Series
The New Craft
As AI tools make professional-looking design accessible to everyone, craft becomes the differentiator. This series explores how real design craft evolves in an AI-driven world, and how to spot the difference between commodity and craft.
Articles in this series 6
Everyone has the same AI tools. That's exactly why craft matters more
AI tools made 'good enough' free. If your competitor can generate the same landing page in ten minutes, you don't have a brand. You have a template.
Design isn't the deliverable: It's the hidden work that makes products succeed
AI can generate the visible 10% of design. But the invisible 90% is what makes products actually succeed. This is where craft lives, and where AI can't go.
Standing out when everyone has the same tools
Which AI startup has the purple gradient and sparkle icon? They all do. When everyone uses the same tools, the brands that survive know who they are.
My actual AI workflow after 22 years in design
After 22 years of building products, here's exactly how I use AI: the specific tools, the actual workflows, and where I still do things by hand.
The multiplication effect: Why AI-augmented teams beat AI-augmented individuals
One person + AI = more output. Multiple experts + AI = exponentially better outcomes. Solo you touch the surface. With a team, each expert brings real depth.
The craft test: Questions that reveal whether you're getting real design or AI commodity
You're done not when there's nothing left to add, but when there's nothing left to take away. As AI floods the market, spotting real craft becomes critical.