Design teams must prove clear business impact to avoid being labeled a cost center during economic uncertainty. Designers should learn influence tactics that make executives recognize flawed feature proposals on their own rather than merely following orders or becoming obstructive. AI product work requires human-centered guardrails, especially for AI companions that should enhance real human needs rather than mimic people. AI-assisted coding accelerates implementation but does not replace discovery, user validation, or market-driven adaptation, and can create an illusion of progress. Simplicity is an absolute design ideal while usability or ease remains relative to user knowledge.
"The main thing I've realized after talking with dozens of designers in 2025 is that design can't be a cost center and hope to survive. In an uncertain economy, many organizations are looking to reduce costs. If you're seen as nothing but a cost with little benefit, your team may be on the chopping block. So if executive whims are throwing you around, don't just learn to follow orders or question them to the point of being seen as a roadblock."
We must build AI for people; not to be a person → "AI companions are a completely new category, and we urgently need to start talking about the guardrails we put in place to protect people and ensure this amazing technology can do its job of delivering immense value to the world. I'm fixated on building the most useful and supportive AI companion imaginable."
Vibe coding and the illusion of progress → "While artificial intelligence has revolutionized how we write code, it hasn't touched the fundamental human work of discovering genuine user needs, validating solutions through real-world testing, and adapting products based on market feedback. This distinction matters now more than ever, as AI-powered development tools create a dangerous illusion of progress that threatens the very foundation of successful product building."
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