Designing with AI: From Pixels to Processes 🎧
A few years ago, designers asked: “What happens to us when AI can write code, design interfaces, even generate copy?”
I’ve lived that question through a project called Speasy — a small idea that turned into a fully automated platform powered largely by AI. But this isn’t a story about Speasy. It’s a story about what AI means for us as designers.
Too Much, Too Fast
Designers today are pulled in every direction.
Tools are multiplying.
Workflows are fragmenting.
Expectations for speed and craft are rising.
At the same time, we’re drowning in information. Newsletters, research reports, industry updates — all essential, all impossible to keep up with.
For me, that pain point sparked a question:
👉 What if AI could be my design partner, not just another tool?
Two Worlds
On one side: our world as designers. Clients, deadlines, toolchains, endless backlogs.
On the other: AI’s world. Iteration, scale, automation, pattern recognition.
Bridging these two worlds is the opportunity. Because when we align them, the role of the designer shifts:
From execution to orchestration
From pixel pushing to system design
From outputs to outcomes
Precision Through AI
Here’s how it played out in practice.
What began as a weekend proof-of-concept in Replit — some messy prompts and a lot of copy-paste — became a working SaaS product through AI collaboration:
Replit & Cursor: AI generated 18,000+ lines of functioning code.
Claude & Workbench: Prompts became wireframes, summaries, and scripts.
Supabase & Stripe: Infrastructure stitched together with AI scaffolding.
Resend & Inoreader: Automated pipelines linking content → digest → inbox → podcast feed.
I didn’t “code” Speasy. I designed it with AI.
AI handled the plumbing. I focused on the design decisions: flow, clarity, trust.
What Changes for Designers
This isn’t about building “AI apps.” It’s about redefining our role as designers.
Prompts are the new wireframes: Clear articulation of intent becomes design currency.
AI is the fastest intern you’ll ever have: Drafting, testing, iterating at a speed no human can.
Orchestration is the skill: Our value isn’t in execution, but in choosing what matters, shaping direction, and curating quality.
Time is the asset: The more AI takes off your plate, the more you reclaim time for strategy, storytelling, and experimentation.
Designing Beyond Screens
We’re not just designing interfaces anymore.
We’re designing processes, systems, and relationships with AI.
The future designer isn’t someone who resists automation. It’s the person who embraces AI as a collaborator and uses it to multiply their creativity.
When I look back at Speasy, the real hero of the story wasn’t the product. It was the process of working with AI — a process that let me move from idea to automation in weeks, not months.
The question I’ll leave you with is:
👉 If AI can already design, code, and automate at this speed, what could you create if you let it sit beside you as a partner?
Because this isn’t about replacing designers.
It’s about reclaiming our role — and rewriting what design means in the age of AI.