Can Artificial Intelligence already do UX design?

AI has long been part of our everyday lives – both on the consumer side (e.g. filters on smartphones) and on the creative side (text creation, task processing).

Systems such as ChatGPT & Co. have changed and turned many things upside down in a short space of time: They take on tasks of all kinds, support the optimization of processes and help to save resources. In the context of UX design, AI tools are already creating texts, images and even layouts – capabilities that were unthinkable just a few years ago.

This article explores whether AI already poses a real threat to UX designers – or whether, despite technological advances, the human factor remains irreplaceable.

UX design creates positive experiences for users and forms the interface between people, technology and products—going far beyond purely visual design.

Core tasks of UX designers:

• Researching user requirements to understand real needs,
• Observation of usage behaviour to identify weaknesses and potential
• Surveys and interviews to directly determine expectations, wishes and frustrations,
• Planning interfaces to provide users with positive experiences when using digital products,
• Consideration of standards such as the WCAG standards (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) and established rules such as the 10 usability heuristics,
• Evaluate user experiences and obtain feedback from users on the implemented solutions in order to continuously improve the digital product.

Kurz: UX Design erfordert systematisches, menschenzentriertes Vorgehen mit Empathie und tiefem Verständnis.

Many of these tasks initially appear to be typically human. But can AI take over at least some of them, or even perform them independently? This will be examined below.

AI tools can already perform many tasks that help UX designers create better user experiences. AI can be extremely helpful in various phases of UX design.

Here are some examples of how artificial intelligence can support designers in different phases of user experience design:

Research: Tools such as ChatGPT can provide background information to better understand the user’s environment. For example, when planning an application for doctors that requires insights into medical knowledge and processes. While AI is no substitute for medical studies or medical experts, it can help to make complex processes and needs understandable.

Observation: An important part of UX design is recognizing user problems in order to improve the user experience. In shadowing, for example, users are accompanied and “observed” by UX designers in their specific usage environment. AI cannot do the observation itself, but it can help with the processing of findings. Tools such as the Miro Board have integrated AI functions that can help with clustering insights.

Surveys and interviews: Conducting interviews is one of the most exciting mistakes of UX design. Because good preparation can provide valuable insights into user requirements. I sometimes use ChatGPT to prepare interview guidelines, but more to get my ideas and questions into shape. However, the most time-consuming part of interviews is the preparation of findings. This is where AI can provide very good support. Recordings can be easily transcribed with notta.ai. The AI then evaluates the interview and compiles relevant statements. The AI tool is very helpful for a quick overview and makes subsequent steps much easier.

Planning interfaces: When planning user interfaces, it can be useful to incorporate user journey maps into the planning in advance. They help to visualize the paths taken by users so that conscious UX decisions can be made. The creation of such maps is based on feedback from surveys, interviews and observations – often a very time-consuming process. AI tools such as Journey AI can reduce this effort by automatically generating initial user journey maps from interview scripts.

Evaluation and feedback: In UX design, it is important that newly developed or modified products are continuously reviewed and scrutinized. It is helpful to ask users for feedback. It is also helpful to evaluate page statistics in order to check and understand user flows. As with the evaluation of observations, AI features can help UX designers to analyze the responses and data.

UX designers must critically examine and independently evaluate AI results, because the human eye remains crucial for successful user experiences.

AI supports research, analysis and design. But the key to a successful user experience remains the human being.

Empathy is at the he‚art of UX design. People perceive the emotions of others through interpersonal communication, such as observation, and can therefore act empathetically. Although artificial intelligence can analyse visual and auditory characteristics, interpersonal nuances are not always interpreted correctly and/or responded to adequately at present.

However, good UX design is not only based on data analysis, but also on an understanding of the actual needs of users—perhaps more important today than ever before.

Human UX designers are (still) superior to AI, particularly when it comes to observing emotions in interviews or interpreting facial expressions and gestures.

Various studies, such as Researchgate – Social Robots and Digital Humans as Job Interviewers, show just how important personal contact is. In interviews with AI or chatbots, users display fewer emotional reactions and feelings than they do with human interviewers.

If this emotional level is missing, real needs may go unrecognized – with direct consequences for user experience and business success.

With AI systems, it often remains unclear on which data their suggestions are based. Even though systems such as ChatGPT now cite sources, it is virtually impossible to completely control potential biases.

AI is a valuable building block on the path to a better user experience. I therefore see AI as a kind of sparring partner that helps me evaluate insights more quickly and better classify needs.

Ultimately, however, it remains the task of UX designers to ensure a holistic user journey and meaningful interaction between all components.

The targeted use of AI offers great opportunities for UX designers.

Creative interaction between man and machine can arise when artificial intelligence is used sensibly and constructively.

AI can be a particularly valuable partner when knowledge from other specialist areas is required but experts are difficult to reach.

In addition, the use of AI also opens up new fields of activity for UX designers. They have to develop interfaces that convey the generative output of AI systems in such a way that it remains understandable, accessible and trustworthy for users.

Design has always borne responsibility – and not just in a digital context.

But today, when AI can easily fake images and voices, responsible use is essential, especially in design. Users must be able to trust information and should not be put in a position where they have to check every piece of content for accuracy.

When using AI in the conception and design process, UX designers must therefore ensure that the information collected is accurate. This is important in order to prevent misuse and avoid undermining user trust.

I see AI as a real asset. AI simplifies processes and speeds up tasks—for example, when researching or evaluating user interviews.

It is an excellent source of ideas and inspiration, similar to the exchange with colleagues. Of course, artificial intelligence is a long way from replacing the quality of personal, interpersonal exchanges. But the new technology helps with everyday hurdles and for initial assessment in many areas.

Even though artificial intelligence is noticeably changing UX design and the tasks of designers, “human” UX designers remain indispensable as empathetic creators of a positive, responsible user experience.