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Practice brief · AI workflows

AI design tools: better, but still not magic

Published 24 August 2026 · Source dated 1 June 2025

Used for: Alpha assumption; Stakeholder brief; Portfolio proof; Tool experiment; Method refresh. Practice brief for the gate you are in — not an industry digest dump.

Hype check: Adoption. Teams are using this — still check the source date (1 June 2025).

Saves the claim and source date (1 June 2025) on this device. No account.

NN/g's ongoing tracking of AI design tools shows real improvement since 2024, but not the leap that replaces design judgement. For juniors, the win is using AI for the boring bits, not outsourcing decisions.

NN/g has been formally and informally checking in on AI design tools since April 2024, interviewing practitioners and using the tools on real projects. Their verdict as of their latest update: usefulness has improved but design workflows aren't *substantially* altered — tools are "marginally better," not transformative. Even Figma's flashier bets (like AI-powered prototyping) are still catching up to their own demos. No design job has been replaced by these tools, per NN/g's research. This matters for you because the hype cycle makes it sound like AI is doing the job now. It isn't — it's doing bits of the job, unevenly, and you still need to check its work.

Coach

Pick one AI feature already in your Figma plan, use it on a single repetitive task this week (renaming layers, drafting copy variants), then judge honestly whether it actually saved you time.

Source: nngroup.com ·

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