Is AI Driving Us Away From Designing User-Centered Experiences?

The road to AI has been filled with impressive discoveries and developments. Technology has been with us for a long time, but it wasn’t always like that – as you would expect. We started as farms and hunters, filling our days with activities in nature, working alongside one another, and having herds and farms as our primary activities. But as the years passed we became more and more intrigued by the uses of technology. 

After we discovered electricity everything took a turn for the better and made us see our society as different. And as Thomas Edison said “We will make Electric Light so cheap that only the wealthy can afford to burn candles.”, and so he did, so slowly but surely took over our lives and dictated our development.

For years, we’ve seen artificial intelligence depicted in science fiction movies as a futuristic technology that was just out of reach. And since AI took over the world we had to deal with the changes and the consequences everything has brought over us. Some jobs were erased, and some appeared as well. But for the ones worried that the end is approaching, it’s not the case when it comes to UI/UX design. As many of us are hoping on the AI bandwagon, we can expect to see some impressive advancements and uses of AI in all industries and this also includes the graphic design industry.

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As John McCarthy, one of the founding fathers of AI, put it “It is the science and engineering of making intelligent machines, especially intelligent computer programs. It is related to the similar task of using computers to understand human intelligence, but AI does not have to confine itself to methods that are biologically observable.".  AI uses machine learning to operate and deliver the right information or to achieve certain tasks.

Machine Learning can appear daunting initially, but essentially, it boils down to machine learning. In the realm of data science, Machine Learning has garnered significant focus recently, permeating various aspects of our lives. Its operation involves gathering data, employing statistical techniques to uncover insights, predict outcomes, and provide valuable information. Whether it's the recommendation system on Netflix, the filtration of spam emails, or the streamlining of processes through automation, the applications of Machine Learning are extensive. Constantly, scientists and engineers are enhancing ML by refining algorithms, enabling them to learn from historical data, and iteratively improving accuracy—similar to the way the human brain refines responses through trial and error.

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Having knowledge about your audience is the most important thing when it comes to building your design. The focus of each design should be the user and his experience. AI also has the ability to personalize the user experience for everyone and overall improve the design process.  

Accessibility is one of the most important features when it comes to UI UX design. Accessibility is the one that can improve usability and features like an intuitive design, and clear and organized navigation that can be used by everyone. Being accessible should be more important than having a complex or aesthetically pleasing graphic design that is hard to understand or read. 

As Steve Ballmer, former Microsoft CEO, said:

‍“Accessible design is good design if it benefits people who don’t have disabilities as well as people who do. Accessibility is all about removing barriers and providing the benefits of technology for everyone.”

So, when creating a UI UX design we need to make sure that anyone can benefit from it. 

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AI is transforming every industry. The power of conversational AI technologies, such as chatbots, AI-powered virtual assistants, and natural language processing (NLP) tools, has become more and more helpful as they can offer the best services at any time. If you're pondering over their functioning, these utilities can be efficiently harnessed for automating customer service and elevating the overall customer journey. 

AI and UX can work hand in hand. AI can improve the user experience by delivering faster answers or even anticipating situations in which users can be. The machine learning mechanism can offer us as UI UX designers possible situations and help us anticipate and improve the user experience and the design.

So, if you're seeking answers related to your design, swift responses can be anticipated. And, thanks to AI-driven tools, continuous support is furnished around the clock, 24/7, so you can ask anything at any time. 

However, AI can’t have a personal view as humans have. It doesn't have feelings and it can’t help us design better user-centered experiences when it comes to making our users feel the design, it can’t spark emotions. But, to address the question Will AI replace UX Designers, the answer is definitely no.

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AI is not a replacement for human intelligence and expertise. Instead, it is a powerful tool that only complements our skills. And this is exactly what our software does. It can help us understand the logical way of completing tasks. It can create certain personas to help us deliver a more suitable environment for our users. But, we can’t completely rely on it. AI and UI/UX designers should work hand in hand to deliver the best solution and user experience and if this is not enough maybe a design system can give the help you need.

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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 UI 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!

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