Have you ever heard that AI is coming for your job? That it’s going to replace designers now that anyone can use a prompt to create a visual without a bachelor design degree?
For many junior designers, that fear is real. But what if that’s the wrong question to ask?
AI isn’t here to replace us; it’s here to accelerate our process—it’s about how we, as a junior UI/UX designer, can leverage AI as a powerful tool to streamline our workflow.
Also Read: The Book That Made Me Rethink Everything About Design
How AI Changed My Workflow as a Junior Designer
When I first started as a junior UI/UX designer, creating assets was a huge challenge. I had to find and buy assets from paid platforms, then do digital imaging in Photoshop or Illustrator, or even draw everything myself.
This was incredibly time-consuming, and I often had to pull all-nighters just to get it done.
For me, the arrival of AI has been a game-changer. It has become a powerful assistant that helps me get work done faster. Now, a task that used to take me a long time can be finished much more quickly—with one important note: you have to be good at prompting.
As UI/UX designers, we live and breathe the term user-centered design. This means we focus on the user—the human.
So, how could an AI possibly replace us? The truth is, it can’t. Instead, it can become our partner, helping us work faster and more efficiently.
You might be wondering which AI tools I use. I don’t rely on just one. I’ll often use three or four different AIs to get the exact results I need.
That’s because, as you’ve probably noticed with tools like ChatGPT, there’s always a small note saying the AI can make mistakes or provide misleading information. We still need to gather multiple references, much like how you’d ask for opinions from more than one person before making a big decision.
Now, I’ll share how I use AI to speed up my UI/UX workflow, walking you through my process step-by-step.
1. The Research Phase
Research used to be incredibly time-consuming. For example, if I wanted to benchmark similar products, I had to manually search through Google, social media, and YouTube to find at least 3-5 different apps.
This process could take an entire week. Sometimes, I’d even have to download apps that weren’t available in my region.
Now, I can get a list of similar products in seconds using AI. I just provide the specific features I want to analyze, and the AI finds the apps for me. For this step, you can use a tool like Gemini to help with your search.
2. The Define Phase
After the research is done, this phase is all about defining the right features and figuring out how to implement them. With so many ideas, it’s easy to get overwhelmed, especially when it comes to things like information architecture.
AI is a huge help here. Instead of staring at a blank page, I can use a tool like ChatGPT.
I’ll simply describe the page or feature I’m designing, and it can generate a rough outline or a list of necessary features in seconds. Pretty cool, right?
3. The Design Phase
This is where AI truly shines. In the past, creating a design system in Figma was a meticulous, day-long process of building everything from scratch. Now, AI can generate a complete design system based on your preferences in just a few minutes.
But it doesn’t stop there. AI can also help you generate assets like images, photos, illustrations, and icons, so you no longer have to create them manually. A great tool for this is Midjourney, which can turn your text prompts into high-quality visuals.
Beyond visuals, AI can be a lifesaver for creating engaging copies for your web or app. When you’re on a tight deadline and don’t have a dedicated copywriter, you can use AI to generate text that fits your design perfectly.
Even if you need to make a minor design tweak to an existing interface, you can use an HTML-to-design tool to generate an editable Figma file directly from a website.
Figma itself is also integrating AI. It can now do things like rename layers, boost image quality, and even remove photo backgrounds, so you don’t have to jump over to Photoshop anymore!
4. The Testing Phase
As a UI/UX designer, you know that testing is essential to ensure your product meets user needs and business objectives.
In the past, this meant finding people to test your product one by one, which was difficult and often expensive. A tight deadline might make direct user testing impossible.
Now, AI can provide a quick solution. While it’s not as valid as testing with real users, you can use AI to check things like color contrast or readability for your call-to-action buttons.
You can also generate a heatmap to see what parts of the page attract the most attention, a simple form of eye-tracking. A tool like VisualEyes can help you predict user behavior and attention.
These simple AI tests can save you a lot of time and money. While I still recommend using real users when you have the time, AI is a perfect solution when you’re on a tight deadline.
Also Read: Tiny UX Details That Feel Like Magic
Using AI to Focus on What Really Matters
The real conversation around AI isn’t about replacement; it’s about acceleration. For a junior designer, AI isn’t a competitor. It’s the most powerful tool we’ll ever have.
AI turns time-consuming, tedious tasks like market research, asset creation, and basic testing into quick, efficient steps. By letting AI handle the more repetitive parts of the workflow, we get to focus on the things that truly matter: understanding the user, solving complex problems, and creating meaningful experiences.
By embracing AI, we’re not just keeping up with the industry; we’re fast-tracking our own growth. It allows us to produce high-quality work in less time, gain confidence, and build a portfolio that showcases our creativity and strategic thinking.
AI is the secret to becoming a more efficient, capable, and valuable designer, allowing us to focus on the human side of design and accelerate our career.