From Skeptic to Supporter: How AI Became a Design Ally
Switching my mindset from a takeover to a helpful tool to make me a better designer.
Jul 11, 2025
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<2 min
I used to think ChatGPT was the enemy.
When it first came out during my college years, I saw it as nothing more than a shortcut — a tool people used to avoid doing real work. And honestly, part of me still believes that. But over time, I’ve come to see the other side of it.
Once I began exploring the potential of AI, I realized how powerful it could be in the creative process, not just a way around it. As a designer, I started integrating it into small parts of my workflow — things like brainstorming edge-case scenarios I might’ve missed, refining the logic of user flows, or helping format what features needed to go where.
There’s a lot of noise online — especially on LinkedIn — about AI threatening UX design as a profession. But I don’t think it’s here to replace us. I think it’s here to refocus us.
By letting AI handle the more repetitive or tactical parts of design — wireframe formatting, content drafts, quick audits — we free ourselves up to focus on what really matters: solving human problems. In a weirdly poetic way, AI allows us to design more human experiences.
It's not about fighting the machine. It's about learning how to work with it.
— Emma
I used to think ChatGPT was the enemy.
When it first came out during my college years, I saw it as nothing more than a shortcut — a tool people used to avoid doing real work. And honestly, part of me still believes that. But over time, I’ve come to see the other side of it.
Once I began exploring the potential of AI, I realized how powerful it could be in the creative process, not just a way around it. As a designer, I started integrating it into small parts of my workflow — things like brainstorming edge-case scenarios I might’ve missed, refining the logic of user flows, or helping format what features needed to go where.
There’s a lot of noise online — especially on LinkedIn — about AI threatening UX design as a profession. But I don’t think it’s here to replace us. I think it’s here to refocus us.
By letting AI handle the more repetitive or tactical parts of design — wireframe formatting, content drafts, quick audits — we free ourselves up to focus on what really matters: solving human problems. In a weirdly poetic way, AI allows us to design more human experiences.
It's not about fighting the machine. It's about learning how to work with it.
— Emma