An expression of purpose
With AI, things are becoming easier to get done. For those who don’t own the problem or see the full picture, everything feels possible. A few hours from idea to prototype. So the instinct is to build more.
But at what cost?
It’s not always because we can, that we should.
Everything you ship becomes something you carry. New interactions, new edge cases, new expectations, a new mental model. Something new the team has to support and maintain, and that users need to navigate.
The cost of maintaining an idea is much higher than raising it.
Identify the constraints. Identify them early. Challenge them, ask yourself ‘what if?’ scenarios, remove or add them, but work with them, towards them, with ethics.
Explore every possible path, because that is now faster than ever. But don’t overlook the constraints and the importance of making the right choice about what do you push forward. Don’t let your excitement for what’s new blind you to what’s right, and to get ahead on the why.
Remember the purpose, that’s what design is for.
As Monsieur Eames once said, design is an expression of purpose. 1
Always remember that.