"AI is the ultimate breakthrough technology. When it comes to design, it allows us to extend our capabilities and empowers us to achieve more." - Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft
Artificial Intelligence is a tool that if used right, can help us unlock new opportunities with our work and with our clients. In this article I will share 6 must-have AI tools for Product Designs and 4 that fell short. But first, let’s talk about how Product Designers today are leveraging AI in product design.
Leveraging AI in Product Design
As a product design professional who actively uses AI in my day-to-day work, I’ve experienced firsthand how AI has boosted my creativity and made my workflow more efficient. Tasks that used to feel overwhelming, like user research, writing UX copy, or starting a product flow from scratch, are now a lot more approachable thanks to AI. Since the launch of AI, AI has consistently removed obstacles in my workflow and has provided me with access to a collaborative partner to bounce ideas off of –any time.
Other ways product designers are using AI include creating images, A/B testing, checking for accessibility compliance, getting instant feedback, curating customized user experiences, analyzing user preferences and behaviors, and even providing exportable UI files that we can build on.
Evaluating AI Tools
I tested and evaluated each tool with my specific needs in mind. Below is my ranked list of tools for product designers, from worst to best. For the tools that stood out, I’ve also included their strengths and limitations for product design.
4 AI Tools for Product Designers That Fell Short
4. Hotshot (Best used outside of product design)
When I tried Hotshot, I was looking for a custom loading animation to hand off to my development team, but the output quality just wasn’t there. It couldn’t provide an image with a transparent background—a common limitation I’ve seen with AI-generated images. While Hotshot was slow, it was still the best bet I had at the time for making a custom loading GIF. I may not use this tool again for a loading GIF, but if quality improves, I could see myself using it for things like 404 error pages or blog articles.
3. Majestic AI Generated Icon Set
This Figma plugin offers a decent range of icon sets, but nothing particularly special. You get one free style, with three others available for purchase. Some icons are appealing, but the lack of customization and refinement options makes it less useful for me.
2. Magician Icons by Diagram
This plugin looked promising, but it fell short. When vectorizing the selected icon set, the distinct style and edges were lost. The icons weren’t ones I’d personally choose to use, and the technology isn’t quite there yet.
1. UIzard
UIzard came highly recommended, probably because it was one of the first tools offering AI-powered UI generation. But it falls short—UI outputs can’t be exported to Figma or Sketch. You can import designs from Figma into UIzard, which makes me think they’re aiming to compete with Figma and Sketch. Unfortunately, this disrupts my workflow, and I can't use its other features, like the screenshot scanner that turns screenshots into editable mockups, or the wireframe scanner that digitizes hand-drawn wireframes. Overall, it has potential, but not for me at this point.
6 Must-Have AI Tools for Product Designers
6. Chat GPT
ChatGPT has become a go-to partner in my design process. Together, we’ve crafted copy, researched ideas, built code snippets, and analyzed designs.
Product Design Strengths:
- Brainstorming ideas or overcoming creative blocks by asking questions.
- Writing UX copy to craft engaging user interface text.
- Providing detailed research summaries.
- Creating design briefs.
- Offering insightful critiques and actionable recommendations to refine designs.
- Assisting with coding by building functional snippets in CodePen.
Limitations:
- Can’t generate images with transparent backgrounds or modify previously generated images.
- Occasionally produces incorrect information, so always double-check facts.
5. MidJourney
I highly recommend MidJourney for image creation. It offers more control over variations and style compared to ChatGPT.
Product Design Strengths:
- Generates four images at once, with the ability to refine them.
Limitations:
- This tool does not support detailed or intricate image editing capabilities.
4. Miro Assist
Miro Assist is ideal for workshops and brainstorming sessions. It synthesizes data, enhances templates, and supports real-time collaboration—transforming ideas into structured models.
Product Design Strengths:
- Automatically summarizes brainstorming sessions and suggests content.
- Synthesizes data to find valuable insights from research or retrospectives.
- AI-enhanced templates that adapt to your work.
- Helps transform complex ideas into structured models like user stories, technical diagrams, or code.
- Enables real-time collaboration for multiple people on the same canvas.
Limitations:
- Can be overwhelming for new users.
3. FigJam AI
FigJam AI is similar to using Miro Assist – just easier to use if you are already used to Figma. I think FigJam is easier to use and more intuitive with where each feature is placed. It’s my go-to for early-stage design thinking.
Product Design Strengths:
- Automates processes like sorting ideas and generating flowcharts.
- User-friendly and easy to get started with.
- Real-time collaboration, making it ideal for brainstorming.
Limitation:
- AI functionalities are more supportive rather than transformative, mainly enhancing existing manual tasks rather than introducing advanced design automation.
2. UX Pilot
UX Pilot integrates directly with Figma, allowing you to generate UI elements quickly. It’s all about boosting productivity and creativity.
Product Design Strengths:
- Seamlessly integrates with Figma, so you don’t need to switch tools.
- Speeds up the design process, letting you focus on creative problem-solving.
- Offers customization options to tweak generated elements.
Limitations:
- Best suited for generating standard UI components.
- Takes some time to learn for new users.
- There are still a few bugs they are working out.
1. Galileo
Galileo is great for text-to-UI and image-to-UI generation. I like how it gives me 1-4 different design options, even if they’re not all great—it’s a useful way to see what works and what doesn’t.
Product Design Strengths:
- Provides a basic UI framework to build on.
- Easily generates multiple versions of the same UI concept.
- Allows color theme adjustments (light or dark mode) before exporting to Figma.
- You can copy and paste designs directly from Galileo to Figma.
Limitations:
- Best suited for generating straightforward design concepts. It’s not great for complex ideas.
- Limited ways to customize your design in Galileo.
- Token credits limit generation volume, but you can top off your account to generate more.
Figma AI
Recently, Figma released an AI feature but had to pull it back because the AI-generated designs looked too much like existing apps. I think in the future, Figma will let designers use their own design systems for AI-created designs. If that happens, it’ll be a game changer—making it easier to align with brand guidelines and create efficient designs right in Figma.
Looking Ahead: The Future of AI in Design
AI is impressive, but there’s still a lot of room to grow. We need to understand and navigate its limitations to get the most out of it.
That said, I don’t believe AI will ever fully replace us. We design for humans, and there will always be a need for the "human element"—empathy, intuition, and the deep understanding of human experiences that only we, as human designers, can bring.
I imagine a future where AI evolves into something like a personalized "Jarvis" assistant—tailored to individual preferences and truly revolutionizing our collaboration with technology. I’m excited to see how AI will continue to shape the design world.
Want to learn more about leveraging AI in your product design process?
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