Showing a high-fidelity version of the future isn’t as taboo anymore
“The PM used Stitch by Google to create designs after our Miro session. To the untrained eye, it looks like a finished design. But when you look closer, it’s not quite right and a little bit broken in places.”
That’s what a Global UX Director told me, and to many, this is the AI future many designers fear.
However, there’s one thing I’ve learned from talking with 19 design leaders: The role of design is changing, and it’s time to question one of the oldest pieces of design advice, because the rules have changed.
The first piece of UX advice you got, and How AI Affected It
For years, we’ve followed one cardinal rule when talking about UX: never show high-fidelity mockups until they’ve been validated.
I’ve said similar things in the past, for good reason. One of the biggest? It set unrealistic stakeholder expectations.
Show something that looks finished, and people think it is finished.
Then, when user research reveals problems, you’re stuck explaining why that “done” feature needs to change. Investing in polished…