How Artificial Intelligence will change UX design
Artificial intelligence (AI) will change the way we fundamentally experience design. It’s already changing how we live, plan our days and travel, and even how we fight crime. As UX designers, we need to be aware of the implications this will have on our work. Designers will need to become more collaborative and focused on user research and insights due to AI’s advancements. The ultimate goal for designers will be to create more human-centered experiences that leverage these new tools. There are also some things that AI can’t do better than humans yet — and those skills may even become more valuable as time goes on. Here are things you should know about AI if you’re a designer.
Artificial intelligence is a tool, not a magic wand
We’re still in the relatively early phases of AI implementation, which means designers should understand that AI is a tool and not a solution. In other words, you can only use it to do what it’s programmed or trained to do. Designers should also be aware that AI has limitations in scale and complexity. When designing with AI, make sure to keep in mind the limitations of the technology. Designers also need to be aware of how machines will translate their work. Designing something with a specific meaning or function may not translate well when machine learning tools use an algorithm.
How AI will change UX design
Designers will need to be more collaborative in the future, especially if they are working on AI design. As AI becomes more intelligent, there is a higher risk of it being able to do everything by itself.
Currently, designers are often required to help AI be successful in the design process. Designers often give AI feedback when it makes mistakes or helps guide it when it can’t figure something out on its own.
However, as time passes, AI will have an easier time understanding how humans think and what they want. There won’t be a need for designers to work with them anymore. Designers will need to focus their efforts on user research and insights instead of design execution if this happens — just like what’s happening in other fields right now.
Another thing that may change with the advent of AI is how people use computers in general. Currently, most people use computers for tasks that are simple enough for humans to do at a high level. As AI advances further into the realm of computer-human interaction, these tasks will likely become harder for humans to do by themselves — and even more valuable for designers to know.
The implications of AI on UX design
Designing applications that rely heavily on AI is different than designing for more human-powered apps. This difference makes it more difficult to predict what will happen as more companies adopt machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI). For example, the design of some user interface (UI) elements can be replaced with voice commands, as asking an intelligent machine to do your work replaces the need to press and tap to get things done.
For designers creating applications, artificial intelligence can help give insights and predictions about how users will interact with their website or application. AI can study, analyze, and recommend layouts that would yield the best results depending on the use case of the website or service. Technologies like this are rolling out to help designers create better websites tailored to users based on data analysis. 3M offers their Visual Attention Software (VAS), which analyzes your designs, currently only being provided to Adobe products, and “predicts what viewers will see at first glance — with 92% accuracy — so you can quickly see what your audience sees.” This means more meaningful iterations early on so that when users see the designs, the layout will be “pre-optimized,” and any changes, in theory, would be smaller to fine-tune layouts.
For users, AI and machine learning will help streamline workflow, automate redundant tasks, or help them complete tasks that they might not know how to do. By leveraging machine learning, designers can help lower the entry bar for users unfamiliar with their product by offering suggestions or auto-completing work that previously might require specialized knowledge. One of my favorite examples of this is the growing number of website builders using AI to help people who may not be tech or design-savvy. Using AI, these services help people create beautiful websites by simply answering questions and having the AI service design a website based on their needs.
What can’t AI do better than humans yet?
Artificial intelligence is great at pattern recognition and generalization, but it’s not yet as good as humans at abstract thinking or creativity. While there are a growing number of AI-powered designers, they still aren’t a substitute for the human imagination.
Designers should stay focused on the creative work — like coming up with concepts and ideas — and leave the more routine work for AI.
Artificial intelligence is constantly evolving, and eventually, there may be an AI that can create stunning designs and fully functional applications without human assistance. Fortunately for us designers, we are not there yet. However, we can use AI tools to incorporate into our applications or website to make them more useful, user-friendly, and robust.
Conclusion
Artificial intelligence is revolutionizing the way we interact with machines. It has the potential to make UX design much easier and more efficient, create better end-user experiences, and lower the barriers to entry for tasks once thought to be out of reach. However incredible machine learning and AI are, they are not without limitations. The technology is still maturing, and people are still finding their way with how to best leverage its power.
Despite these limitations, AI is a tool that will fundamentally change how we design and experience the world. Embrace the future.
