How Web Designers Currently Use AI [New Data]

Artificial intelligence (AI) is the talk of the town right now, but have you ever considered if industry professionals are using it? If you find yourself scratching your head wondering, "Are web designers using AI?" you've landed on the right page.

Let's dive into more information about whether designers harness AI's power, how, and their feelings about this emerging technology.

How many web designers are using AI?

According to HubSpot Blogs research, 93% of web designers have used an AI tool or technology to assist with a web design-related task in the last three months. Therefore, the answer to "Are web designers using AI?" is a resounding yes. The web design industry at large has embraced the new technology as a way to streamline monotonous tasks or gather inspiration or information ahead of beginning a project.

In addition, 7% of designers surveyed indicate that they either haven't used AI in the last three months or aren't sure. This demonstrates that overall, web designers are embracing this innovative technology.

How are web designers using AI?

Now that we have an answer to the question, "Are web designers using AI?" Let's dive into how the industry embraces this new technology — it might inspire your use of it yourself.

• 58% of designers surveyed indicate that they use AI to generate imagery or other media assets for a website.

• 50% use it to create complete web page designs.

• 49% use it to experiment with new design strategies or elements.

• 43% use AI to identify ways to make their designs better.

• 40% use it to track design performance or quality.

• 20% use it for auditing user experience.

These results suggest that generative AI — AI that you use for content creation — is interesting to many design professionals. However, designers know there are other ways to use the tool, such as to audit (and ultimately enrich) user experience or track the quality of their creations.

With a multitude of different ways to harness the power of AI, that gets us wondering — are there any guidelines designers have to consider when using AI? Here's what designers have to say.

What guidelines do designers have around using AI?

When asked if the company or freelance client they work for has policies set up around AI use, here's what designers replied.

• 55% of designers surveyed reported yes, and that their companies or main freelance clients encourage using AI tools in their work.

• 16% indicated that yes, there are guidelines and that they discourage AI in some facets of web design but encourage it for other tasks performed.

• 12% reported no, there aren't any policies around AI usage in web design.

• 10% indicated that yes, and that they discourage the use of AI in web design.

• 8% are unsure if there are AI usage policies in place.

While the most significant percentage of designers indicated that there are policies in place in their place of work and that AI usage is encouraged, the second largest share was a mixed bag.

Unsurprisingly, 12% of respondents indicated no policies around AI in web design at their place of work since this is still an emerging technology. Of course, connecting with your team leader before implementing new technology to check in is always a good idea. This is especially true if you're considering using a generative AI tool.

Are web designers apprehensive about what AI means for their careers?

According to HubSpot Blogs research, when asked to rank their concern about how AI will impact job security for web designers in the future on a scale from 1 (not at all concerned, but excited) to 5 (very concerned), the majority (38%) gave it a 4. This indicates that respondents are slightly worried about how AI can impact their job security or career trajectory.

The second largest share of designers (23%) ranked their feelings about AI as a 2, which indicates that they're not concerned and feel their job is safe in the long term. Next, 19% ranked it a 5, meaning they're concerned that AI could impact their job security or career in the long run.

13% gave it a 3, saying they don't yet have feelings about AI and its relation to their industry. Lastly, 6% of respondents gave it a 1, that they're not concerned about AI but excited and feel they'll be stronger with AI tools and that their careers are safe.

These results are varied, revealing how industry professionals are widely unsure how the new technology will impact them in the long term. However, the majority are at least somewhat concerned about what AI could mean for their career in the long haul.

Let's dive deeper into what some of the designers surveyed had to say about this.

According to one designer, "When perfected, [AI] could do 90% of my job." Another shared they're more optimistic about the future of their career, as "Robots still need humans to operate them at some points."

Another designer echoed these sentiments, adding, "Current AI is a trained model. [It] cannot generate new concepts, new ideas…[and] can only replace repetitive low-level work."

Other designers are more optimistic about the positive changes it could spur in the industry, with one saying, "I believe AI will only help and improve the design process." Some oppose this, however, and believe "it will decrease creativity and increase laziness."

One of the most resounding survey responses was that the designer's employer seems keenly aware that AI and designers can work in tandem, saying, "I feel that my employer understands that AI is a valuable tool in combination with human workers, needing both to progress."

What the Future Holds for Designers and AI

Ultimately, what the future holds in regard to designers working with AI is unknown. However, as the technology can help designers complete tedious tasks that they don't enjoy, we're optimistic that `it could be harnessed for good and, when used in conjunction with human creativity, can make us more productive than before.