human on the other side, and bringing direction, accessibility, craft and taste to what we build. That combination of human understanding and new ways of making is exactly where I want to work.