Design + AI: This month's must-see recap

We hope you enjoyed reading this month’s Design + AI newsletters and that you gained some knowledge through our investigations into design tools with AI features.

In case you missed our previous editions and would like to download our Design + AI roadmaps and read our findings, here is a roll-up of this month’s newsletters and roadmaps you can download.

Intro to Design + AI

This edition offers a sneak peek into the following edition on Design + AI, including three design roadmaps to help you get started.

Did you miss it?

Read the Thursday, March 7 Welcome to our month of Design + AI edition here.

Design + AI roadmaps

This edition spotlights three pivotal roadmaps:

• The integration of AI tools in UX/UI design
• The exploration of Adobe Photoshop's AI functionalities
• A deep dive into Adobe Illustrator's AI capabilities

We also share:

• Our top AI tool recommendations
• Practical advice for both hiring managers seeking AI-savvy talent and job seekers eager to thrive in an AI-driven design landscape

If you missed this informative edition, you can read it here:

Thursday, March 14: 3 Design + AI roadmaps.

Quick links to our Design + AI roadmaps

Get the Design: UX/UI roadmap

Get the AI + Photoshop roadmap

Get the AI + Illustrator roadmap

Insights for designers

We know the whirlwind of AI advancements can feel a bit overwhelming at times. But perspective is key. One way to think about AI is not as a looming giant overshadowing your work, but as a collaborator.

At the heart of every great design is a story, an emotion, a piece of humanity that no algorithm can fully grasp. That's where you shine. Your ability to empathize, to understand the subtle nuances of human experience, and to create designs that resonate on a deeply personal level—that's your superpower. AI tools might speed up processes or offer new ways to explore ideas, but they can't replicate the unique spark of creativity that comes from you.

Let it amplify your skills, not replace them. This is an opportunity to push boundaries, to explore uncharted territories of design, and to create experiences more enriching and engaging than ever before.

Where to start

Not familiar with AI tools and features newly on the market? Our newsletter editions are a good place to begin—especially if you’re feeling some trepidation about AI. We found that once we started learning about how AI can be used as a useful tool rather than a replacement of our skills, we felt much more comfortable and even excited to see what we could do with them.

• Take some time to read our newsletters
• Peruse the roadmaps we’ve provided
• Experiment with the tools we’ve featured

What’s next

Next month, we’ll be exploring UX Research + AI. April’s series of newsletters offer a starting point for research experts seeking to navigate the expanding terrain of AI-enhanced research tools.

Try this!

We chose to try a retro travel poster theme for an Instagram post using Canva’s Magic Studio AI features. Here are the steps we took to create this post:

1. Open Canva and choose the Instagram Post template.
2. In the left nav bar, type in "Retro Travel Poster" in the search bar that says “Use 5+ words to describe…” and then choose a template from the ones they show below the search bar.
3. Use the Magic Media function in the left nav bar and type in what you want to see. We typed “Retro vacation photo of Coney Island.” Choose the image to place it on the template, resize to fit the full area, and send to back using the “Position” button on the top nav bar.
4. Apply a vintage filter and adjust the saturation to give it an old-school vibe.
5. Use the Magic Write function to edit the text and use a retro font style.
6. Finalize your design by adding vintage travel icons or stickers.