Designers Vs OpenAI

These are not new feelings. When Wix came to market, I feared that my job as a web designer would become obsolete and clients would prefer this drag-and-drop WYSIWYG style website creation.

I soon calmed my nerves and understood that there would always be brands that need a truly bespoke digital design to elevate their business, and for this to all be underpinned by strong UX thinking that ensures their audiences are considered at every touchpoint.

Let’s move on. The emergence of AI-powered technologies has undoubtedly sparked the same concerns all over again. I keep reading that web design is one of the many roles that ChatGPT and the impending Google Sparrow AI could replace. At ease, soldier. There are several reasons why this will never be the case!

Creativity and empathy

Both are huge factors in designing for the web. Designers need to understand human behaviour, marketing, and branding to create websites that meet their intended goals. It is essential to get into the mindset of different user types to deliver a beautiful and usable website. As a UX thinker, I often compromise between business and user needs. AI technology will never have the empathy levels to achieve this.

Context

The likes of ChatGPT will not know the complete picture of a client’s past and future needs or their customer needs. For example, as part of our website research, we may look at actual customer complaints to ensure we can alleviate their pain points through our customer journeys. OpenAI won’t have access to the broader context we, as designers, regularly pull on to inform our decisions.

Collaboration

Another important aspect of web design is collaboration. I’m constantly talking with content creators, developers, and client stakeholders to ensure that everyone’s vision is turned into a successful website. AI language models cannot replace the human connection and communication critical to effective collaboration.

Right, we’ve worked through all our anxieties and can safely say that OpenAI is not really a threat to our livelihoods. (It is not set to ruin my 20-year career - hurrah!) So how can we use this technology as a tool to assist our processes and productivity?

Writing

We all dream of content-first in a web design project, but that’s not always possible. ChatGPT can generate text content that can be used as temporary placeholders to assist with design layouts. Some requests that I’ve made recently:

• Write an introduction for a landing page about temporary aircraft hangars

• Write copy to persuade someone to sign up for property alerts

• Write an error message for a file upload mistake

• Write me a blog article which explains why Chatgpt isn't the end for web designers - ONLY JOKING!! ;p

If we embrace OpenAI technology and fold it into our design processes, it can be a valuable addition to our toolkit. My final thoughts are that it will be most valuable in reducing procrastination and giving prompts to keep the momentum of a project.

As a designer, I can get stuck in a UX loop, overthinking different scenarios, or hit a creative blocker where content could help kickstart the flow. Tools like ChatGPT and Google Sparrow can provide these necessary prompts, suggest placeholder content to work with and give a new point of view when required.

I’m excited to explore this technology more and discover other opportunities where it can support a successful design workflow. I’ll keep you posted!

If you're looking to unlock the power of UX Design with a design team that champions your brand, your business and your customers, then get in touch.