🍵 designer-friendly AI highlights
first edition of AI-tea✨
a common struggle i hear from all of us in the tech/9-5 world? it's really hard to carve out time to fidget with ai tools, let alone keep up with everything.
i'm sure the last few days heightened those feelings—not just for me, but for some of you out there too.
last few days were one of those "years happen in weeks" moments. we had..
figma config 2025: 4 major launches. figma make (prompt-to-code), figma sites (web publishing), figma draw (illustration tools), and grid (new layout system)
openai's codex: new ai coding agent in chatgpt powered by codex-1
google i/o 2025: gemini 2.5 with deep think reasoning, ai mode for search, and so much more
sequoia's ai ascent 2025: major vc insights on the "agent economy" and how ai apps are finally hitting product-market fit
anthropic’s code with claude: [to add major release]
I know we don't need another ai highlights wrap-up, every newsletter has one at the moment.
but what i'm missing a designer friendly take on:
✨ how does this actually change my life as a product designer?
✨ how much should i care? is it gonna disrupt my workflow now?
✨ where can i begin if i'm just catching up?
✨ what parts should i keep an eye on?
so here's my very humble attempt at it aka snapshot of my notes + things i learned.
sam altman x jony ivy announcing io
is it a netflix documentary or a tech partnership?
sam says ”we are sitting at the beginning of greatest technological revolution of our lifetimes”, so it very well could also be trailer of a romcom. it’s a video where they say a lot without saying anything but very clearly state their intention to release AI-native hardware.
why it matters as a designer
the entire vibe of this announcement reestablishes (after airbnb’s summer launch) that we are back in the era of taste as a differentiator - focusing on details, thoughtful crafting. I expect to see a wave of designers getting more obsessed with physical product design because building software keeps getting easier and cheaper with each new model.
PS: I am into these vibey videos - like the one by browser company talking about dia!
state of AI design report (by designers fund)
like I wrote before config, it supports my hypothesis that most designers are using AI early on and using it to build early directions/prototypes to drive discussions.
key takeaways as a designer // how to future proof yourself
-ever so important to be a hybrid rather than a purist, as pointed out in report “generalist ICs who pair visual craft, with product thinking and technical fluency”)
- building a solid understanding of AI basics and not just the fluffy vibe lingo is key
it’s really nicely captured the design industry pulse and would recommend a read!
google I/O 25
comment section is unified that google is shipping at speed of startup - and is finally making use of its full ecosystem.
why it matters as a designer
WWDC and I/O have always been relevant to designers and most of us watch a summary video the next day!
lots of UI patterns across the products released - so I would be on a lookout for new ones 👀
I really wanna (re)try Google Stitch (they acquired galileo AI and last time I tried it I walked away unimpressed)
sequoia capital’s AI ascent 2025
all the videos are available on youtube - and as a designer, I would recommend watching them even if they don’t immediately feel relevant to your day job right this moment.
things to know/keep up with as a designer
all AI models will become excellent at coding - this will be a core feature, not a specialty
agent-to-agent communication will be as important as human-AI chat - Agents need to talk to each other seamlessly aka more UX/UI patterns for us to design.
every company will have an agent, just like having a website - this is the new business requirement, not optional.
outcome-based pricing is coming - companies will pay for results and growth impact, not software licenses. again UX thinking max.
taste becomes the key differentiator - when AI can make anything, human judgment and curation become valuable.
all of the above is up for grabs as a designer/product person.
like
If you are agentic, aggressive, and have just a pinch of arrogance, there’s never been a better time to be a founder.let’s just take the liberty of paraphrasing it as - never a better time to be a (design) founder.
I hope you enjoyed this edition of AI-tea✨
it’s a little unnerving to even share these out because things move so rapidly and I myself am learning and in no way an expert!
also full disclosure, I wrote this a week ago and had no time to edit/publish and am publishing this from an airport lounge and hence no fancy thumbnail image for now. if you read so far, thanks and write to you more soon.
chhavi x
good read