Harnessing AI for UX Careers: Building a Strategic Career Plan

With over 20 years as a designer and 8 years as an entrepreneur, I’ve seen how technology can change everything.

But the last few months? They’ve been a game-changer. We’ve seen 2100 new AI tools hit the market in just half a year, and they’re not stopping. This is changing the world of UX design faster than we’ve ever seen. It’s exciting, but it can also be a bit scary. The secret to making the most of this AI boom is not just understanding AI, but figuring out how to make it work for our careers.

In this article, I’ll chat about how this tech wave will change our work, what skills we need to ride it out, and how we can level up in an AI-driven world.

The Winds of Change in the Corporate World

The job market is driven by three big goals: cutting costs, boosting productivity, and getting results fast. AI is a powerful tool that can help achieve all these goals.

Here’s a simple breakdown of how these goals could shape the careers of Design professionals:

In short, AI is changing the game for UX professionals. It’s not just about doing the work anymore — it’s about guiding the AI, making strategic decisions, and driving results.

The AI Toolbox: Strategize to Rise

In the vast world of AI tools, it’s important to remember that not all tools are the same. Some tools, like Uizard, Visily, or Genius, are built to automate tasks. Others, like ChatGPT or Stable Diffusion, are more about generating new ideas and solving complex problems.

With so many AI tools to choose from, it’s important to be smart about what you learn. You might be tempted to focus on automation tools because they can quickly make your work easier. But be careful — if you rely too much on these tools, you might find that your job has been automated away.

As a designer, your goal should be to move up the ladder as fast as you can. This means working on your conceptual and problem-solving skills, which are skills that will command a premium. This approach will not only make you more productive, but it will also give you the skills you need to use AI tools effectively.

The picture below illustrates the various tasks a designer typically handles, along with the best-suited tools for each task.

However, there’s a catch. While generative tools can produce impressive results, they can also make mistakes, overlook important details, give a false sense of security, and in the worst cases, even provide misleading solutions.

Conclusion

Mastering the intricate dance between AI and UX is no longer a luxury; it’s a career imperative for any UX designer who wants to stay ahead of the curve.

The ability to leverage generative tools to solve conceptual problems will be a game changer.