Building a product begins long before coding or design; it starts with identifying a problem and understanding user needs. The designer mindset remains crucial, leveraging design thinking processes. While AI tools can accelerate product development, they cannot replace human insight into user experiences. Initial time should be dedicated to understanding the problem through interaction with AI, exploring various roles, and questioning assumptions. The real shift occurs as designers make decisions directly informed by user needs, rather than simply relying on AI for implementation.
When I set out to build and ship my first Shopify app in a single weekend, I didn't intend to prove a point. I was just trying to solve a problem I knew merchants were facing.
The classic design thinking loop - empathize, define, ideate, prototype, test - hasn't gone anywhere. But what AI tools offer is acceleration.
Each conversation felt like a mini ideation sprint. With every response, I got clearer on what mattered and what didn't.
Instead of generating wireframes for someone else to implement, I found myself making product decisions directly.
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