13 reasons why the role of UX designer can never be terminated.
Terminator 2 death meme image from DOOM. Image Credit: id SoftwareAs always, thought-provoked by Jakob Nielsen’s great newsletter recently about the ongoing impact of AI and its imminent and ultimate disruption on UX work.
The theme around the Innovator’s Dilemma was certainly provocative and possibly depressing for any UX designers who’ve not yet made peace with the fact that not only is AI is here to stay, but that cute lil’ rapidly growing metallic monster won’t be satisfied until it completely separates you from your livelihood (“Put your baby in my belly!”).
In his newsletter, Dr. Nielsen (whom I have the utmost respect for) touches on how we are reaching a very pivotal moment in our field today.
As he puts it, we’re currently in stage 2 (quickly nearing 3) of the 5-step disruption process wherein the sun is poised to be set on UX work as we’ve always known it, due to these powerful AI tools now available to us, that are getting better and smarter (by leaps and bounds) seemingly by the day.
The main point he was making was that these tools are either threatening our very existence in our roles as we know it and/or we’re the ones shaping how these tools ultimately evolve (with or without us).
So, yet another reminder to jump on the bandwagon if you haven’t already as the proverbial last train seems to be about to leave the station.
That being said, before I dive into the main topic at hand, it’s important to mention that I’m a huge skeptic (anyone who truly knows me, knows this), and I’m not ashamed to admit it. In fact, my deep skepticism has (and continues to) preserve me from some potentially detrimental decisions, and has taken me quite far in the wisdom (far better than knowledge, see the book of Proverbs for more) dept.
So, now onto the big question
AI can generate (let’s be honest, curate + recycle) a wealth of content, but will it EVER be able to truly, accurately, without the direct oversight and significant involvement of the role of the grizzled UX designer as we know it, generate a bespoke, enterprise-level app that:
Reason 1
Takes into consideration potentially hundreds of different personas
Reason 2
Can create all the necessary solid HCI/UCD components for the unique data structure/flow that exists for EVERY single type of org out there (I’ve been doing this a long time and have NEVER been able to re-use my exact, dare-I-say awesome design patterns that I’ve had to come up with to service any given org’s bespoke data)
Reason 3
Can craft potentially thousands of bespoke business/data contextual deep web decision trees (see Jakob’s heuristic #9)
Reason 4
Can craft even more intuitive user flows for that unique business model/data
Reason 5
Can create intuitive user dashboards with hundreds (if not thousands) of possible unique to the business/data value-added scenarios and the right visuals (e.g. graphs, charts, captions, etc.) in the right places
Reason 6
Nails the copious amounts of intuitively written (in brand voice) error/success/authentication messages (see Jakob’s heuristic #2) dependent on hundreds (if not thousands) of scenarios
Reason 7
Generates every essential and again in some usability/persona/data/biz model cases bespoke UI/IxD patterns that consistently (see Jakob’s heuristic #4) honor and adhere to DS/brand principles to a tee, and that also take into consideration the critical importance to nail the essential and quite nuanced 508 compliance standards
Reason 8
Considers and applies the possibly multiple sub-brands into the experience in the right place, at the right time
Reason 9
Ensures that the extensive amounts of content not only considers visual hierarchy principles, but flows perfectly in and around each imperative design component and UI element without appearing like a [ahem] soulless machine made it
Reason 10
Knows when and how to make an intuitive design element a component or not (I’m not even going to get into communicating with engineers about how to translate all the elements of a component into the working, intuitive, cohesive design vision that includes all the multiple QA cycles for handoff to Yeet-town)
Reason 11
Uses the right UI component at the right time (see italic text above)
Reason 12
Sets up the proper notification systems (email, in-app, offline) for every potential (we’re talking potentially multiple hundreds of) notification types that given system/business model/data requires
Reason 13
Oh yeah, and ensures that with every line of code, and every single asset generated was somehow bundled with carefully considered HCI/UCD usability-tested solutions to all of these bespoke scenarios…
…with just a prompt?
Even if AI could ever by some technological miracle, get remotely close to a viable, cohesive solution to all the above, the other big question is, will it ever actually be able to articulate exactly why it made those tens of thousands of design decisions in a way that the dozens (hundreds, thousands??) of actual humans comprised of multiple disciplines and experience levels can fully understand?
That’s where you and I come in. Hell, that’s where we UX designers remain immovable imho for now and the foreseeable future. Sorry “AI Jesus”, but ‘you’ve fallen short of the glory of Zod.’ — 1 Opinions 24:7 😜
To sum it up
I’m (obviously) still extremely skeptical that AI is ever going to successfully render the role of the UX designer (as we’ve always known it) as dead. I do however personally believe that anyone new to, or just coming into UX is going to have a much harder time than folks who’ve been at it for a while. Time will tell.
I do wholeheartedly agree with Dr. Nielsen, in that it’s important for us as UX designers to get, be, stay updated and familiar with all the tools available to us to help us potentially get to and through the expansive list above just a little faster, while still (please, for the love of God) not simply ‘moving fast and breaking things’. I always say, ‘slow down, fix things’.
You could play the drinking game every time you hear, “AI will not take your job, someone using AI will”, and frankly, in addition to the fact that I’m a recovered alcoholic, I’ve reached a level of malaise in hearing that, so I will spare you the trope… er, too late.
I really think we’re gonna be okay, as long as we never stop learning, growing, and staying humble and curious.
Basically (and maybe controversially), what actually got us here, will still get us there.
This article was written in its entirety by a real human.
Agree or disagree? Do you have any addt’l rationale to add to the list above? Leave it in the comments.
Related Reading:
Figma AI tools: I’m not worried about my job anytime soon
Will AI render the role of UX Designer dead? was originally published in UX Collective on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.
