Algorithm-Driven Design

The notion that artificial intelligence (AI) will automatically replace designers is not only inaccurate, but it is the wrong approach to the concept. Using algorithms enhances the capabilities of the designer rather than replaces them; it is a partnership, not a competition. Designers should use AI-driven design to balance their workload. For example, feeding the Wix application some examples of high-quality websites – based on the client’s professional needs – provides template options. A designer could use Wix to create usable mock-ups more quickly and then “fine-tune the details.”

“If we consider this process more like ‘paired design’ with a computer, then we can offload many routine tasks. For example, designers could create a moodboard on Dribbble or Pinterest; then an algorithm could quickly apply these styles to mock-ups and propose a suitable template. Designers would become art directors to their new apprentices: computers.”

Algorithms can save the designer time and energy for making high-level decisions. Using algorithm-driven design, designers could use a streamlined process consisting of data “analysis” and “synthesis” to create and iterate digital products. While this workflow involves algorithms, it requires designers and analysts to define business rules and constraints and then make human decisions based on the algorithm’s output regarding the solution’s effectiveness. Repeating this process quickly and over many iterations generates a product that meets business and user needs to a higher precision.

“We will better understand our work, because we will be analyzing it in an attempt to automate parts of it. It will make us more productive and will enable us to better explain the essence of our work to nondesigners.”

One of the most impactful benefits of algorithm-driven design is that the designer spends less time on repetitive tasks such as color matching and typography and has more time to analyze the product created. The algorithm quickly produces visual solutions from which the designer can choose to iterate. Algorithms also assist with deep data analysis, allowing designers to focus deeply on the needs of specific users. With AI tools providing more options in less time – and better solution analysis – more information is available to communicate design decisions to the team and clients. As with any design tool, limitations exist. Without a designer, the output is of poor quality, as some see in prototypes from “infamous” beta website constructor The Grid. AI-driven design can also introduce ethical concerns about design copyright, since designers feed algorithms existing designs to produce new, similar ones.