Will AI Replace UI/UX Designers

“You have to talk about ‘The Terminator’ if you’re talking about artificial intelligence. I actually think that that’s way off. I don’t think that an artificially intelligent system that has superhuman intelligence will be violent. I do think that it will disrupt our culture.” — Gray Scott

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When asked about the rise of AI, Bill Gates stated that he had only witnessed one other milestone in the world of technology that moved him as much. He was referring to the time in 1980 when he was first introduced to a graphical user interface. 

We are living in the age of AI and it is starting to influence our daily lives more and more - especially when it comes to UI/UX design. 

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According to a recent study conducted by the University of Queensland, 3 out of 5 people are either uncertain or against trusting AI. If we look at the public view regarding the benefits of implementing AI, only half of the respondents believed the benefits outweigh the risks. It is important to note that roughly half of the participants declared that they were not sure what AI is used for. 

Fearing that AI will replace jobs is far from a new occurrence. During the 80s, the term computerphobia was used to describe negative feelings of anxiety, fear, and uncertainty that the general public had about computers. When telephones started to come out, theories circulated that they were used to communicate with the dead. Whenever a new technological revolution occurs, people tend to reject it.

Still, these sentiments of resentment and fear were never strong enough to stop digital advances from coming. But what is the relationship between UI/UX designers and AI?

The demand for web and app designs is as high as ever. And crafting great product designs is not an easy job. Digital designers merge technology and creativity to craft media that can be visualized on a screen or a digital interface. This is especially the case of AI design generators. Their work has been instrumental in the support and advancement of the digital age. Without them, we would not be able to have websites and apps that are usable and intuitive. 

UI/UX designers are responsible for creating deliverables for websites and apps. Here are some examples of what these designers do:

• Website graphics and layouts
• Digital ads
• Wireframes and prototypes
• Interactive elements
• Infographics

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However, in recent years, the digital design industry has been navigating a cultural shift. Here is where AI comes into play. AI, short for artificial intelligence, refers to machine learning and problem-solving skills that are simulated in machines. In digital design, it is generally used as a starting point for the creation process. To put it simply, it provides ideas and references that designers can use as inspiration.

To understand how UI/UX designers use AI in their projects, we can take a look at Adobe Firefly. This well-known software consists of a collection of AI design tools used to craft a wide range of color variations. One of its most impressive features is the text effect AI design generator. Designers can insert specific prompts into it to generate custom text styles. This not only simplifies the work of a designer but also provides a great source of inspiration.

Even though designers have been working with AI software for years, it seems that only in the last two years people have become alarmed about it. With the spike in popularity of ChatGPT and DALL-E 2, it feels like a war on creativity has been declared. This brings us to a question that is on many peoples’ minds. 

But it goes beyond text generators. Nowaday, more and more AI design tools are popping up helping UI/UX designers generate different UI elements. Whether it's an image, a SVG icon, the code for a website, and even an entire product design - all through AI generation. For example, Uizard.io helps us, as UI/UX designers create design concepts in just a few seconds. Just introduce your prompt, such as "a modern health tracker mobile app", and with the help of this AI design generator, we're good to go!

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What is the future of UI UX with AI Design?

A recent survey conducted this year by HubSpot Blog reported that 93% of web designers have used some type of AI design technology to enhance their work in the last three months. And the number is only growing! 

It is not difficult to understand why so many designers and digital companies are choosing to implement AI technology in their work. It is time-efficient, it is great for personalizing content by analyzing user data, and through its augmented reality experience, it can enhance UX. AI tools can also help us eliminate some costs and are accessible even to designers with little experience in the field. 

Turning our backs to automation will only slow us down. But the idea that all UI/UX designers will lose their jobs in the dawn of AI is more than far-fetched. Here is a thing: AI was not created to eliminate the human component of design. And even if we suppose it was, many limitations stop it from replacing the digital design branch.

• Creativity. The foundation of AI is that it replicates things it already knows. It will never be truly capable of coming up with an innovative product design. Human creativity cannot be mirrored by machines. They lack the empathy and emotional intelligence of a real designer. 

• Context. AI software can only craft so much with a prompt they are given. Machines cannot comprehend context the way humans do. For example, an AI tool might create a visually stunning infographic but completely misinterpret its meaning. Nuances such as humor, irony, and equity, can only really be conveyed by a product designer.

• Dependency On Data. During the process of creation of an AI, it is fed certain information by its author. This will make the machine dependent on the type of data it was fed and imply that it has limitations. An example of this is ChatGPT which only has information as recent as the year 2021. Another downside of this is that AI can be provided with biased data.

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So, a short answer to this crippling debate would be that no, AI will not lead to the downfall of UI/UX designers, nor will AI replace UI/UX designers. While the ethics of using machine learning to enhance your projects is a discussion for a different day, there is virtually no use in fearing these advancements. AI tools are not the revolution of technology, they were not developed to eliminate the importance of so many creatives. Instead, we should view the rise of these machines as the natural progression of the product design world. 

We at uinkits understand the importance of inputs in great user experiences and creating amazing UI designs. That’s why we’ve developed a Figma UI Kit with design components that include these essential UI elements that enable you to design intuitive and user-friendly interfaces effortlessly.  

“You press the button, we do the rest,” – Kodak.

Inspired by this iconic tagline from Kodak, we believe in simplifying the design process for you. Our Figma UI Kit, uinkits, is a complete design system with UI components that allows you, as a UI UX designer, to create your products as quickly as pressing a button.

Our design system includes components, icons, variables, cards, buttons, and everything you need for your design process. All you have to do is take your UI design component needed, and you’re ready to use it in your designs!