While still in its infancy, it is fair to say that AI is here, exerting a profound influence on various facets of our lives. The field of digital product design is no exception to this transformative impact.
IBM reports that 48% of organizations are already experiencing a better customer experience through the adoption of AI.
14% of the most advanced Enterprises in AI and Machine Learning for new product development earn over 30% of their revenues from fully digital products or services, according to PWC.
But the intriguing question remains: what lies ahead for the influence of AI on digital products and the digital experience?
IDC predicts that AI will be integrated into 90% of all new Enterprise apps by 2025.
96% of company executives consider generative AI as a significant topic of discussion with their boards, according to Capgemini.
PWC forecasts that AI will contribute $15.7 trillion to the global economy by 2030.
From user experience (UX) to personalisation, to automation in design processes, and even generative design, AI has already and will be touched on so many aspects of digital product design. In fact, you could say that the field is currently undergoing its very own form of digital transformation. Let’s take a look at exactly how that’s playing out…
The role of AI in key digital product design phases
The question now is – where are digital teams actually leveraging AI?
Well, there are 8 key areas within the digital product design process where AI can improve efficiencies.
Research and analytics – perhaps one of the most important stages of the digital design process, the research phase is where AI comes into its own. Algorithms are being increasingly used to analyse and then predict user behaviours. From clustering data segments to summarising research findings, these AI-driven steps truly help designers understand the motivations behind user actions and then tailor the product strategy accordingly.
User experience (UX) design – leading on from research and analytics, designers are also using AI to tailor the overall user experience of products, largely through personalised interfaces. For example, made possible by advancements in AI technologies like machine learning, Natural Language Processing (NLP) and Automated Speech Recognition (ASR), digital product designers now have the tools to create conversational interfaces that extend beyond conventional chat windows.
User interface (UI) design – speaking of personalised interfaces, UI is another key area where AI can play a part. Here, it can support designers with aspects such as layout generation, colour palette suggestions and even generative wireframing. Indeed, Gartner predicts that AI will become more integral to the UI as it’s being used by the customer – in what’s known as ‘adaptive interfaces’.
Content – possibly the most well-known of use cases now, AI has become a key step in the process of generating content – both design-led and copy-based. Brands integrating AI into this step of their process report that it primarily helps speed up the iterative design process.
Prototyping and testing – many digital teams and designers are now integrating AI into their prototyping and testing workflows, specifically to automate repetitive tasks in the overall journey, but also to generate specific design elements and basic wireframe structures, thereby streamlining the end-to-end design process. Here’s a tip – why not learn from brands using generative AI in physical product concepting to improve your digital product design process?
Process automation – throughout the entire digital product design process, AI contributes to increased process automation. Not only does this speed up the end-to-end timings, but it also frees up designers to focus on the more creative and strategic aspects of the project.
Personalisation – key to the final go-live of any digital product is the ability for it to be personalised to specific customers or customer segments. This is another great use case for AI in terms of personalising specific content areas in real time, and also tailoring the overall experience to individual users.
Accessibility – features such as voice commands and image or facial recognition are now leading AI capabilities that increase the accessibility of digital products, making them more inclusive and user-friendly for individuals with diverse needs. Learn how to make your digital products more accessible here.
The benefits of using AI for digital product design phases
It’s of course worth diving into why digital teams should look to adopt AI as part of their product design process. It can take a considerable amount of effort to reengineer current approaches, so the payback has got to be worth it.
Here are the top 5 benefits we see with brands who embrace AI:
Efficiency, time and cost savings – automating repetitive design tasks, creating prototypes and optimising layouts… all of these AI-supported tasks lead to a significant reduction in the amount of time that digital teams and designers need to spend on routine tasks. The outcome? Teams are freed up to focus on the more creative or strategic aspects of their work instead of being weighed down by rote admin.
Enhanced user experience – freeing teams up to focus on more creative aspects of the process subsequently leads to a better user experience as more innovative features can be worked on and developed by the design team. In addition, personalisation enhances the end customer experience through tailored interfaces and content, some of the areas we touched on above.
Data-driven decision making – the bread and butter of AI algorithms is their ability to analyse vast amounts of data and then use this data to predict user behaviours and preferences. Teams can use this intelligence to inform UI/UX designs, content placement and personalisation strategies. Take a look at this example in Microsoft Power BI for propensity modelling.
Iterative design = more engaging digital products – it’s well-known that an iterative design process leads to digital products that more closely answer the needs and wants of customers. With AI supporting this iterative process, teams are able to create more optimised digital products based on real user feedback – something that leads to continuous improvements and more engaging end products.
Creativity and innovation – generative AI tools are like having extra brains on the job! They can fuel new and innovative ideas, inspire creativity and encourage exploration of novel design solutions.
The challenges of using AI for digital product design phases
It would be remiss of us not to consider the challenges that AI can bring. Just as with any major tech transformation, the hurdles need to be factored in in order to know how to address them.
Ethical considerations and user trust
One that’s been heavily featured in the media recently is the whole issue of ethics when it comes to AI. The fundamental of AI is that the systems and tools learn from data. Very often, however, data has in-built biases that can lead to discriminatory outcomes. Any brand looking to adopt AI in their digital processes therefore needs to monitor any AI-driven outcomes in order to avoid potential discriminatory results that could lead to a loss of user trust in the end digital products.
Accuracy of data
As we’ve pointed out already, AI is based on data. So, it’s important to ensure that the data you’re using for AI-driven design decisions is accurate and up-to-date in the first place. If you don’t, errors or inaccuracies will perpetuate or amplify as AI is used more and more in the design process. It’s something that global brand Unilever have taken great steps to mitigate.
Technical complexity and skill requirements
Any digital team knows that digital product design is a highly skilled domain. Layer on top of that the specific tools and programs that experts have been using for a number of years now according to specific customer and business needs. Now we’re factoring AI into the conversation too, time and attention need to be given to understanding which tools are best suited to your organisation, where they need to sit in terms of team and individual skills, and what additional training may be needed in order to make best use of AI. When it comes to tackling some of the challenges that AI brings, one way to overcome them is by adopting an experimental and empirical approach to AI. Why not consider the ‘MVP’ approach to adopting AI? Read more on how to do that here.
Top AI tools for each phase of digital product design
The final piece in this AI puzzle is understanding which tools can be leveraged in the digital product design process. Here are some of the top tools and software programs we’ve been able to uncover that leverage AI for better design outcomes:
Research and analytics
The most common user behaviour tools that many design teams are likely already using are Mixpanel and Hotjar. Additional tools that are supported specifically with AI and ML are Splunk and Stravito.
UI / UX design
There’s no shortage of great programs available for UI and UX design. These include:
And when it comes to generative image tools the go-to is Midjourney.
Content
For AI-generated content, specifically for Enterprise brands and digital teams, consider:
Prototyping and testing
As with design, the AI features available in prototyping software are now truly wondrous! Just take a look at Uizard, InVision and Balsamiq.
Personalisation
For personalisation, it would do your digital team no harm to experiment with tools such as Adobe Target, Braze, Optimizely and Insider.
The world of AI-driven product design can sometimes feel overwhelming, especially for digital teams already overloaded with new digital strategies, tools and shortcuts. But by focusing your approach and aligning your key outcomes with overarching business goals, you too can start reaping the rewards of AI and all the customer and process benefits it can bring!
Remember, if you need help navigating the world of AI tools for your digital product strategy, get in touch with the Adrenalin team. And if you’d like to learn more about how to develop market-leading digital products and services, then be sure to subscribe to our monthly newsletter.
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