In recent months, I’ve explored a tool called Semanttic, a generative AI platform designed to streamline the creation of UX deliverables. By simply prompting the system with a specific workflow, it generates UX deliverables that would traditionally take designers hours—if not days—to produce. This type of tool is becoming more common, with major platforms like Figma and Adobe integrating generative AI into their UX design workflows. The rise of these technologies is just the beginning. There are countless AI-powered solutions emerging to redefine how UX design is done.
But with these powerful tools now at every designer’s fingertips, the question remains: Are the user experiences we’re creating truly superior to what humans have been designing for the past five decades? The answer is both yes and no.
Defining “Better” in UX Design
To evaluate whether something is “better,” you first need a clear baseline. In UX design, there are several baselines we use to define quality. In some areas, AI is clearly advancing the field and delivering tangible improvements. In other areas—where it truly matters—the human element remains irreplaceable.
When I first entered the UX profession during the dot-com boom of the late 90s and early 2000s, most projects began with a blank slate. While I occasionally had a design pattern library to rely on, many times I was responsible for crafting every detail of the design from scratch. This process could take hours, days, and sometimes weeks—especially when creating basic customer journeys. Despite advancements in design tools over the years, the process remained labor-intensive.
Today, generative AI has changed this equation. With just a few prompts, AI can generate a basic visual outline of a user experience in a fraction of the time. This is a significant improvement, allowing teams to get from a blank screen to a working prototype in minutes. This is where AI tools are delivering clear value: reducing time spent on routine tasks, enabling faster iterations, and improving workflow efficiency.
Anyone can draw straight lines and rectangles
Building a baseline design using AI-powered tools is undeniably efficient. By leveraging thousands of existing design patterns, AI enables designers to bypass the tedious work of creating wireframes from scratch. This is a smart use of technology—allowing designers to spend more time on higher-value tasks. At this stage in the design process, AI helps teams focus their creative energy on problem-solving and innovation rather than repetitive tasks.
But there is a critical distinction here: anyone can draw straight lines and rectangles on a screen. As a mentor once told me, “I didn’t hire you because of your ability to create beautiful wireframes. Anyone can do that. I hired you because you can solve problems.” This is where the real value lies—not in the execution of basic design elements, but in the ability to understand user needs, empathize with real-world problems, and craft unique solutions.
Generative AI may assist in getting us to the starting point faster, but it cannot replicate the creativity, insight, and empathy that human designers bring to the table. While AI can create generic experiences, it is the human designer who tailors those designs to address specific business goals, customer needs, and unique pain points. This is where differentiation happens. And differentiation is what drives success in the marketplace.
Human Creativity: The Competitive Advantage
In the modern competitive landscape, user experience is one of the key factors that set a brand apart. The rise of AI tools may make it easier to replicate existing design solutions, but it is human creativity—fueled by deep understanding of user behavior, market needs, and business objectives—that creates experiences that truly resonate with customers.
AI can aggregate and optimize existing patterns, but at its core, it can only offer an average solution. Average doesn’t win in the market. Winning requires deeply insightful designers who can transform these tools into something that feels uniquely human—whether that means delighting the user, improving efficiency, or offering clarity. These are the nuanced decisions that AI is not equipped to make on its own.
By empowering designers with AI tools that accelerate repetitive tasks, businesses allow their creative teams to focus on what truly matters: solving complex problems, meeting user needs, and driving business outcomes.
The Future of Design: A Collaborative Model Between AI and Human Expertise
The future of UX design is not one where AI replaces human designers but one where AI acts as a tool that enhances the work of designers. As these tools evolve, they will allow designers to be more efficient, freeing up valuable time that can be spent on creative and strategic problem-solving. This is a win-win scenario—designers become more effective, and businesses can deliver higher-quality user experiences more quickly.
The key takeaway for business leaders is this: AI will improve the design process, but human insight will continue to be the driving force behind true innovation and differentiation. As AI tools evolve, companies that leverage them alongside human creativity will be poised to lead in the market. Those that rely solely on AI-generated outputs, without the human touch, risk producing mediocre experiences that fail to stand out.
In the end, it’s human creativity that will always be the differentiator in the competitive landscape of UX design.
