From the moment Midjourney and ChatGPT became available to use, I was intrigued, yet also a little apprehensive. The feeling at the time were rounded of by these three questions:

• “Is this even going to take hold?”
• “Do I personally agree that we should use it in the first place?”
• “Is this a bad thing for ‘design’?”

Given everything I’ve been writing over the last few months, I think you’ll know my position now. But let me take you back about 6 months when Tobi announced that AI would be a requirement, not just an expectation of peoples roles at Shopify.

Tobi’s position didn’t shock me, at all. If anything I’m surprised he hadn’t said it sooner.

It was interesting to watch the response. Some folks agreed, some were cautious and some were outright defensive. I understood that. Change often feels like a threat before it feels like an opportunity. But I said then what I still believe now.

This is a shift that’s already here. The only question is how you meet it and if you don’t I’m genuinely worried for you.

I’ve said before that I don’t think AI will replace creativity or vision or deep thinking. But it will absolutely impact how we do the work. It already is. It’s changing how we move from idea to reality. How we test, how we write and how we build.

And that’s a good thing.

AI tools are already embedded in the workflows of those pushing boundaries. But for those that are either still resistant or wondering how it might fit in with their workflow here are the most basic forms I can think of:

1. Use a tool like Dovetail for faster user research insight synthesis
2. Use ChatGPT for drafting or reworking ideas or asking it any questions that give you back time
3. Use Cursor or Replit to build functional prototypes that can be tested in the real world

That last one matters most to me.

I’ve talked a lot about code prototypes recently. About why they beat static or clickable prototypes every time. Cursor has been a massive enabler for that. It’s helped me move from idea to real faster than anything else. And when you pair that speed with the right intent, the impact is huge.

Using AI is not about replacing designers. It’s not about forcing new tools on people. It’s about reducing the time and effort it takes to go from nothing to something. About spending less time stuck and more time learning.

What AI still struggles with is the spark. The emotion. The moment of human insight that drives something unexpected. But it can take the strain from everything else. But you can take that spark and turn it into something incredible by utilising AI.

I don’t think that’s a threat. I think that’s the point.

And if you’re still on the fence, I’d say the same thing now as I did then.

Try it. Test it. Build your own view. Because this shift isn’t slowing down and the people who embrace it now will be the ones shaping what comes next.