Emerging principles for using AI in Design: What the product design team at Miro has learned from deeply integrating AI in their workflow
This video is featured in the AI and UX playlist.
Summary
All of us are experimenting with using AI in our daily work. It is difficult to write prompts, the first output is never right, AI outputs can feel quite shallow, and then there is inertia. We get it, we all yearn for familiarity in our tools and processes – but the reality is that AI is rapidly changing how design gets done. In this interactive session, design and product leaders from Miro will share their real world boards and examples of how they have been using AI. We will cover all stages of the design process – from discovery and roadmapping to design and delivery. We will end with a collective reflection on the emerging principles for using AI for design work.
Key Insights
-
•
AI is shifting design research from primarily primary user interviews to more synthesis of secondary research using tools like AI-generated mind maps.
-
•
Miro users employ AI to cluster large amounts of data, like survey responses, to speed up thematic analysis.
-
•
AI-assisted prototyping tools can transform sketches or screenshots into interactive, shareable clickable prototypes within minutes.
-
•
Designers can now bring code-like interactivity (e.g., CSS, React code) into early prototypes without directly coding themselves.
-
•
Prototyping with AI helps designers collaborate more closely and earlier with engineers, improving design handoff and alignment.
-
•
Non-designers and product managers are empowered by AI tools to create and edit visual mockups, reducing dependency on designers.
-
•
Visual communication enhanced by AI fosters better cross-functional alignment and makes complex concepts accessible to diverse teams.
-
•
AI tools still require precise prompts and patience due to limitations like AI forgetting previous context (goldfish syndrome).
-
•
Current AI prototyping workflows often produce disconnected artifacts not fully collaborative yet, showing room for integration improvement.
-
•
Miro is actively experimenting with embedding AI features throughout the product development lifecycle, including AI prototyping and collaborative editing.
Notable Quotes
"AI is not just speeding up what I used to do, it's changing what I used to do."
"AI can act like a super eager intern who's very confident but sometimes gets things wrong."
"You can take a quick sketch, put it in an AI agent, and ask it to bring it to life."
"Design handoff is really about cozying up with engineers and getting closer to the final product."
"Now it's really accessible for everyone, not just designers, to do visual thinking using these tools."
"I can convert a screenshot into an editable mockup right inside Miro without bothering a designer."
"Visual communication is still really important—it's always better to show rather than tell."
"We need to let go of perfectionism and favor efficiency when using AI in product work."
"AI prototypes can get lost on Slack because they're not always collaborative or integrated yet."
"There’s never been a better time for designers to get their hands on tools that seemed far away before."
Or choose a question:
More Videos
"Scaling design ops means going from zero to one, or one to many, carefully growing your team charter and operating model."
John Calhoun Rachel PosmanBring your DesignOps Story to Life! The Definitive DesignOps Book Jam
October 3, 2023
"BlueStar lowered users' A1C by 2 points, outperforming the most common drug metformin which averages 1.5."
Daniel J. RosenbergDigital Medicine Design
September 26, 2019
"Accessibility is driven by compliance, especially for government markets with strict keyboard navigation requirements."
George Abraham Stefan IvanovDesign Systems To-Go: Indigo.Design Overview and Exploring the Developer Workflow (Part 3)
October 1, 2021
"Don’t schedule your pilot during the holidays — our first pilot had one graduate because it went through December."
Marjorie Stainback Kelsey KingmanTransforming Strategic Research Capacity through Democratization
October 24, 2019
"What got us here won't get us where we want to go."
Chris GeisonTheme Two Intro
March 28, 2023
"Accessibility should be embedded in product roadmaps owned by product managers, not just in a separate accessibility roadmap."
Nicole Bergstrom Anna Cook Kate Kalcevich Saara Kamppari-MillerAccessibilityOps: Moving beyond “nice to have”
September 19, 2024
"Helper texts appear when hovering on unfamiliar features, explaining what buttons or controls do."
Rittika BasuAge and Interfaces: Equipping Older Adults with Technological Tools
February 23, 2023
"Personalization of accessibility settings will be the next big shift, letting users avoid repeated microaggressions like repeatedly enabling captions."
Sheri Byrne-HaberThe Importance of Accessible Design Systems
January 8, 2024
"A blueprint is required to scale content strategy safely and sustainably as part of design ops."
Natalie DunbarDesignOps and Content Strategy: Envisioning the Future Together
October 1, 2021
