We tried using AI when designing. Here's what we learned.

Hey friend,

This is Design Current. A newsletter about user experience design.

Over the past few months, we’ve been experimenting with AI tools in real-world design work.

But tbh, we're tired of the AI hype. Can it actually help us design better? So instead of chasing headlines, we wanted to know:

Here’s a peek at what we’ve learned so far.

We’ve tried AI for everything from brainstorming and wireframing to prototyping and generating illustrations. A few takeaways stood out:

Designers aren’t going anywhere. AI can’t replace the context, problem-solving, and nuanced decisions that make good design work. It generalizes. Designers know the product, the team, and the business.
AI clears the small stuff so we can focus on the big stuff. Like a design system, it speeds up repetitive tasks so we can spend more time on strategy, user flows, and aligning with business goals.

Visualizing product requirements. Pairing AI prototypes with PRDs gives teams a shared starting point. It’s not about the output being “right” but about making complex ideas easier to see.
Jumpstarting niche design challenges. When competitive analysis falls flat, AI prototypes can spark ideas (even if they mostly show you what not to do). Writing prompts forces deeper thinking, and the results create a springboard for better solutions.
Wireframing simpler projects. For common flows or straightforward marketing sites, AI helps us generate a quick first draft and explore directions faster.

Making handoff-ready designs. It’s slow and frustrating to get AI to create pixel-perfect screens that match the UX you want. It also struggles with applying design systems clearly and consistently.
Changing small design details. Adjusting things like background colors or corner radii is often faster and easier to do by hand than to wait for AI to get it right.

Generating consistent illustrations. We found a tutorial on X for creating Airbnb-style illustrations (huge credit to the creator, Hamza Ehsan (@hxmzaehsan)). By rewriting the prompt structure and feeding in references, we created cohesive, brand-aligned illustrations for clients in a week instead of months.
Break prompts into smaller parts. If you’ve ever asked AI to design an entire flow and the output was wildly off, you know the feeling. Instead, try:
- Start with one component or section at a time
- Review and critique before moving on
- Use each round to refine where AI is misfiring

You won’t design a polished app three times faster just by using AI. That’s not how this works.

But the tools are improving, and the use cases are growing. We’ll keep experimenting, learning, and sharing what’s actually working.

Thanks for reading! Until next time.

Andrea & Anyi,

Cofounder @ Koi Studios

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