Rehashing the Double Diamond: Collaborating across functions with AI-assisted prototyping
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Summary
Key Insights
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AI-assisted coding tools allow non-developers to create fully functioning, rich prototypes without writing code.
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Early adoption of AI coding tools was developer-led, creating fully fleshed prototypes that blurred traditional role boundaries.
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Rogue prototype creation by PMs and others introduced inconsistent design quality and visual chaos.
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Adopting AI coding tools in design requires a structured approach to contextualize and align prototypes with product and tech constraints.
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Reframing the Double Diamond method into a 'context diamond' for gathering constraints and a 'prototype diamond' for building solutions helps manage AI prototyping workflows.
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Context gathering must avoid information overload; relevant, refined, and evergreen content improves AI prototype usefulness and efficiency.
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Embedding designers in the AI prototyping process and giving them tool access bridges gaps between design, product, and engineering.
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Structured workshops with hands-on exercises help teams adopt new AI prototyping tools effectively while reinforcing best practices.
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Sharing AI-generated prototype components through GitHub can enhance collaboration and reduce developer workload on front-end tasks.
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Maintaining traditional design craftsmanship (e.g., Figma work) remains important even as AI-assisted coding gains traction.
Notable Quotes
"This is the biggest change I've seen in my 30-year career making digital products."
"We went from stitching wireframes to actually designing in code—no more simulacra."
"Developers are protective of their code, so AI coding tools naturally landed with them first."
"I felt this was a slippery slope—the blurring of lines between roles and responsibilities."
"If you can’t beat them, join them—I got Cursor seats for my design team."
"A fully functioning prototype tells a much more complete and fluid story than a bunch of stitched screens."
"We introduced a context diamond and prototype diamond to impose guardrails around AI-assisted prototyping."
"You can’t just grab everything—you have to refine the content to avoid irrelevant or contradictory information."
"Creating a plan first, then building the prototype, helps catch issues early and aligns stakeholders."
"Showing a clickable prototype beats still wireframes and style guides where people have to copy hex codes."
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