How AI Has Redefined the Role of Product Designers (And Where It's Headed)

In 2023, I shared a post on LinkedIn that sparked a lot of conversation—and a fair amount of skepticism.

The topic?
How AI was starting to change the role of product designers.

Some people embraced the insight.
Others dismissed it as just another wave of hype.

Now, two years later, we're in 2025—and it’s clear:

AI hasn't just nudged the design industry forward—it’s completely reshaping it.

So I decided to revisit that original post and do a recap on how the product design job is defined today, and more importantly, where it’s headed.

If you're a designer, design leader, or working anywhere in the product ecosystem—this reflection is for you.

Back in 2023: Where AI Stood in the Design Cycle

When I originally explored this topic, I broke down the product design process into four core stages:

1. Discovery

2. Definition

3. Development

4. Delivery

Then I mapped AI’s involvement across each of those stages.

Let’s rewind:

1. Discovery (Limited, but growing)

AI had a modest role here.
While it could help summarize interviews or analyze survey data, it lacked the nuance needed to truly interpret behaviors and emotions in context. It couldn’t empathize with users or spot edge cases that designers instinctively recognize.

2. Definition (Some support, but not strategic enough)

Turning research into sharp, user-centered problems is hard.
It requires judgment, prioritization, and alignment across stakeholders. In 2023, AI could help structure information—but not synthesize it meaningfully.

3. Development (Strong!)

This is where AI started shining.
It could generate copy, wireframes, UI ideas, and assist in brainstorming. Tools like ChatGPT, Midjourney, and early Figma plugins brought new speed to ideation and execution.

4. Delivery (Strong!)

AI was already being used to generate production-ready code, assist with QA, and automate design-to-dev handoff.
Designers began collaborating with tools that could output usable components.

So, in 2023, we saw early-stage adoption, with clear momentum building in development and delivery.
But discovery and definition? Still very human.

What’s Changed in the Past 2 Years?

Fast forward to today.

The most significant leap has happened in the “Develop” and “Deliver” stages.

Tools powered by LLMs and generative AI are no longer just “assistants.”
They’re full-fledged co-creators.

Here’s what’s now possible (and in many cases, normal):

• Turning product requirements into interactive prototypes—within minutes.

• Generating design systems, branded UI kits, and code snippets with near-production quality.

• Writing microcopy, onboarding flows, and error messages that adapt to tone and user intent.

• Automating QA for visual consistency and accessibility checks.

• Instantly iterating on layouts or components based on user feedback or analytics data.

It’s not that AI suddenly became creative—it’s that we found the right workflows to harness its speed and scale.

As a result:

Designers now spend less time pushing pixels, and more time defining problems.

The Designer’s Role in 2025: Less Execution, More Direction

So what does that mean for you?

It means the modern designer’s value is shifting upstream.

Rather than owning every screen and visual polish, designers today are:

• Shaping product strategy with PMs and founders

• Synthesizing complex inputs from research, data, and market insight

• Guiding AI tools with smart prompts and constraints

• Defining success criteria and desired user outcomes

• Facilitating alignment between design, engineering, and business

If you're still measuring your worth by how many screens you designed last sprint, you're playing an outdated game.

The future belongs to designers who:

✅ Understand context deeply
✅ Ask better questions
✅ Communicate clearly across functions
✅ Use AI to scale their thinking, not replace it
✅ Know when to zoom in on pixels—and when to zoom out to strategy

Where AI Still Falls Short (and Why You Matter)

Despite its rapid growth, AI still lacks key human capabilities:

• Judgment in ambiguity: When data is conflicting or incomplete, it still needs human oversight.

• Emotional intelligence: AI can simulate empathy, but not feel it.

• Ethical thinking: Designers must still act as the conscience of the product team.

• Contextual alignment: Especially in B2B SaaS or regulated industries, design needs domain fluency AI can’t fake.

This is why you, the designer, aren’t being replaced.
You’re being refocused.

The mundane parts of the job?
They’re becoming automated.

But the thinking, the questioning, the alignment, and the intuition?
That’s where your value lies.

My Vision for the Next Chapter of Product Design

Let me paint the picture:

• Every designer has an AI assistant trained on their team’s design system, brand guidelines, and user personas.

• Discovery becomes faster—not because empathy is skipped—but because AI surfaces patterns from transcripts, surveys, and behavioral data instantly.

• Weekly design reviews include prototypes generated by AI, with designers acting as creative directors—editing, tweaking, and testing.

• Junior designers don’t spend weeks polishing mockups—they’re trained to orchestrate tools that generate them, focusing on structure and storytelling.

• Senior designers evolve into design strategists, working across product, engineering, and leadership to drive decisions that shape the roadmap.

This isn’t science fiction.
This is already happening—in pieces.

And it’s accelerating.

So, Where Do You Stand?

If you’re reading this and thinking,
“This is overwhelming,”
you’re not alone.

Change like this can feel destabilizing.
But it’s also full of opportunity.

The worst thing you can do is ignore the shift.

Many did that in 2023 when I first raised the flag.
They dismissed AI as a toy or trend—and they missed the window to adapt early.

Today, you don’t need to master every tool.
But you do need to understand how AI fits into your workflow—and how your role is evolving because of it.

Here’s a starting point:

• Audit your current design tasks. What could be delegated to AI today?

• Identify where your team struggles with speed or clarity—can AI help?

• Practice writing better prompts. Your communication shapes the quality of AI output.

• Get comfortable thinking in systems, not screens.

• Learn how to connect dots, not just move pixels.

The most valuable designers of the next 5 years won’t be the fastest Figma operators.
They’ll be the best design thinkers, problem framers, and communicators.