The design process is dead. Here’s what’s replacing it. | Jenny Wen (head of design at Claude)

Mar 1, 2026 1h 17m 18 insights Episode Page ↗
Jenny Nguyen, Head of Design for Cloud Cowork and former Director of Design at Figma, discusses how the design process is rapidly changing due to AI, shifting from extensive mocking to supporting engineering execution and vision setting. She shares insights on new designer skills, maintaining craft, and effective management in this evolving landscape.
Actionable Insights

1. Adapt Design Process

Let go of the traditional, extensive design process focused on beautiful mocks and prototypes, as the rapid pace of engineering with AI tools now requires designers to primarily support implementation and execution.

2. Short-Term Vision Setting

When creating design visions, focus on shorter timeframes (3-6 months) and practical prototypes that point people in the right direction, rather than elaborate, long-term decks, because technology changes too rapidly.

3. Ship Early, Iterate Fast

For non-deterministic AI products, prioritize shipping early as a ‘research preview’ to gather real user data and feedback. Continuously iterate and visibly respond to user input to build trust and improve the product, rather than striving for perfection before launch.

4. Designers Embrace Coding

Actively use coding tools to engage in last-mile implementation, polishing, and prototyping in actual code. This allows for closer collaboration with engineers and faster feature delivery, reducing reliance on engineers for initial prototypes.

5. Managers Do IC Work

Design managers should engage in individual contributor (IC) work to gain practical skills and empathy for the rapidly changing design process. This hands-on experience is crucial for effectively guiding teams in the current environment.

6. Balance Safety & High Standards

As a manager, balance fostering psychological safety with maintaining high standards for work quality. When trust is established, direct challenging becomes easier and more effective, leading to better work without fear.

7. Spot Illegible Ideas

Actively seek out ‘illegible ideas’—those on the frontier that people don’t yet understand but have underlying energy. Dive deeper to comprehend their potential and then transform them into clear, actionable concepts through UX, form factor, or storytelling.

8. Hire Resilient, Adaptable Designers

When hiring designers, prioritize candidates who demonstrate resilience and adaptability, showing a willingness to learn new tools and methods rather than clinging to outdated processes, which is crucial for navigating rapid industry changes.

9. Hire Strong Generalists

Seek out ‘strong generalists’ who excel at multiple core design skills (80th percentile good). Their broad, deep skill set allows them to flex and expand their role as design responsibilities evolve.

10. Hire Deep Specialists

Look for ‘deep specialists’ who are among the top 10% in a particular design skill (e.g., technical design, visual design, icon design). Their unique expertise can significantly differentiate products in a world where AI can generate many things.

11. Hire ‘Cracked New Grads’

Don’t overlook ‘cracked new grads’—early-career designers who are wise beyond their years, humble, and eager to learn. Their blank slate and quick learning ability are invaluable in a rapidly changing field, free from ingrained outdated processes.

12. New Designers: Build Things

For new designers, focus on actively building and experimenting with technology to create actual products. This hands-on approach, unburdened by traditional expectations, is key to standing out and learning effectively.

13. Prioritize ‘Low Leverage’ Tasks

Leaders should intentionally take on seemingly ’low leverage’ tasks, such as thoroughly testing the product or personally creating thoughtful gestures for team members. These actions demonstrate deep care, build trust, and foster a strong team culture, ultimately having a high impact.

14. Explain Design Decisions

When consulting with engineers on projects, explain the ‘why’ behind design decisions to help them understand underlying principles. This equips them to make better design choices independently in the future.

15. Integrate Coding Tools

Designers should integrate coding tools into their toolkit and become proficient in using them, even if not aiming to be full-fledged technical coders. Awareness and practical use of these tools are essential for the evolving design landscape.

16. Foster Playful Psychological Safety

Encourage a level of psychological safety where team members feel comfortable playfully ‘roasting’ each other and their leaders. This indicates a high degree of trust and comfort within the team, fostering a more open and collaborative environment.

17. Equip Engineers with Design Systems

Actively guide engineers to use the existing design system in code, especially when AI tools are generating code that might not adhere to it. This ensures consistency and quality across the product.

18. AI for Introspection

Leverage AI tools like Claude Co-Work for personal introspection and analysis by feeding it diverse personal notes (e.g., one-on-ones, random thoughts, memos). This can help extract insights, create rubrics, and learn new things about oneself implicitly.