The advances I’ve seen artificial intelligence (AI) make in the last decade have been nothing short of jaw-dropping. There are chatbots that can hold their own in conversations, algorithms that can compose music, and systems that analyze data faster than I — or any other human being — ever could. The same goes for web design! Tools like Adobe Sensei and Wix’s AI website builders are making it easier than ever to bring your design ideas to life.

This article isn’t exactly an infomercial for these AI tools, because, let’s be real — the rapid evolution of AI has felt unsettling for a lot of people, which certainly includes web designers. Generative AI is on the rise, so it’s natural to worry that these machines might take over creative jobs too. But here’s the thing: while AI is impressive, it’s still just that — artificial! It can mimic human intelligence, but it doesn’t have true creativity and organic life experiences that only a person can bring to the table.

AI can generate layout options or suggest color palettes, but it doesn’t really ‘get’ the emotional depth of a brand or the detailed storytelling that makes a website connect with its users. It can analyze data and optimize designs, but it doesn’t fully parse the human experience behind every click and scroll. It can make accessible decisions but it doesn’t truly understand accessibility.

So…will AI replace designers? Nope!

Designers bring a special mix of creativity, empathy, and intuition to every project they work on. Again — AI is great at a lot of tasks, but there are many many things designers still do better (and will for years to come)! Without further ado, here are five things that web designers do better than AI.

Table of Contents

• Creating Original Ideas
• Prototyping
• Mentoring
• Understanding Emotions
• Strategizing
• A Future of Design with AI

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1. Creating Original Ideas

There’s no denying it — AI has shaken up the creative scene in a big way. It’s typically fantastic at helping designers streamline their workflow, create content, and can even assist with layouts. But…here’s the catch: true creativity? That’s still a human thing. Why? AI learns from patterns in the data that it’s ‘fed’ (also called training). And needless to say, that data already exists. So AI is brilliant at remixing ideas, but when it comes to sparking something completely original, it falls short because it literally cannot create something new.

Think about your own creative process. As a designer, you probably draw from your personal experiences, emotions, and cultural influences to create something uniquely yours. Inspiration might strike during a late-night conversation, an art exhibit, or even just a shower or a walk in the park. That’s the human touch that allows you to infuse your projects with a level of authenticity, originality, and nuance that AI simply can’t copy.

Let’s take a look at AirBNB’s 2021 “Live Anywhere” campaign. This was more than just a clever marketing stunt, but rather encouraged people to embrace remote work and travel, offering not just a product (rentable rooms/houses/etc.) but a lifestyle change. The campaign tapped into the very real and emotionally rooted desire for flexibility and adventure. I mean — hello, this campaign came off the tail of the COVID-19 pandemic — folks everywhere were clamoring for an escape, especially one they could be in control of. This campaign wasn’t just about promoting a service, it was about understanding that there was a collective longing to leave our homes. That kind of insight comes from deep understanding, empathy, and a good sense of society and its trends.

If you were to ask AI to create a campaign like that, it might analyze existing travel data, identify the ebbs and flows, and can even ‘see’ the impact of the pandemic, then suggest a “flexible living” concept for a campaign. Sure, it could produce something visually appealing, but since it relies exclusively on historical data, it’s likely to miss the emotional depth and originality that a creative person brings to the table. AI definitely enhances productivity and provides inspiration, but it’s still people who breathe life and creativity into original ideas.

2. Prototyping

Prototyping is an important process in web design where designers bring their ideas to life by creating interactive models of a website or app to test ideas and gather feedback. This phase can run the gamut of anything, from basic paper sketches to high-fidelity, extremely detailed, mockups that mimic the final product’s look and feel.

Let’s say you’re designing a new e-commerce site. You might start with a super basic wireframe to sketch out the layout and user journey. Next, you’d develop a clickable prototype, using a program like Figma’s prototyping tool, to see how users interact with features like the shopping cart or product filters. This hands-on approach lets you make quick adjustments based on real user feedback, ensuring the final design is user-friendly and intuitive.

When it comes to web design, prototyping isn’t going anywhere. We still need humans to test products that other humans will use. It helps visualize concepts and improves communication between team members and stakeholders. It encourages collaboration and helps spot potential issues early, saving you time and resources later on.

I’ve said it once, and I’ll likely say it again (hint: I definitely will) — AI is a powerful tool that designers should leverage. But when it comes to prototyping, people do it better! Sure, AI can analyze data and suggest design elements, but it can’t truly engage in the iterative process of prototyping. AI isn’t able to compensate for accessibility either because it largely assumes all humans are starting from the same place. It can’t manipulate elements in real time or respond to subtleties like a designer can. Human intuition, creativity, and adaptability are irreplaceable during this hands-on phase, making designers like you essential for creating functional and engaging web experiences.

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3. Mentoring

When it comes to mentoring, web designers have an edge (probably several) that AI can’t compete with. And while I’m sure that some people might try to argue that mentorship isn’t critical in this field, that couldn’t be further from the truth! Mentoring goes beyond just sharing knowledge and constructive criticism. It’s also about building relationships, understanding individual strengths, and providing personalized guidance based on real-world experience — all of which are essential to the design process.

A great mentor can assess a designer’s skills and tailor advice that resonates with their personal style and career goals. For example, if a new designer struggles with color theory, a mentor can share their own design journey, provide real-world examples, and suggest hands-on exercises to help them grow. This kind of empathetic design creates a safe space for questions and experimentation, which is crucial to help designers build confidence and spark creativity. Importantly, mentors can sometimes identify skill gaps that we can’t see ourselves when working.

While AI can offer tips based on data and design best practices, it doesn’t have the emotional intelligence or adaptability to genuinely mentor someone. If you need help, it can easily throw out a list of design principles worth trying out, but it can’t engage in a real conversation, read body language, or offer the kind of specialized encouragement that a mentor can. Let’s just say I wouldn’t turn to ChatGPT for career advice, you know?

Or, let’s put it this way — a designer can inspire, motivate, and nurture the next generation in ways that a machine learning algorithm can’t.

4. Understanding Emotions

What’s at the heart of effective web design? It’s all about understanding emotions. Great information design works because it works with its audience. This is where designers really outshine AI. While AI can analyze data and recognize patterns, it struggles to grasp the complexities of human feelings. AI often misreads emotions, as it lacks context and can’t identify the subtlety that comes from real-life experiences. And one of the biggest risks of using AI to interpret emotions is that without intentional, thoughtful datasets, AI is still prone to bias.

Take this study that ran NBA player photos through emotional recognition software. Both systems consistently assigned more negative emotional scores to Black players no matter how much they smiled. I’m sure I don’t have to go into the incredibly damaging stereotype that this perpetuates…

Now, this isn’t to say that people are completely free from bias, but we are infinitely better at understanding emotions because we have them, and hopefully we can pick up on when systemic bias is becoming a problem in our product design. A web designer can intuitively gauge when a user feels frustrated while navigating a site by picking up on subtle cues — like hesitation or the incessant clicking of a mouse, or even watching a slight grimace of frustration for in-person testing — giving them insight to make adjustments that make for a smoother, more enjoyable user experience. Designers tap into emotions through color choices, imagery and layout, all of which are extremely important in user experience design.

Understanding emotions in web design significantly impacts user engagement and satisfaction. When a website feels welcoming and relatable, users are more likely to connect with the brand and stick around. In contrast, AI might suggest changes based purely on data, missing the emotional context that drives user behavior.

At the end of the day, you have to ask yourself one question — how can AI ever truly understand emotions when it doesn’t have them?

5. Strategizing

Keeping AI in your design toolkit is still a pretty good idea. It does exceptionally well in areas like user research, data analysis, and even A/B testing, but it misses the mark when it comes to creating a solid design strategy. While AI can help inform decision-making by sifting through tons of data, the subtle, creative thinking needed for strategic planning is still — very much — a human skill.

When we talk about design strategy, we’re looking to predict what users will want. We want to tell a compelling brand story and ultimately, envision how a website might grow over time. This kind of work requires emotional intelligence and at least a bit of foresight. AI just can’t connect the dots in a way that resonates with users.

For example, AI can spot patterns in user behavior or create design variations based on existing trends, but it struggles to pull all that information together into a cohesive strategy that aligns with all your brand values and long-term goals (let alone pivot!). Human designers draw on their experiences, intuition, and understanding of the market to create strategies that aren’t just innovative but also make sense for the goals of the company or project.

Human insight is essential to developing a comprehensive design strategy, but the blend of analytical insight from AI with the creative vision of human designers can create truly effective web experiences that drive user engagement and success.

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A Future of Design with AI

AI can do a lot of things, but there’s one thing it simply can’t completely replicate: the human touch. Design is all about creating incredible, relatable experiences that resonate with people, and that’s why people will always be needed in web design. So try not to worry about AI taking over your job. Instead, treat it like a supportive friend that can enhance your creativity and efficiency. Embrace the tools that AI offers to elevate your designs, and you’ll not only stay relevant but also thrive in the ever-changing tech world.

Now’s the perfect time to dive into the world of AI — whether that’s through our Break Into Tech program or our more advanced, specialized course on building complex web applications with generative AI. Remember, it’s all about blending the power of technology with our unique human experiences to create websites and apps that truly connect with users.