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How AI is Automating Routine Design Tasks: A Blessing or a Curse?
UX Design
8 min read

Introduction
AI has been making waves across industries for a while now, and UX design is no exception. It’s changing the way we work, from automating the smallest details like font choices to generating entire design layouts. But as AI becomes more entrenched in the design process, it raises a fundamental question: Is this automation a blessing or a curse for designers?
Let’s dive in and explore both sides of the coin. I’ll also share how some real-world companies around the globe are already integrating AI into their design processes—particularly in the UAE, the USA, and India.
What Exactly Does AI Do in UX Design?
At its core, AI in UX design is all about using algorithms and data to help create and refine design elements. This means automating tasks that would otherwise take hours, like adjusting layouts, picking out the right colors, or even writing microcopy. AI tools can analyze vast amounts of data to offer suggestions and help improve the design process—sometimes even before we’ve fully realized it’s needed.
Tools like Adobe Sensei and Figma’s Auto Layout are just some examples of AI helping designers work smarter. Instead of spending hours tweaking designs to fit different screen sizes or trying to come up with the perfect layout, AI tools can do it in a fraction of the time, giving designers the freedom to focus on more creative aspects of the job.
How AI is Changing the Game in UX Design
- Automating Layout Design
When it comes to creating designs that work across different screen sizes, AI has become a game-changer. Traditionally, this required a lot of back-and-forth, testing, and tweaking. But now, AI can automatically adjust layouts to fit mobile, tablet, and desktop screens without a designer needing to manually intervene.
Real-life Example (UAE): Let’s take Careem for instance. In the UAE, where mobile usage is sky-high, AI tools like Figma’s Auto Layout help the company automate the adjustment of design layouts, ensuring everything looks great on any device. This frees up their design team to spend more time on other important aspects of the app experience.
Real-life Example (USA): For a company like Airbnb, which operates worldwide, AI tools like Adobe Sensei streamline the layout process. Airbnb can deliver a smooth experience across all devices—whether it’s a phone or a laptop—thanks to AI. It’s pretty cool how this tech can handle what used to be a really manual process.
Real-life Example (India): In India, companies like Flipkart benefit from AI-driven layout tools. Given the massive variety of devices Indian users have, AI helps them maintain consistency in design, making sure the user experience is seamless no matter the screen size.
- Color and Font Choices Made Easy
Choosing the right colors and fonts can feel like an art form. But AI is here to help by recommending color palettes and fonts that not only look great but also enhance the user experience. Whether it’s for a website or an app, these tools can analyze trends and user behavior to suggest the perfect combo.
Real-life Example (UAE): Emirates Airlines, for example, uses AI to suggest color schemes that reflect the brand’s luxurious identity. The AI also makes sure that the design is accessible to a wide range of audiences. It’s a huge time-saver for designers who no longer have to guess which palette will work best.
Real-life Example (USA): Nike is another great example. AI tools help the brand maintain a consistent look while also tailoring their design to suit the latest trends. This way, their products always look fresh, and the design stays aligned with their brand.
Real-life Example (India): Over at Myntra, India’s fashion giant, AI-driven tools assist in picking the right color schemes and fonts to match the mood of the season or the specific demographic they’re targeting. It’s all about enhancing the shopping experience while maintaining brand consistency.
- Finding the Right Images and Icons
Let’s be honest—finding the right image or icon for a design can sometimes feel like searching for a needle in a haystack. AI makes this easier by scanning vast image libraries and suggesting visuals that align with the tone, color scheme, and context of the project.
Real-life Example (UAE): Noon.com, a popular e-commerce platform in the UAE, uses AI to find the perfect images for their products. This allows their design team to focus on bigger-picture tasks while ensuring the visuals match what customers want to see.
Real-life Example (USA): On Spotify, AI helps automatically suggest icons and images for playlists. Whether it’s for a new release or a user-generated playlist, AI ensures the visuals align with the overall experience of the app.
Real-life Example (India): Ola in India uses AI to find culturally relevant and user-friendly images that resonate with their diverse audience. Whether it’s an ad campaign or app update, AI ensures the visuals align with local preferences and sensibilities.
- Generating Microcopy and Content
Microcopy—those tiny bits of text that guide users through a website or app—might seem simple, but it’s actually a crucial part of UX design. AI-driven tools can generate content that’s clear, concise, and user-friendly, helping designers save time on one of the most repetitive tasks.
Real-life Example (UAE): Dubai’s government portals use AI tools to create clear and effective microcopy. Whether it’s for a digital form or a notification, AI ensures the language is simple and culturally appropriate, making it easier for users to navigate.
Real-life Example (USA): On Twitter, AI tools help generate microcopy for everything from new buttons to error messages. AI is great at testing different options and picking the one that resonates best with users.
Real-life Example (India): In India, Zomato uses AI to write copy that’s both practical and fun, giving customers clear instructions while keeping the tone light and friendly. This helps them engage users without making things feel too technical.
- Automating User Testing
User testing used to be a massive time commitment, involving A/B testing, heatmaps, and analyzing user interactions. Now, AI can automate a lot of these processes, providing insights in real-time that help improve the design without all the manual labor.
Real-life Example (UAE): Careem tracks user interactions using AI-driven tools like Hotjar. This allows the company to optimize the app based on real-time user behavior, ensuring that the app experience is as seamless as possible for users in the UAE.
Real-life Example (USA): Amazon runs ongoing A/B testing using AI to optimize everything from product page layouts to checkout processes. It’s all about maximizing conversions by continuously tweaking designs based on user interactions.
Real-life Example (India): Swiggy uses AI to analyze different design versions and test what works best for their audience. This kind of real-time data is a game-changer when it comes to improving the food delivery experience.
The Blessings of AI in UX Design
AI isn’t just about automating tasks—it’s about increasing efficiency, enhancing creativity, and improving the user experience overall.
- More Efficiency and Less Repetitive Work
With AI taking care of the repetitive tasks, designers can get more done in less time. And it’s not just about speed—AI helps streamline the entire design process, meaning that you can focus on what really matters: creativity and strategy.
- More Efficiency and Less Repetitive Work
Real-life Example (UAE): The Dubai Smart Government Initiative makes heavy use of AI to improve government portals and services. With automation, government teams can execute digital transformation projects faster, delivering better experiences for residents.
- Personalized User Experiences
AI is great for creating personalized experiences. It can analyze user behavior, making real-time adjustments to layouts, colors, and even content, based on what a user is most likely to engage with. This level of personalization leads to deeper user engagement.
- Personalized User Experiences
Real-life Example (USA): Netflix excels at personalizing recommendations based on your viewing history. AI ensures that the platform feels intuitive, like it “knows” exactly what you want to watch next.
Real-life Example (India): BigBasket tailors the shopping experience for its customers by using AI to suggest products based on past purchases. This makes it easier for customers to find what they need, improving their shopping experience.
- Fostering Creativity and Innovation
AI isn’t here to replace designers; it’s here to help them push boundaries. By automating the boring stuff, AI gives designers more time to innovate, experiment with new ideas, and create work that’s truly out of the box.
Real-life Example (UAE): Expo 2020 Dubai used AI to help create some truly innovative designs for their pavilions and interactive experiences. AI played a crucial role in ensuring these digital experiences felt both modern and relevant to a global audience.
Real-life Example (USA): Google embraces AI in their design processes, especially in Google Material Design. This allows their designers to focus on the big ideas, knowing that the repetitive tasks are handled by AI.
Real-life Example (India): Tata Consultancy Services has integrated AI to drive innovative UX design across its digital products. By freeing up designers from mundane tasks, they can focus on high-impact projects that drive user engagement.
The Curse: What Could Go Wrong with AI in UX Design?
- Job Displacement
AI might be helping us work faster, but it’s also raising concerns about job security. With AI automating so many design tasks, there’s a real risk that some roles—particularly for junior designers—could disappear. As the industry adapts, it’s crucial that designers evolve alongside technology.
- Job Displacement
Real-life Example (UAE): In the UAE, junior design roles focused on repetitive tasks are becoming less in demand, as AI tools automate these processes. However, designers are encouraged to upskill in areas like strategy and creativity to stay relevant.
- The Human Touch Is Still Needed
AI is smart, but it’s not human. There’s something inherently emotional and empathetic about human design that AI can’t replicate. The connection that a great design creates with its audience still needs that human intuition and creativity.
- The Human Touch Is Still Needed
Real-life Example (UAE): Dubai Tourism ensures that the digital design of its website and campaigns is infused with human creativity, despite using AI to streamline certain tasks. It’s the combination of human insight and AI efficiency that makes the experience so engaging.
Real-life Example (USA): Apple places a huge emphasis on human-centered design. While AI can assist, it’s the creative and empathetic decisions of designers that give Apple’s products their unique feel.
How Designers Can Adapt
So, how do we navigate this new world of AI-driven design? The key is to see AI as a tool, not a replacement. By embracing these technologies, designers can enhance their work without losing sight of the human element that makes great design stand out.
- Focus on Creativity: Shift your energy toward strategy, user research, and creative direction. Let AI handle the tedious tasks so you can focus on what really matters.
- Learn to Leverage AI Tools: Mastering AI tools can give you a major edge. It’s all about learning how to work with these tools to make your design process smoother and faster.
- Embrace Human-Centered Design: Even with AI in the mix, never forget that design is about people. Always keep empathy and creativity at the heart of your work.
- Focus on Creativity: Shift your energy toward strategy, user research, and creative direction. Let AI handle the tedious tasks so you can focus on what really matters.
Conclusion
AI is definitely making waves in UX design, and it’s not going anywhere. Whether it’s making our workflows more efficient, creating personalized experiences, or helping us unlock our creativity, AI has huge potential. But like all tools, it needs to be used wisely. By embracing it, adapting to it, and continuing to value the human touch, designers can thrive in this new era.
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