Welcome to a new year and a whole new UX Tools. You can expect the same quality research, practical guides, and deep insight—but now from my perspective, informed by 14 years of designing user experiences.

This newsletter is part of my larger mission to close the biggest gaps in today’s design education—and to ultimately give back to the online learning community that gave me everything. I hope you’ll offer feedback on what you like, what you don’t, and what you’d love to see in this new version of UX Tools.

Now? Let’s dive in.

—Tommy (@DesignerTom)

P.S. There’s a gift for you at the end of this edition. Don’t forget your party favor on the way out.

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The Wireframe:

• What you need to know about AI for design in 2024
• Exploring the ethics of AI image generation
• Ask DesignerTom: Is AI dangerous for UI/UX designers?

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What You Need to Know About AI for Design in 2024

AI is about to upend the way you do your job.

Let me explain: Every year, UX Tools asks thousands of designers about the tech they can’t work without in our Design Tools Survey.

This year’s biggest takeaway? AI is changing everything. 65% of designers surveyed are already using AI in their work, and I expect that number is only going up.

UX legends are shouting "AI" from the rooftops (especially our friend Jakob Nielsen, who basically blames all bad websites on UX designers’ slow adoption of modern technology). The UX Collective’s State of UX in 2024 echoed the same sentiment: AI has the potential to "both lift you up and push you out."

So how can you use AI to your advantage?

Some suggestions ➡️

First up: Get better at prompting generative AI chatbots. 84% of pro-AI designers we spoke to are using ChatGPT. Here’s how to use it better, inspired by Tibi David’s killer prompt library:

Create clear boundaries. For example, you could prompt a chatbot with this:

• "Ensure that your suggestions align with [insert design principles, guidelines, or best practices] to create an effective and inclusive user experience."

Make ChatGPT self-evaluate. For example:

• "Evaluate the proposed features’ potential impact on [insert desired outcomes, like usability or user satisfaction]. List any challenges I may encounter during implementation."

Connect the output to larger business goals. For example:

• "Relate the suggested [items or actions] to [list overall goals or objectives], [mention any specific targets, such as user retention or revenue growth]."

Next up: Explore the capabilities of image generators like Midjourney and DALL-E. They could help with everything from color palettes to personal illustrations to journey mapping (check out this step-by-step guide to using AI for journey mapping by UX designer Chris Callahan).

Also: Check out the AI capabilities of your existing toolkit.

• ​Lucidspark and FigJam AI are great whiteboarding assistants.
• ​Dovetail's AI features include transcription, sentiment analysis, and a personalized response engine.
• ​Maze's "follow-up block" automatically triggers contextual follow-up questions for user testing.

Finally: Keep your eyes peeled for new AI tools. A few I’m trying out:

• ​Visual Electric, an AI image generator specifically designed for creatives.
• ​Tldraw is a no-code collaborative digital whiteboard that turns your sketches into functional prototypes.
• ​Notion AI’s Q&A feature helps Notion power users (like me) find and interact with information in their Notion workspace (think: analyzing complex data from user interviews, surveys, and usability testing).

Bottom line: Great designers will learn how to integrate AI innovations into their existing practice. That way when AI becomes fully ubiquitous, they'll benefit from the "luck of timing" while everyone else plays catch up.

Poll: Do you want to learn more about using AI in your UX/UI work?

​✅ Yes​

​❌ No​

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News, Tools, and Resources: AI <> Design

• Let’s talk about the ethics of AI image generation.
• Check out this awesome visual narrative of how AI enhances the UX process.
• Today’s dose of AI optimism: Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella on AI for good.
• I thought this was a great interview on AI and the future of tech roles with Scott Belsky, the chief product officer of Adobe.
• If you’re stuck on an AI workflow, check out this growing library of cutting-edge AI interfaces (disclaimer: I own this site).
• A great reminder of how designers can flex their humanity in an AI world.

Got a great tool, podcast episode, idea, or something else? Hit reply and tell me what’s up.

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Ask DesignerTom

Welcome to the first edition of Ask DesignerTom. Got a question? I want to hear from you: Submit your biggest design questions here.

Q: Is AI dangerous for UI/UX designers? —Jenna

A: It’s only "dangerous" for designers who don’t evolve.

Designers will not be wholly eliminated—but their roles will change. UX Collective’s State of UX in 2024 report put it best: "When any small business owner can design and launch an entire website with a simple text prompt, the demand for skilled designers is considerably reduced."

The silver lining? Designers who can lead research and strategy and take on hybrid roles like PM/PMM, Design/PM, and Eng/Design will be most in-demand, especially for companies tightening budgets in an economic pullback. Getting more holistic in your design not only makes you a more attractive hire...it also makes you a better designer.

TL;DR: Relax. Learn the tools. Recognize that they’ll change over time. And ditch the cynicism. It’ll just slow you down.

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Thanks for reading! I want to offer concrete value in every single edition, and your honest input is critical—so let me know what you think.

And about that gift... 🎁 Head on over to my LinkedIn for free access to my 12-part video series on building audiences and info products.

See you next week!

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