So, uh… what now? How are you going to replace that product-design-shaped hole in your life?
By: Justin Wieners
April 20, 2023
Let’s get this out of the way: I do not think AI is going to take our product design jobs any time soon… mainly because exceptional, creative humans have always taken new tools and harnessed them to create wonderful things.
But today, just for fun, I want you to imagine a darker world. A world where the AI robots have taught themselves about text hierarchy and negative space – they know how to detach a Figma component and they can kern the hell out of Inter semi-bold.
Anyways, imagine it’s 9:05 am and you get a Slack message from your manager:
So, uh… what now? How are you going to replace that product-design-shaped hole in your life?
You know what? You say to yourself, Maybe this is a blessing in disguise.
The value of a product designer isn’t just drawing rectangles or choosing color palettes or exporting jpegs. Many of our skills are more nebulous – we focus on problem solving and we can think from another human’s perspective. We spend time analyzing a problem, generating many different solutions, and measuring their feasibility before we even create that first artboard.
One of the most powerful things designers can do is to take an idea from someone else’s brain (which can be vague and cryptic), filter through the practicalities of it, then show what it looks like in action. And we can do it fast! That is magic.
What I’m saying is: product designers have quite a few skills that can (and do) translate to other crafts or careers. So that’s what I’ll be leaning into when the robots come for our ergonomic chairs.
One of the most powerful things designers can do is to take an idea from someone else’s brain, filter through the practicalities of it, then show what it looks like in action.
Don’t believe me? Just think about the variety of things we do every day:
But how do we use our skills in the outside world?
Most people can imagine something in their mind and then try to describe it. Where designers excel is by listening to a description and recreating the visual in our own minds.
Like I said earlier, this is one of our best superpowers… taking an idea and making it real. Even if what we make isn’t necessarily real real (say a Figma prototype)… it helps start a conversation and gives everyone in the room something to point at and discuss.
There’s a lot of different ways this skill can be used. I’m currently working on a project for a friend who wants to make merch for an auto parts store - a business that is now closed, but that her grandfather ran for decades. She has an idea, she has a few photos of the store from the ‘70s, but connecting those dots and executing something tangible is hard. Let alone executing a thing that does justice to something as important as her grandpa’s legacy. But I can help with that! I can take that photo and pull bits and pieces out and put them back together in a meaningful way to make a real t-shirt. Sure, it’s just a t-shirt. But it’s still a superpower.
Most people can imagine something in their mind and then try to describe it. Where designers excel is by listening to a description and recreating the visual in our own minds.
Thinking visually is also relevant in interior design. Since designers can imagine things as if it were reality, we can take some vague inspiration and go to an antique store and find the perfect tchotcke for our bookshelf. We can visualize what it would be like if we painted this wall that color or what the pantry would look like with wallpaper inside.
You know what AI can’t do? Wallpaper.
Building something from scratch involves a plan, materials, and tools. For product designers, it looks something like this:
I like to think that building physical things is actually very similar to what we do. It’s just different materials and different tools… and tools can be learned. Designers are actually pretty good at being adaptable and being willing to try new techniques.
In my time as a designer, I’ve used Photoshop, Sketch, InVision, Figma, HubSpot, SquareSpace, Illustrator, InDesign, Shopify and Premiere Pro to build things. Anybody remember Balsamiq? We learn new tools all the time.
In my time as a designer, I’ve used Photoshop, Sketch, InVision, Figma, HubSpot, SquareSpace, Illustrator, InDesign, Shopify and Premiere Pro to build things... We learn new tools all the time.
So if you’re trying to build a new bookshelf for your home, you need a:
In both scenarios, you have to know what problem you’re solving. You have to wireframe the solution. You have to anticipate the obstacles and imagine how the product will be used in the wild. The only difference is the materials and tools. Keep the materials basic, learn how to use a few different tools, and you can build anything!
You know what AI can’t do? Use a Dewalt power drill.
Sometimes I joke that 75% of design is actually just politics… but it might be close to the truth. I would break it down like this:
Am I the only one that feels that way? I doubt it.
Designers have to balance the thoughts and needs of many different people. We bridge the gap between customers and the business, trying to solve problems in a way that helps both (which is super hard, btw!). We bridge the gap between product and engineering, going from ideas to reality. We are good listeners (ideally). We make people feel heard, and we communicate with many different types of people in “their own language”.
So what could we do with these skills? Relationships are important in any job. Maybe you could be a contractor and build partnerships with tradespeople to renovate kitchens. You might use your people skills to run for city council. Maybe you’re like me and you’d love to work at Ace Hardware and help your neighbors pick out the right grass seed.
Who knows? You could do a lot of things, maybe you’re an entrepreneur and you put that energy into finding partners to support your business.
You know what AI can’t do? Convince a human that an idea is good even if it wasn’t their own.
Maybe you’re like me and you’d love to work at Ace Hardware and help your neighbors pick out the right grass seed.
There’s usually more than one way to solve a problem. Most designers believe that to be true, so we’re open to feedback and compromise. After all, if it solves the original problem you’ve done your job.
Sometimes people get stuck on a single solution, but designers are curious by nature. You could argue that curiosity is our most valuable skill, because it allows us to:
How’s that help you find a new career? I don’t know, go figure it out.
If you’re reading this, I hope it’s not because AI took our jobs. But if it is… I think we’ll be alright.
We’re makers, problem-solvers, public speakers, collaborators, interviewers, troubleshooters, and relationship builders. Which skill will help you start that new career? Take your pick.
Oh, and one last thing…. I wrote this whole article without ChatGPT. Can you even imagine? 😃
(Shoutout to the fab Rebecca Basnight for the Robot Illustration)
Written by
Justin Wieners