5 ways AI can improve web design.

Introduction.

The robots are no longer coming – they’ve already unpacked and pulled up desks next to us. And while that might sound existentially terrifying for us design folk, AI is actually a really positive thing. It can simplify, create and fasttrack all kinds of tasks such as designing layouts and suggesting colour schemes. Here are some of the main ways web designers are using AI today.

1. Personalisation.

AI can create websites that respond to each user’s unique preferences. A good example of this is Amazon’s recommendation engine. By using AI to analyse our purchase history and browsing behaviour, Amazon can suggest products we’re likely to be interested in. So if you’re one of those shoppers who compulsively adds items to your basket right before checkout, blame AI.

2. User Experience.

As Theodore Roosevelt once said, “Nothing worth having comes easy”. And while we concede his point, he’d never experienced a clunky, impossible-to-navigate website. There’s almost nothing worse than bad UX, and if AI can help in that regard, we’re all for it. Google famously uses AI to improve its search algorithm, providing users with the most relevant results in seconds.

3. Visual Design.

AI isn’t just good for the technical elements of design. If you train it properly, AI can develop a pretty good eye for the visual side of design, too. From suggesting layouts to choosing colour schemes, AI could help you fast track your way to an eye-catching website. This is very much a case of the more you put in, the more you’ll get out – so be as detailed as you can with your prompts.

4. Content Creation.

AI can be used to generate content for websites: text, images and even videos. This can be particularly helpful for websites that need to produce a large amount of content regularly, such as news or e-commerce websites. Even if you end up needing to do a bit of editing here and there, it’s a handy way to speed up the process. As well as generating content, AI can be used to improve content, too. You may already be familiar with Grammarly, but if not, it uses AI to suggest improvements to grammar, spelling and tone.

5. Chatbots.

If we need 7 hours’ sleep but customers want 24/7 support, something’s got to give. Not any more – say hello to the AI-powered chatbot. Working tirelessly round the clock, these nifty little workers provide customers with instant answers to a wide range of common queries. We’re seeing a growing number of companies using chatbots on their sites. For example, H&M employs a chatbot to help customers find products and related information.

Conclusion.

In conclusion, AI can be a powerful tool for web designers, providing them with valuable insights and suggestions for creating effective websites. But rest assured, AI is not a replacement for human creativity. If you give clever AI to a bad designer, the most you could expect is a passable website. But if you give a talented designer a smart bit of automated tech, amazing things could happen––faster, easier and sometimes better than they would ordinarily.

So let’s swallow our creative pride and embrace AI. Here’s to better user experiences and cleaner looking layouts, courtesy of our new robot friends.