Experienced designer Maggie Appleton talks about designing for AI products and LLMs, challenges of interface with LLMs, technical literacy improvement strategies, AI-native tools, redefining designer roles with AI advancements, cognitive vs generative AI focus, and more
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Quick takeaways
AI tools streamline coding assistance in design tools like VS Code via GitHub Copilot.
Data synthesis with AI aids in trend analysis and proposing product improvements.
Increasing technical literacy empowers designers to leverage AI for automation in web development.
Deep dives
Expansion of Tooling Capabilities through AI
The integration of AI in design tools like VS Code with features such as GitHub Copilot enables seamless coding assistance by translating plain English instructions into code updates. This advanced tooling significantly aids in coding tasks, although there are limitations in addressing complex layout bugs.
Enhancing Knowledge Synthesis through AI
AI tools can revolutionize data synthesis processes by aggregating user data, analyzing trends, and proposing new features or improvements based on user feedback or support interactions. This AI-driven approach can streamline information processing and offer insightful suggestions for product development.
Impact of Technical Literacy on Designers
Increasing technical literacy among designers, particularly in web development frameworks like JavaScript, React, HTML, and CSS, empowers them to leverage AI capabilities for automating routine coding tasks. This knowledge enhances their ability to understand the intricacies of web design and maximize the benefits of AI tools within their workflow.
Evolution of Design Roles in a Tech-Driven Landscape
As AI streamlines repetitive design tasks, the role of designers may shift towards more strategic and exploratory challenges. Designers are poised to focus on complex interface designs, novel user experiences, and pioneering design solutions that transcend standardized automation, fostering a new era of design creativity.
Importance of Digital Gardening in Career Development
Maintaining a digital garden through public writing fosters continuous learning, effective communication, and career opportunities. By sharing insights and articulating design challenges, designers can enhance their problem-solving skills, expand their professional network, and attract career opportunities through thought leadership and expertise showcased in their digital presence.
This week’s episode with Maggie Appleton is a deep dive into designing for AI products and LLMs. Maggie shares about her experience as the first designer at Elicit (an AI assistant for research papers) and all of the unique challenges surrounding helping users interface with LLMs.
We also go deep into:
How Maggie’s grown as a frontend developer
Why Maggie feels like she’s in a short-run limbo
Strategies for improving your technical literacy
How writing online has impacted Maggie’s career
The AI-native tools that Maggie is drawing inspiration from
How advancements in AI will redefine her role as a designer
How Maggie’s new understanding of LLMs is shaping the way she designs
Why Maggie is more interested in the cognitive applications of AI rather than generative AI
Maggie is currently leading design at Elicit (they’re hiring)
“How Trello is different” is where Joel Spolsky explains the differences between horizontal and vertical software