Takeaways From Config 2024

What I learned at Config…AI is taking over our jobs.

Now now… I don’t completely believe that.

I do think that AI is a resource that could be super helpful to us in all parts of our lives. Although I don't see it replacing us… at least not just yet.

How does this relate to #Config2024 you may be asking?

Figma recently announced the release of a number of AI features that will be rolling out in their new UI soon. These include the ability to generate text or images based on prompts or have AI design a full screen design for you.

And contrary to the buzz and excitement around that last part, call me crazy, but I think that is where AI will prove it's not yet ready to become us and where I believe we are going to start to see a wider gap between Junior and Senior designers.

Hear me out. With where technology is today, I have noticed that when something is AI generated, we react differently to it. In other words we are able to make out a difference between AI and human generated information.

The reason being, is humans are more emotion driven than AI. We are able to connect on deeper levels because we are more complicated entities.

So how does this create a bigger divide between design levels?

Using AI to create a screen is a great starting point, but definitely not the end point!

Yet I worry that due to lack of understanding of the right questions to ask, Juniors will start to hand those screens off earlier than a Senior would.

I ultimately see a world where more of the UX process goes away as a means to cut corners and this only leads to the end user being hurt. I fear that this increase in AI with limited rules or guidelines as an industry only leads to an increase in designs with less thought behind them. But as I write this, it got me wondering:

Is this really a divide between levels or a divide between good and great designers?