Artificial Intelligence on Speckyboy Design Magazine https://speckyboy.com/topic/artificial-intelligence/ Design News, Resources & Inspiration Tue, 02 Jan 2024 10:54:36 +0000 en-US hourly 1 The Grumpy Designer’s Guide to 2024 https://speckyboy.com/the-grumpy-designers-guide-to-2024/ https://speckyboy.com/the-grumpy-designers-guide-to-2024/#respond Tue, 02 Jan 2024 10:54:36 +0000 https://speckyboy.com/?p=158964 It's time for the Grumpy Designer's annual look at the year ahead. This satirical report is chock-full of useless facts and mindless predictions.

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Are you curious about the future? Do you wonder how artificial intelligence (AI) will impact web design? Or if you’ll ever get that elusive Bluesky invite? You’ve come to the right place, my friends.

It’s time for my annual look at the year ahead. This satirical report is chock-full of useless facts and mindless predictions. That makes it just as good as any year-ahead article on the internet.

How do I do it? Like most internet companies, I use a proprietary algorithm. I prefer to keep it a secret. But it involves looking at the past and employing an overactive imagination. It can be yours for a small fee, by the way.

So, what does 2024 have in store for us? Here are some things that absolutely will (or probably won’t) happen.



WordPress.com to Offer Tweet Rebuttals

2023 was an eventful year for WordPress – and not all of it was positive. Then again, a little #WPDrama is a fine spectator sport.

The divide between co-founder Matt Mullenweg’s commercial venture (Automattic) and the open-source project once again raised some eyebrows. The (supposed) problem? Automattic’s WordPress.com replicated plugin listings from the WordPress.org repository on its site.

Plugin developers expressed concern that the commercial site’s listings showed up first in search results. Mullenweg was personally called out regarding the issue. The criticism was harsh and accusatory.

He responded aggressively – even banning a member of the open-source project’s marketing team on Twitter/X.

Right or wrong, these events got the WordPress community talking. The level of discourse was palpable.

It also got my predictive senses tingling. There must be a way to capitalize on this phenomenon – right?

Mullenweg responded to many critics – but certainly not all. Were you left out? Don’t worry! You’ll have a chance to get in on the action.

WordPress.com will soon unveil its “I Beg Your Pardon?” service. For a $20 fee, Mullenweg will personally respond to a critical tweet of your choice.

No worries if you’re short on cash. A free version from WordPress.org will get you an automated response from a bot.

Apple Will Thrill Fans with AI

Rumors abound that Apple is working on an artificial intelligence platform. How might it work? What are its capabilities? I have a few predictions.

A Stiff Barrier to Entry

Apple loves to sell us premium products. And they also enjoy exercising tight control of them. Don’t expect their AI offering to be any different.

Thus, their platform will only be available to those using Apple devices. But that’s not all. Adding Apple’s AI to your workflow will also require a proprietary cable. No, not the one you already have.

We’re talking about a completely new connector type. The good news is that it’s currently hidden on your device. It will reveal itself upon sensing the cable’s presence.

The bad news? The dongle costs $500. And customers will have to wait at least six months for delivery. As usual, a large number of preorders will be the culprit.

An AI Powered Website Testing Suite

Web designers will be thrilled to see Apple’s AI testing suite. Enter your URL and watch the magic happen.

The tool emulates multiple devices. For example, you can troubleshoot your client’s buggy site on their 8-year-old Android phone. Or figure out why your responsive styles aren’t working on a brand of tablet no one has heard of.

You can also test your sites on classic Apple devices. How would an Apple IIe render your home page? What about a Newton handheld? You’re a dongle away from finding out.

How would your website look on a classic Macinstosh computer?

It Will Be a Roller-Coaster Year for Elon Musk

Perhaps you don’t need a crystal ball to predict some things. Elon Musk and chaos are the perfect couple (sorry, Grimes). It’s the gift that keeps on giving.

I believe Mr. Musk will have a busy year. Seriously, there will be something wild happening every day. Here are just a few examples:

  • Musk will reveal (unprompted) that he ingested dozens of “E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial” cartridges. You know, the ones that Atari buried back in the 1980s. He may still have a stash in his basement.
  • Musk will invent an implantable microchip that allows chickens to speak. Ironically, he’ll call it “Twitter“.
  • What about the service formerly known as Twitter? Musk hasn’t forgotten about it. He’ll continue to reinstate banned accounts. Next up: Napolean. Watch out for a rant hundreds of years in the making.
  • We hear the Tesla Cybertruck will finally start deliveries in 2024. What’s the catch? It only includes models that come equipped with a Musk-approved flamethrower.
  • Tesla’s Autopilot feature is having issues. Musk will replace it with an “Autonag” option. A virtual Elon will criticize your driving skills and shout them through the car’s audio system. Transport will never be the same.

Who wouldn't want Elon Musk to criticize their driving skills?

Best Wishes for 2024!

Yes, the predictions above are silly. But they underscore that we’re in a time of change. AI is disrupting our industry. The tools we use are evolving. Somehow, we’ll need to adapt. For instance, I may have ChatGPT write this article for me next year.

None of this will be easy. Web designers have weathered plenty of shifts, though. I’m still here – and so are you!

So, take a deep breath. Find something to laugh about. And do your best to make 2024 a great year.

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Will Replacing Creative Professionals with AI Backfire? https://speckyboy.com/will-replacing-creative-professionals-with-ai-backfire/ https://speckyboy.com/will-replacing-creative-professionals-with-ai-backfire/#respond Mon, 04 Dec 2023 11:49:32 +0000 https://speckyboy.com/?p=156459 AI could impact all creative professionals in one way or another. Web designers, developers, and graphic artists are among them.

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Tools touting artificial intelligence (AI) haven’t been around for very long. But that hasn’t stopped companies from taking a leap of faith with them. Some have even attempted to replace humans with ChatGPT or similar apps.

One such experiment came from Sports Illustrated. The venerable publication has allegedly published AI-generated writers and content on its website. They went so far as to source AI author profile pictures as well.

They’re not the first to try this. CNET tested a similar strategy. There’s no doubt that other companies will follow.

The quest for cheap (or free) content is hitting writers. But it could impact all creative professionals in one way or another. Web designers, developers, and graphic artists are among them.

How far might companies go? And what sort of backlash could they face? I have a few thoughts on what might happen.



Let’s Go Hypothetical with Taylor Swift

Just humor me here. I’m trying to imagine the lengths a company might go to save money. And how they might replace a creative professional with AI. Thus, here’s a hypothetical scenario starring Miss Taylor Swift.

Swift is pulling in a massive amount of cash. Her Eras tour has raked in billions of dollars. She’s a media darling and has fans all over the world. She’s irreplaceable – right? Well, it wouldn’t be shocking if someone tried.

Let’s suppose a record label had all of her recorded music. Perhaps they feed these tracks into an AI model. The app “learns” her lyrical style and the tone of her voice.

Now, that record label has a big idea. Their AI model can generate new songs using Swift’s signature style.

They can replicate her voice. Perhaps they don’t want to go that far, though. It will likely have legal ramifications. But they can change things up just enough to sound similar. And that may be enough to produce a hit.

Would fans accept AI-generated music? The song uses a proven formula, after all. Therefore, let’s assume they do.

Playing this song on the radio may work well. But what about a concert tour? People will want to connect with this hot new artist – or a facsimile of one. It’s a key ingredient to a successful brand.

This fictional record label could hire an actor to lip-sync on stage. A modern-day Milli Vanilli, perhaps. But this doesn’t guarantee an Eras-like hit. The problem is in creating a personal connection.

Swift connects with her fans on an authentic level. She has built her reputation over many years. The idea of replacing her with an actor who “visualizes” an AI tune may be a bridge too far for fans. At least, that’s what I’m hoping.

Could AI try to replicate the success of Taylor Swift?

The Question of Long-Term Success

The scenario above may seem ridiculous. But it’s significantly cheaper than paying an artist. And that’s the worry. Companies will be enticed by the possibilities. And they won’t need to work at the scale of a knockoff Taylor Swift.

A website owner may decide that they can get by without a developer. An ad agency might trust DALL·E to do the work of a graphic designer. Anyone capable of writing a prompt could do this work.

The quality of the work is another matter. After all, it was relatively easy for humans to pick apart the Sports Illustrated articles. Search engines will probably do the same. Why should Google reward such laziness?

Now, back to our industry. I’ve opined before about AI’s impact on web designers. I believe that people will try all manner of ways to save money. But a great website still requires a human touch.

We may see a cycle similar to that of DIY website builders. People will try them. Some will be dissatisfied with the results. That’s when they’ll seek out a professional. I think the same is possible with AI.

AI tools will surely improve. But are they reliable enough for long-term success? That may be the defining question of this era (see what I did there?)

AI tools may not provide the same level of quality.

The Acceptance and Expectations for AI

How or if AI replaces creative professionals may come down to our acceptance and expectations. That goes for both decision-makers and the public.

The latter may inform the former. If the public consumes AI-generated content without complaint, AI will spread like wildfire. Companies will continue to test the boundaries.

But what if conversions and SEO rankings start to plummet? We’ll likely see a change in course.

Much may depend on where AI shows up. Consumers may not blink at “disposable” content like Sports Illustrated generated. But they may demand higher quality from journalistic content.

Expectations also play a role for companies. Will they consider an AI-generated website good enough? Or will they prefer the attention to detail of human designers?

We’re still early in the game. The answers will determine the impact on how creative professionals are valued.

Public acceptance of AI-generated content will determine its future.

Where Is This All Headed?

I’m betting that AI will become a foundation for many types of projects. Perhaps it seizes the low end of the market. For example, it could spell trouble for those building fast and cheap websites.

But it doesn’t signal the end for skilled humans. Talented people will continue to thrive.

It does feel like a period of adjustment, though. Thus, any feelings of unease are understandable.

I don’t have all the answers. But I hope that continuing to learn and grow will help. In the end, maybe that’s all we can do. Prove our worth time and again.

Meanwhile, we can watch as AI evolves and brings chaos to multiple industries.

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The Grumpy Designer Ponders What It Means To ‘Learn’ AI https://speckyboy.com/grumpy-designer-ponders-what-it-means-to-learn-ai/ https://speckyboy.com/grumpy-designer-ponders-what-it-means-to-learn-ai/#respond Mon, 16 Oct 2023 09:45:41 +0000 https://speckyboy.com/?p=154700 What should web designers be learning about AI? Do we need to learn anything at all? The Grumpy Design has a few unscientific ideas to share with you.

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Artificial intelligence (AI) is just starting to impact society. But that hasn’t stopped people from making bold proclamations.

I’m particularly fond of the Doomsday scenarios. You know, the very darkest of sci-fi fantasies. The possibility of working for a machine sounds modern. I wonder how well it pays?

Then there’s the idea that we must “learn” AI. The term “prompt engineer” has been thrown around. This one sounds perfect for a grumpy designer! It also seems like a job with a short shelf life.

We used to write code to direct a computer. But now we tell it what to do. It’s less work for more money. Who wouldn’t want this job?

But seriously. What should web designers learn about AI? Do we need to learn anything at all? I have a few unscientific ideas. Just take them with a grain of salt. I haven’t run any of this by ChatGPT yet.



AI Prompts Test Your Communication Skills

The idea of a career in prompt engineering sounds strange. But I admit that the job requires some skill. You might have issues if you’re not a gifted communicator.

Generative code seems like an area of relevance. Large language models (LLMs) like ChatGTP and Bard can accept vague instructions. That will likely produce some basic code. It serves as a foundation to build upon.

But complex code needs clear, detailed instructions. Not everyone possesses this ability.

Just think of the clients who have trouble explaining a design feature. Do we expect these people to generate the next great WordPress plugin?

The results may suffer if a prompt is too light or wordy. LLMs will likely improve. But there will still be hurdles for those who struggle with clear communication.

Your primary language may also be a barrier. What if a model isn’t well-versed in your language? That’s going to make prompts more difficult.

Therefore, it’s wise to brush up on your written communication skills. They’ll come in handy.

It's important to clearly communicate your needs to AI tools.

Using APIs To Build AI Apps

Several AI tools either have or will release an application programming interface (API). The concept should be familiar to web designers. The likes of Google and social media providers have similar offerings.

You can tap into the power of ChatGPT to build an application. This is useful if your project needs one-off functionality. Or if you have a killer idea that will make billions. That may be far-fetched. It seems like most people are using it to generate text thus far.

Learning one of these APIs won’t apply to everybody. It’s more likely that we’ll use apps created by others. For instance, a WordPress plugin that adds a chatbot to your site.

Understanding how an API works is still valuable, though. And there’s a market for niche applications. Perhaps the real money will be in helping organizations implement AI.

You can use an API to add articificial intelligence capabilities to your application.

When To Use AI Tools

It’s tempting to use AI for just about every task. Just like your mother told you, the machine knows best.

But the reality is that AI isn’t good at everything. It struggles with accuracy. It even hallucinates occasionally.

Learning a tool’s strengths and weaknesses is vital. The facts, figures, and code generated by AI may look great. But how do you know for sure?

Practicing blind faith in these tools is not recommended. If accuracy matters, take the time to double-check the results. You might want to regenerate a response as well. AI tools will often provide multiple answers for the same prompt.

Thus, treat AI like that shady friend you had in high school. Feel free to hang out together. But don’t rely on it for anything too important. It will only get you into trouble.

Experiment with AI tools to determine their strengths and weaknesses.

Learn How To Get What You Want From AI

Like any tool, AI has a learning curve. But there’s no need to study every aspect. It’s more important to learn how to produce the desired results.

Your communication skills are vital. And tools that understand your instructions also play a role. Your success depends on both items.

What if you struggle to write AI prompts? There are a lot of guides popping up that can help.

And you can do more than follow their examples. Pay close attention to the way each prompt is worded. Experiment with similar language in your virtual conversations.

It also helps to be a bit grumpy skeptical. This will help you better understand the limitations of these tools. They don’t “know” everything. And, like the people they are supposedly replacing, they make mistakes.

The machines aren’t taking over yet. But it’s worth learning how to take advantage of them. You may end up as the more powerful being.

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AI Presents Many Challenges for Web Designers https://speckyboy.com/ai-challenges-web-design/ https://speckyboy.com/ai-challenges-web-design/#respond Tue, 18 Jul 2023 06:50:54 +0000 https://speckyboy.com/?p=151479 We discuss the key challenges in incorporating artificial intelligence (AI) into their design process and its impact on design trends and UX.

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It’s impossible to escape the hype surrounding artificial intelligence. Stories about this technology are everywhere.

Tools like Bard, ChatGPT, and Stable Diffusion are becoming mainstream. And people have a lot of opinions regarding what they mean to society. Two very boisterous camps are forming.

On the one hand, we have the AI cheerleaders. They are looking at the future through rose-colored glasses. Even if they have concerns about potential misuse, they’re generally optimistic.

Then we have the doomsday crowd. They tend to see AI as a means to spread disinformation and put humans out of work. Science fiction has become a reality.

I tend to be somewhere in the middle. Yes, I see benefits. But I also worry about the harm that AI might cause. Plus, we don’t fully understand what we’re doing with this technology. We’re moving full speed ahead – consequences be damned.

This thinking also applies to AI’s impact on web designers. The existing tools we have can be helpful. Yet they also present some significant challenges to our industry.

Here are a few areas where I believe AI will frustrate web designers. And (surprise), none of them are existential!



Cleaning Up After Adventurous Clients

Some website owners love to experiment. They’ll install new WordPress themes or plugins without a second thought. Or they’ll attempt to change the meticulously-crafted page layout you built for them.

Web designers are usually left to deal with the aftermath. It’s part of the job. And AI may make things even harder to manage.

It’s not hard to imagine the trouble one can get into. A client could generate content that’s full of inaccuracies. Or they might add a problematic code snippet.

Even AI image generators can be problematic. There is a lot of gray area when it comes to copyright. Therefore, a client may upload an illegal image.

This new category of tools performs tasks at lightning speed. The negative impact on a website could happen just as quickly.

A client could use AI to inadvertently break a website

A Race to the Bottom in Pricing

It’s no secret that AI tools can write code. That might send shivers down your spine. And some developers may wonder if they’ll soon be replaced by bots.

This fear is not unfounded. Stories are already detailing how humans have lost their jobs to ChatGPT. These cases may be extreme. But web designers could still take a direct hit.

Pricing is an area that seems ripe for conflict. Some prospective clients may scoff at the cost of a seasoned developer. They’ll reason that AI is “faster and cheaper.” No mention of accuracy or adaptability, of course.

Even so, web design isn’t easy. And a great website still requires a human touch. To this point in history, AI alone can only advance a project so far.

But will anyone be surprised when a client uses AI as an excuse to pay less? It’s only a matter of time before this becomes a common argument.

Here’s hoping that most clients embrace reality. There are things web professionals do that bots can’t. It’s a point worth driving home.

AI is cheaper and faster than human labor

An Influx of Spam and Junk Content

Clients aren’t the only ones who will use AI to create content. Spammers and malicious actors are sure to take advantage. They are undoubtedly giddy about the possibilities AI presents.

There are multiple reasons for concern. First, AI-generated content is usually coherent. This may allow it to slip past some spam filters. And phony content that looks legitimate is dangerous. Thus, we may see more users falling victim to phishing scams.

AI is also incredibly fast. A tool built for rogue purposes could flood a web or email server and cause service interruptions. And it may be “smart” enough to adjust tactics on-the-fly.

Spam is already a thorn in a web designer’s side. AI has the potential to raise the bar exponentially. As a result, we may see higher costs for maintenance, web hosting, and email services.

The day-to-day tasks we perform will likely become harder – all thanks to the misuse of AI.

AI tools could be used to generate spam

The Added Cost of Using AI Tools

AI may lead to higher costs across the board. And that’s not accounting for the cost of the tools themselves.

These tools are in their early stages. Many provide free service levels. But make no mistake: their creators are expecting massive profits.

Let’s use ChatGPT as an example. Developers hoping to tap into its API will have to purchase “tokens.” The more you use the service, the more tokens you’ll need. And those costs will ultimately be passed on to users.

For web designers, this means an extra expense for projects. Those who like the convenience of AI will need to budget accordingly. And it may be too easy to spend more than you anticipated.

Sure, it may be cheaper than hiring a freelancer. But there will be a cost for employing the help of AI.

Using AI could result in additional costs for web designers

Navigating a New Era of Web Design

For all its potential to help web designers, AI might also become an obstacle. It’s a nascent technology that we’re just beginning to understand. Thus, we’re likely to hit some serious bumps in the road.

So much depends on how people use it. Some will inevitably do so in ways that make our jobs harder. It might be an adventurous client or a hacker. But web designers will be tasked with cleaning up the mess regardless.

We may also struggle with client expectations. Humans can’t work at the speed of AI. Yet some people may expect us to. And they’ll also devalue the knowledge and experience of professional designers. That could eventually shrink the pool of potential clients.

It sounds gloomy. But web designers are great at adapting to new circumstances. We routinely adopt new technologies and revise our workflows. And despite the challenges, we can do it again with AI.

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How Could AI Change Web Design Tools? https://speckyboy.com/ai-change-web-design-tools/ https://speckyboy.com/ai-change-web-design-tools/#respond Mon, 03 Jul 2023 06:52:36 +0000 https://speckyboy.com/?p=151393 Imagine how AI could change web design tools in the future. How might it look? Here are a few (thoroughly-unscientific) guesses.

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Web designers need top-notch tools. Modern websites have a lot of moving parts, after all. And the right apps help us meet these increased expectations.

Perhaps artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming mainstream at just the right time. It’s poised to bring new levels of power and convenience to web design.

We’re already starting to see the changes. Tools like GitHub’s Copilot can turn user prompts into fully-functioning code. And generative AI has even made its way into Adobe’s Photoshop.

Yet this is only the beginning. Imagine how AI could change web design tools in the future. How might it look? Here are a few (thoroughly-unscientific) guesses.



Providing a Better Starting Point for Design

The first step is often the hardest. That truism applies to many aspects of life – including web design.

Sometimes creative block stands in the way. Thus, you might spend hours tinkering with layout ideas. That’s time you could have spent being productive.

The conversational nature of AI tools seems like the perfect antidote. You might write a prompt asking for a “magazine layout“. Or request a home page that’s similar to the New York Times.

Like magic, a basic layout appears. From there, you can personalize the design to match your needs.

A particularly astute tool could adjust based on your platform. If you’re using WordPress, perhaps it offers up a block theme. If you plan on using static HTML, then that’s the output you receive.

True, this may take some of the originality out of the process. However, it might open the door to more possibilities as well. The power is in the hands of the user.

Artificial intelligence may help web designers start projects more quickly

Making Websites Accessible in Real Time

The need to build accessible websites isn’t going away. There are both moral and legal obligations for doing so. Thus, it’s a subject that every web designer should master.

But ensuring accessibility requires testing. That’s a resource-intensive task. These days, it consists of both automated and manual methods.

Automated tools like WAVE are helpful. They can scan a page and provide a laundry list of issues to investigate. But they also return a lot of false-positive results. In short: they lack context. That’s why we still need manual testing.

AI may never perfect accessibility testing. But it does have the potential to improve accuracy. Imagine a testing suite that can read your code and interpret how each feature works. From there, it determines whether they follow best practices.

And what if a design tool could give us this information from the start? It might prevent us from creating an inaccessible feature in the first place.

For example, the ability to analyze a background image and determine whether it would accommodate layered text. If the text is illegible, a warning would be displayed. And it might offer to adjust the image for us.

This technology could keep accessibility in the front of our minds. If it’s not already there, that is.

Design tools could one day detect accessibility issues on-the-fly

Improving Responsive Design

Tools like Figma help with responsive design. They allow us to test our prototypes on multiple viewports and make necessary adjustments.

It’s a trial-and-error process, though. Particularly when testing in a web browser. It seems like there are always a few devices that don’t cooperate with a given layout.

But this is an area where large language models (LLMs) can help. These tools have ingested untold amounts of code. Someday they should be “smart” enough to take a desktop layout and adapt it for smaller screens.

They may even suggest items to leave out on mobile devices. For instance, bandwidth-hogging sliders or video backgrounds. In addition, truly responsive type scaling will be easier to implement.

Again, the idea here isn’t perfection. But if an AI-powered tool could get us 75% of the way to a great responsive experience, it could save significant time.

An assist from artificial intelligence could make responsive design easier

Seeing Potential Issues Before Launch

Launching a website is always challenging. It’s always a good idea to keep a checklist handy. But something could still slip past us.

Perhaps design tools of the not-too-distant future will be an extra set of eyes. They might spot impactful issues in our code.

Browser compatibility is a great place to start. Let’s say a code editor finds a feature that doesn’t work on a recent version of Chrome. It advises us that our site is going to be harder to navigate for x percent of users.

But why stop at browsers? There’s potential to report back on all manner of relevant information. Things like privacy concerns, broken links, or page load times are all possible areas of focus.

This tool has an internet’s worth of data at its disposal. As such, it can predict the potential impact of our design decisions. It may even prevent a major blunder. That could make it a designer’s best friend.

Imagine a web design tool that would warn us about pre-launch issues

Like Having a Trusted Assistant at Your Side

Maybe some of these predictions are far-fetched. But from what we’ve already seen, it doesn’t feel like science fiction, either.

AI is just beginning to be integrated into web design tools. It’s only a matter of time before the technology expands its capabilities. They’ll keep us focused on important aspects of a project. And they’ll double-check our work.

In all, it will be like having a virtual assistant working beside you. There will likely be some growing pains along the way. But it’s fun to imagine the possibilities.

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Ways That AI Can Enhance Your Website https://speckyboy.com/ways-that-ai-can-enhance-your-website/ https://speckyboy.com/ways-that-ai-can-enhance-your-website/#respond Mon, 15 May 2023 06:56:25 +0000 https://speckyboy.com/?p=150574 We take a look at a few areas where AI is being leveraged on everyday websites. You might find something that moves your site to the next level!

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Although years in the works, it seems like artificial intelligence (AI) came out of nowhere. The technology descended upon the web like an alien spaceship. And we’re all scrambling to find ways to use it to our advantage.

Tools like ChatGPT and Google’s Bard can certainly help to streamline our workflow. They help us troubleshoot code, build plugins, and conduct research. But it can also be used to enhance your website.

There’s plenty of experimentation underway. We’re in the early stages. But AI is being enlisted to help with everything from improving chatbots to generating blog posts.

Today, we’ll look at a few areas where AI is already being leveraged on everyday websites. Take a look and you might find something that moves your site to the next level!

Note: This article mentions specific products that use AI. We do not endorse these products. Nor can we vouch for their quality or accuracy. As always, conduct thorough research before using them.



Help Users Find What They’re Looking For

The concept of chatbots makes sense. You’re not available to answer user questions 24/7. Thus, these automated features can serve as an always-on customer service representative.

But all too often, chatbots don’t measure up. Their user experience (UX) can frustrate even the most patient among us. Accuracy isn’t always a strong point. And it can take a lot of “conversing” to get what you need.

AI is poised to change that. Several tools have been released that promise to improve the experience.

Take DocsBot AI, for example. It uses your website’s content and documentation to “train” a bot via ChatGPT.

There are a few positives to this approach. First, since it uses your content, accuracy shouldn’t be a problem. That eliminates one of the main drawbacks that AI tools have had thus far.

It also takes advantage of ChatGPT’s conversational skills. Previous generations of chatbots struggled with context. Answers often felt like “canned” responses. AI can create a more natural flow to user interaction.

Generate Relevant Website Content

AI tools that generate content seem to be making the biggest splash so far. It has created a buzz. Enough that some companies have attempted to replace human writers (this writer thinks that’s a bad idea, by the way).

WordPress has been fertile ground for these tools. Several have been integrated into the block editor. Provide the tool with a prompt and AI will do the rest. The best part is that you don’t have to leave your website’s back end.

This could be a huge time saver. There are no guarantees when it comes to quality or accuracy, however. Therefore, we wouldn’t recommend publishing generated content without close review.

But AI-generated text can serve as a great starting point. And web designers can even use it when working with clients.

Waiting for a client to provide content is a common issue. So, why not generate sample text that a client can revise? This could greatly speed up the process. Plus, it sure beats using Lorem Ipsum.

Oh, and we can’t forget about images. AI image tools such as DALL-E and Stable Diffusion can produce compelling results. They might be a nice alternative to run-of-the-mill stock photography.

DALL-E can generate unique images using artificial intelligence.

Improve Your Website’s Accessibility and Security

Not all website enhancements are visible. And what happens behind the scenes can be just as important. Both accessibility and security fall into that category.

Automated Accessibility Tools

Automated accessibility tools have existed for quite some time. They’re helpful for testing during the design and development phases of a project. As such, they’re aimed toward web designers more than everyday users.

But user-focused tools are also available. And AI is beginning to increase its capabilities.

For instance, consider software that automatically adds ALT attributes to images. While it works in a technical sense, it may not provide accurate context. Simply adding generic text to an image won’t help users.

But what if a tool could accurately describe the content of an image? Tools like EveryAlt aim to do this with an assist from AI. It may sound like a small thing. But it could dramatically enhance the UX for those who use assistive technologies. It’s also a boost for search engine optimization (SEO) as well.

A Better Way To Detect Malware

Keeping our websites safe is becoming more complex and costly. And despite our best efforts, malicious code still runs wild on the internet. It feels like a losing battle.

A combination of AI and machine learning could be just what we need. Imagine software that’s being fed a steady stream of new threats. As it “learns” the telltale signs of each attack, it can adjust on the fly to detect the code. From there, it could theoretically stop it from being executed. It might even detect new vectors of attack.

MAL{ai} is among the tools taking this approach. Early models are focused on detecting malicious PHP. But expanding the technology to cover languages like JavaScript is also possible.

Artificial intelligence could be used to detect malicious code.

Building Better Websites With the Help of AI

A website should provide users with the best possible experience. This means producing high-quality content and making sure it’s easy to find. And it’s also important to ensure that its features are accessible and safe to use. AI can play an important role in all of these areas.

None of this is foolproof, however. We shouldn’t rely on AI to do all the work for us. But it can certainly help. Think of it as a collaborator in your quest to build a great website.

What’s more, the ideas above are all in their infancy. As tools continue to improve, we’ll undoubtedly find new uses for them. Therefore, the little enhancements we make today could lead to bigger things tomorrow.

If you’re an early adopter, feel free to experiment. The knowledge you’ll gain will help you better navigate this quickly-expanding technology.

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AI Tools Are Scraping Your Website. Is That a Good Thing? https://speckyboy.com/ai-tools-scraping-your-website/ https://speckyboy.com/ai-tools-scraping-your-website/#respond Wed, 10 May 2023 06:36:42 +0000 https://speckyboy.com/?p=150565 The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) has been disruptive. Things are changing rapidly. And it seems like this technology is posing new moral, ethical, and existential questions each day. There...

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The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) has been disruptive. Things are changing rapidly. And it seems like this technology is posing new moral, ethical, and existential questions each day.

There are plenty of stories and opinions to choose from. But one recent incident caught my eye.

A website owner claimed that their site was being “hammered” by a content scraping bot. The tool img2dataset, catalogs large volumes of images for use in AI tools like Stable Diffusion.

The site’s owner opened an issue on the tool’s GitHub repository. He was advised to opt out of scraping. To do so, he’d have to add specific headers to his website.

This is our new reality. These tools are grabbing all manner of content – copyrighted images included. They’re regurgitating it to their users. Indeed, it’s the world’s biggest mash-up.

What’s more, it’s up to website owners to specify that they don’t want to participate. Is this as outrageous as it sounds? Let’s examine the issue and what it means for website owners.



Scraping Website Content for Profit Isn’t New

On one level, a tool scraping your website isn’t a novel idea. Search engines have been both indexing content and displaying relevant bits in results for years. In addition, RSS has allowed for retrieving text and images since the early days of the web.

And companies like Google have profited massively from these efforts. The more data they collect, the better results they provide. Thus, the more eyeballs they attract. That results in bigger ad revenue.

It’s been the way of the world for a few decades now. Therefore, it’s no surprise that other companies are taking a similar approach.

After all, an AI developer needs a good source of content to “train” its tool. What better way to do so than by collecting as much data as possible? For them, the web is the gift that keeps on giving.

So, the mere fact that a bot is visiting your website and cataloging content isn’t a big deal. But maybe that’s where the similarities end.

Search engine bots have been indexing and scraping data for years.

Is There Any Benefit for Website Owners?

The big difference is in who benefits. When a search engine indexes your website, you stand to gain something. Better rankings mean more visitors – and potentially more customers. And if you practice search engine optimization (SEO), you’re asking Google to visit.

AI bots may not rise to the level of an uninvited guest. But they’re not exactly visiting to your benefit, either.

For example, when you ask ChatGPT to write code, it’s not thinking back to the computer science course it took in college. The tool is tapping into previously-scraped content. True, it may not be a line-for-line copy (although sometimes it is). But the language model is using what it has “learned” to produce an answer.

Similarly, generating an image of Elon Musk riding a unicorn isn’t magic (sorry to spoil the fun). The various visual components had to come from somewhere. Original (and potentially copyrighted) images are key ingredients.

In both scenarios, the beneficiaries are the AI tool and the end user. The sources used to generate this content? They have more bot traffic added to their monthly bandwidth usage.

The developer of img2dataset has a slightly different take. Among their responses to concerns about requiring an opt-out:

“You will have many opportunities in the years to come to benefit from AI. I hope you see that sooner rather than later. As creators you have even more opportunities to benefit from it.”

Their logic seems to suggest that we’ll all benefit from AI at some point. So, allowing the tool to scrape your content is good for humanity. Or something like that.

The separation between Google's search engine and Bard AI tool is unclear.

To Block or Not to Block?

The decision of whether to block AI from scraping your website is complex. Or it requires multiple stages, at least.

Perhaps the easiest part is identifying your philosophy. Are you OK with your content being scraped? If so, carry on. If not, the other parts of the equation are more complicated.

For one, there’s no universal way to opt out of all AI scraping. The headers for blocking image2dataset work only for that tool. That means keeping track of popular tools and finding methods for blocking them.

And companies like Google and Microsoft are further complicating the conversation. Both own search engines. You likely want them to index your website. But they also have AI tools. Where is the line drawn between these different products?

For its part, Google’s Bard claims that it doesn’t scrape content from websites (I asked!). But in the same conversation, it also says that websites are a part of where it gets data. Make what you will of those answers.

If you’d like to block all manner of AI tools, it won’t be easy. But maybe not for long. I can envision services that will cater to website owners who want nothing to do with content scraping. They may allow us to do so more efficiently.

But until such time, this seems like a losing battle. AI is inevitable. And who has time to catalog every new app that hits the market? Plus, it may be difficult to block these tools without also negatively impacting SEO.

Blocking AI tools from scraping your website may require constant vigilance.

Website Owners Must Fend For Themselves

Not everyone will be as impacted as the frustrated user in our introduction. In that case, it appears that image2dataset was indexing a large volume of images. Unless you’re in the same boat, your site probably won’t experience any problems.

But the issue goes much deeper. It should make us think about how we value our content. And we should question what sort of rights (if any) these tools have. Can they simply take what they want? Or should there be guidelines outlining what is and isn’t permissible?

Meaningful regulation of the industry could be months or even years away. In the interim, website owners are left to fend for themselves.

As part of the effort, it’s important to make your voice heard. Encourage companies to make opting out of scraping a transparent process. Express your concerns to elected officials and others of influence.

It may not slow down the onslaught of AI tools. But it could prevent things from getting too far out of hand. That will benefit us all.

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5 Common Tasks That ChatGPT Can Perform for Web Developers https://speckyboy.com/chatgpt-common-taks-web-developers/ https://speckyboy.com/chatgpt-common-taks-web-developers/#respond Mon, 20 Mar 2023 08:25:22 +0000 https://speckyboy.com/?p=147384 We take a look at a few common tasks that ChatGPT can perform for web developers. You might be surprised at some of its capabilities.

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Every web developer has tasks they’d rather avoid. Or ones that simply take up too much time. Quite often, they’re little things that get in the way of more important work.

You could hire someone to help with these tasks. But that can be cost-prohibitive – not to mention inefficient. And there’s also the challenge of finding someone who is reliable.

This is where the advent of artificial intelligence (AI) tools like ChatGPT comes into play. While they can’t do everything for us, they can make quick work of common tasks. That leaves you with more time to focus on other aspects of your projects.

Today, we’ll look at a few common tasks that ChatGPT can perform for web developers. You might be surprised at some of its capabilities.



Create a Regular Expression Based on Your Instructions

The logic and syntax of regular expressions (regex) can be difficult to grasp. So much that you may cringe at the idea of having to write one. We hear you!

On the other hand, regex can be quite powerful. It can be used to find matching data in even the most complicated text strings. If you’re writing code, you’ll eventually need one.

Based on our experiments, ChatGPT is surprisingly good at creating regular expressions. We asked it to write an expression that could find a unique ID within a URL. With just a few basic parameters in our prompt, the tool immediately produced the code and explained how it works.

If you use AI for nothing else in your life, this may be the one task worth trying. It could save your sanity.

Asking ChatGPT to write a regular expression.

Write a Basic WordPress Plugin

Sometimes, the hardest part of writing a custom WordPress plugin is getting started. Trying to include “all the things” at once can lead to frustration. And working within the various APIs WordPress offers can be confusing.

ChatGPT can help. No, it won’t write you a fully-fledged WooCommerce competitor. But it can help get you pointed in the right direction.

For example, you might use it to create a basic plugin. And the tool can also help you add features as you think of them. ChatGPT remembers your “conversations” and lets you go back to them at any time.

A good start is crucial. AI can take care of the initial dirty work. Once you have a solid foundation for your plugin, the sky’s the limit.

ChatGPT begins writing a WordPress plugin on command.

Summarize a Blog Post for SEO

Adding a meta description for website content is good practice. It can have a positive impact on search engine optimization (SEO). Plus, it helps readers understand the subject matter when browsing a search results page (SERP).

But writing these summaries can be a pain. Particularly if the content was written by your client. You’ll have to read it whether you’re interested or not. And then you’ll need to write a description in 155 characters or less.

Why not ask ChatGPT? Provide it with the URL and ask for a character-limited summary. In a few seconds, you’ll have a good starting point.

Sure, you may need to fine-tune some of the wording. But that’s still faster and easier than doing it all yourself.

One side benefit: if you’re using WordPress, you can also use the generated text as an excerpt.

ChatGPT can summarize an article based on your parameters.

Troubleshoot a Buggy Code Snippet

It’s easy to get frustrated while debugging code. You could spend hours trying to figure out why a snippet isn’t working. And even the tiniest syntax error can be the culprit. There are better ways to spend an afternoon (or evening).

Modern development tools can point out errors. Or they’re effective at telling you there’s an error – they don’t always give specifics.

Before you reach your wit’s end, give ChatGPT a try. It’s capable of spotting those pesky syntax issues. If the tool is feeling especially generous, it may provide you with a corrected version.

In our testing, the tool was able to identify errors in both JavaScript and PHP snippets. And it took mere seconds.

This doesn’t guarantee that you’ll be able to fix every issue. But it’s worth the time to see if AI can be of help.

Provide a code snippet and ChatGPT can scan it for errors.

Find the Right Tool for Your Project

Researching tools for development projects can be time-consuming. Plus, depending on the functionality you need; it’s not always easy to find a great match.

Thankfully you can use AI as a trusted consultant. Ask ChatGPT to recommend ways to build a specific type of website and it may have just the solution.

For example, asking: “What WordPress plugin can I use to build an online course?” produces a handful of results. It doesn’t tell you which one is the best, but is there to provide options. From there, you can take a closer look.

At the very least, it could lead you to a tool you hadn’t considered. You might also save a bit of time searching the web.

You could discover new tools using ChatGPT.

Take Advantage of What AI Can Do for Your Workflow

Two things can benefit every web developer: a helping hand and more time. AI, and ChatGPT in particular, can provide a bit of both.

And we’re just starting to scratch the surface of what’s possible (for better or worse). These tools won’t take over your job during a vacation, but they can help you get things done quicker.

The items above are examples of how AI can turn your workflow into a well-oiled machine. It’s especially handy for those who work in a fast-paced environment. Because the last thing we need is to get bogged down with a menial task.

It seems like developers are finding new ways to leverage the power of AI daily. Therefore, feel free to experiment. Think of tasks that get in your way and see if this new technology can help. It could result in crossing more things off of your to-do list.

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Why the Grumpy Designer Isn’t Sold on the AI Hype Machine https://speckyboy.com/grumpy-designer-ai-hype-machine/ https://speckyboy.com/grumpy-designer-ai-hype-machine/#respond Wed, 01 Mar 2023 07:25:21 +0000 https://speckyboy.com/?p=146530 From understanding the limitations of AI to embracing the creativity of the human mind, the Grumpy Designer shares his thoughts.

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It’s like clockwork. When a new technology emerges, you can count on a couple of things: some will hail it as society’s greatest achievement, while naysayers will bemoan its existence. Artificial intelligence (AI) simply continues the trend.

As ever, the reality is more nuanced. For every potential good thing to come from the tech, it seems there are as many drawbacks. And finding balanced expertise on the subject has been a challenge.

I’m personally on the fence. From what I’ve seen so far, AI can do some very useful things. And I think it can be incredibly helpful to web designers.

Yet some aspects give me great concern. In part because I feel like I’ve seen this movie before. An innovation that is predicted to change the world. Only it’s not necessarily the Utopian dream some are selling (see Zuckerberg, Musk, et al.).

With that, maybe we should take the hype regarding AI with a grain of salt. And, to keep up with that sassy Bing chatbot, add in a dash of grumpiness.



AI Solves Problems and Creates New Ones

It’s no surprise that some of the biggest proponents of AI are those that stand to gain the most. And it’s hard to blame them. The job of a salesperson is to accentuate the positives – not dwell on the negatives.

And tools like ChatGPT have several positive aspects. They’re capable of increasing efficiency and knocking down technical barriers. This benefits everyone from writers, and medical researchers, to auto mechanics.

Even better is that these tools don’t have to do everything for us. Something as small as a gentle nudge in the right direction can save us precious time.

Using web design as an example, a few brave souls (and me) have used ChatGPT to generate a WordPress plugin. But it could just as well help write CSS or JavaScript. You might even use it to help explain a complex concept to a client. Imagine the burden this could lift off our shoulders.

On the other side of the coin, several potential negatives could also come into play:

Inaccurate Content and Built-in Biases

AI tools are built by humans. Therefore, they’re imperfect. They’re also subject to the inherent feelings, biases, and motivations of their creators.

In practice, each tool is only as good as the people who created it. The quality of the content they feed into the app makes all the difference.

So, what are the downsides? One example seems to demonstrate the possibilities: a social media company’s algorithm.

Let’s imagine a social media network that tilts its algorithm towards showing inflammatory or inaccurate information. That’s what users are going to see most often in their timelines.

Similarly, there’s no guarantee that an AI tool will provide the correct answers. And even if its creator is reputable, there still might be biased information being returned.

Large companies may use the opportunity to share their point of view, in addition to facts. Or it may have inadvertently been fed content that perpetuates stereotypes.

Thus, AI isn’t immune to human fallibility.

Artificial intelligence is only as good as its creators.

Humans May Put Too Much Trust in AI

If an AI app produces an inaccurate response, there’s no guarantee that a user will catch on. Like so much of what’s written on the internet, some may simply believe what they read.

And this doesn’t just affect fact-based content like news or medical information. It could also find its way into the code these tools produce.

Take an AI-generated WordPress plugin, for example. You might test the results and find that it indeed works. That’s awesome! But how do you know that best practices were followed?

The code could contain a gaping security hole. Even worse, it might be hiding something malicious. Once deployed, this generated plugin could cause a whole lot of trouble.

Sure, a human coder might do the same thing. But that’s the point. Quality and accuracy aren’t assured in either case.

Information returned by AI tools can't be guaranteed as accurate.

Creative Works Could Be Used Without Permission

It wasn’t so long ago that we saw a wave of legal threats from stock photography services. When an (allegedly) unlicensed version of a copyrighted image was found, the provider came down hard on the offending website owners.

AI is already providing those same lawyers with plenty of work. Getty Images, for example, filed a lawsuit against a tool that generates artwork.

At first glance, this may appear to be a battle between corporations. But the impact could trickle down to end users as well. It’s fair to wonder about the risk of using AI-generated images on your website. Will it leave you open to legal threats?

Code is also a potential trap. Perhaps open-source materials are fine to use. But what if a tool indexes a snippet from a private repository? And how can an end user tell the difference?

Without processes in place that allow creators to opt-in to feeding AI tools, we’ll never know where content comes from. That’s a risk.

The Stable Diffusion AI art generator is the subject of controversy.

There’s Always More Than Meets the Eye

Those touting the game-changing potential of AI aren’t necessarily wrong. There’s every reason to believe that this technology can reshape entire industries – if not the world.

But the skeptic in me feels like we’re only getting a partial story. After all, any tool that can be used to do good can also be used to harm. And the final judgment is truly in the eye of the beholder.

The bottom line is that individuals, organizations, and governments will use AI in ways that benefit them. Their interests won’t always align with everyone else’s. We must be smart enough to gauge their motives and determine whether they’re acceptable.

That’s worth keeping in mind as we’re inundated with grand proclamations about this nascent technology.

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The Time-Saving Design Trend & How to Use It https://speckyboy.com/time-saving-design-trend/ https://speckyboy.com/time-saving-design-trend/#comments Sun, 12 Feb 2023 09:20:57 +0000 https://speckyboy.com/?p=91575 A functional website is no longer enough to set a brand apart from competitors. To stand out, digital assets need to look beautiful, function seamlessly, and immediately cater to a...

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A functional website is no longer enough to set a brand apart from competitors. To stand out, digital assets need to look beautiful, function seamlessly, and immediately cater to a user’s needs. Time-saving designs appeal to the ever-shortening attention spans of website visitors. Time is of the essence for success in both mobile and desktop environments.

Site visitors are no longer willing to scan through page after page of content to find the answers they need. If a site does not get to the point quickly, the back button offers a simple exit plan and access to the next relevant search engine result. If your brand is struggling with low site visit times and conversion rates, consider time-saving design as a way to create visitor satisfaction and encourage conversions – regardless of the amount of time spent on a page.



The Impact of Attention Spans on Digital Experiences

Microsoft published a fascinating study two years ago about attention spans and technology. The results showed a four-second decrease in attention spans during a 13-year period. In 2013, the average human’s attention span was one second shorter than that of a goldfish. All website, usability, and UX designers must consider this information as they develop and optimize pages online.

Websites and applications that succeed today provide more than highly relevant information. They are eye-catching in the first few moments a visitor loads the page. They rely on psychology to draw the visitor’s eye to the most important content on the page and they inspire micro-interactions and conversions. The rise of time-saving design, as espoused in several recent “top design trend” themed articles, is a direct response to the human need for a focused and guided website experience.

What is Time-Saving Design?

Time-saving designs are simple, but not oversimplified. Navigation, content, and headlines all direct users to the information, CTA, or form they need to take the next step of the customer journey.

One of the most common design styles used in time-saving websites is linear design. Websites with logical, often chronological, or beginning-middle-end format, follow linear structures. Instead of presenting every page on the site in a drop-down menu, these sites often provide only the most relevant information on the homepage and then guide users to additional pages based on the customer journey.

As businesses search for ways to offer a more personalized brand experience, they naturally gravitate toward intuitive, efficient, and streamlined designs. Any digital asset that expedites the customer experience and increases visitor satisfaction may fall into the category of a time-saving design.

Time management is part of the natural evolution of design trends. In the near future, advances in artificial intelligence and machine learning will enable designers to create increasingly efficient sites. Technology-driven, time-saving design concepts not only streamline user navigation and content retrieval, but anticipate a user’s needs to deliver relevant content.

virgin america time saving design

Time-saving designs apply to both mobile and desktop user experiences, and can include any innovation that correlates with lower site visitation times and higher conversion rates. For examples of time-saving designs, explore the websites of Uber, Virgin America, and Airbnb.

uber time saving design

On the other side of the coin, a non-time-saving design creates hurdles to a visitor’s experience. For example, a symptom checker that requires a user to know the category of illness before seeing a list of possible symptoms would constitute a digital hurdle. The navigation of the site is not intuitive or time-saving.

Web Design Elements That Save Users Time

Time-saving design refers to the user experience or end result of a website design. One component will not create a time-saving design. Only a masterfully arranged set of components can create a user experience that decreases the amount of time a user needs to respond to a CTA. Common time-saving design elements that UX developers and website designers focus on include:

Minimalist-inspired navigation. Time-saving designs encourage users to take a limited number of steps from the moment they click until they take action. Clear, eye-catching, and optimized buttons, links, forms, and menus can all save users time when they access a site.

Visually rich content. Pair action-inspiring messaging with photos, graphics, and other visual content to capture the eye, break up content, and encourage action. Humans process visual cues more quickly than text cues, making visually rich content more eye-catching and memorable.

Linear progressions. Any website or app that wants to encourage a certain behavior can use linear design to encourage visitors to take certain actions. In addition to “read more” links to help a reader take action, consider breaking content down into a story or linear progression. Move readers through the customer journey, giving each user an opportunity to research further or take action at every step.

ben the bodyguard storytelling time saving design
BenTheBodyguard.com – Web Design Storytelling

Automated suggestions. Personalized suggestions based on user actions increase the likelihood that a consumer will take action during any given site visit. This idea is comparable to Amazon’s similar items suggestions.

These elements represent only a portion of possible design features that can save a user time. Use the individual elements that a site’s target demographic will find useful, and consider the thought process of the average user when arranging site components. Every website’s purpose and user base is different and will require a slightly different approach.

Is Time-Saving Design Right for Your Business?

Some businesses cannot feasibly condense a website into a minimalist and Uber-like experience, but all businesses can benefit from exploring time-saving design elements. Consumers want to see relevant information in an intuitive format, from selling B2B software products to offering a convenience-driven delivery service.

Few digital site visitors relish the idea of sifting through blocks of unbroken content and pages of information to find actionable information. Pricing tables, abstracts, infographics, and condensed content, combined with well-placed links to long-form content can deliver time-saving elements to the end user, without sacrificing the breadth or depth of information covered.

long form content example time saving design
Glitter in the Dark – Long-Form Content

As with most interface design, usability, and user experience trends, understanding the core concept informs and enriches future design projects. Take the elements of time-saving design that can help you reach your audience, and leave behind what doesn’t work.

Best Practices for Creating Time-Saving Designs

Explore time-saving design concepts to create and optimize a website or app for better conversions. When the end-user feels satisfied with the user experience, the brand and the user base both benefit. For businesses, time-saving designs can lead to a better online reputation, streamlined sales, and increased conversions. For users, time-saving sites streamline the customer journey and increase brand satisfaction. Use these best practices to incorporate elements of time-saving design into your next online project:

Research your user base to understand the customer journey. Avoid allowing any passing design trend to outweigh user expectations. The target user base should always drive the components used to create an online experience. Invest in both qualitative and quantitative research to understand how average users behave online and what motivates users during an online experience.

With an understanding of the customer journey, designers can begin to identify key touch points along the way that expedite the process. From action driving information to the style of sign-up form used on a given page, customers provide insight into time-saving design elements.

Frequent testing. Every digital experience goes through growing pains before it achieves maximum time-savings. Use A/B testing and other usability tests to understand what works and what doesn’t on a given site, app, or page.

Use competitive intelligence. Explore how other businesses incorporate time-saving design elements into digital assets and what consumers say about the experience online. Learn from others’ mistakes and successes to build a time-saving user experience.

Maintain a level of consistency. A brand could decide to completely redesign an existing application or website with a time-saving user experience in mind. However, brand-new sites that replace existing ones can create a learning curve – even if the new design is technically more intuitive. Make changes end users can easily and naturally adopt to meet time-saving expectations.

Time-saving designs remove frustration from a brand experience, but every brand’s approach to time-saving design will vary. Focus on end users and logical design optimizations to create digital assets that support customer journeys, simplify user experiences, and promote brand satisfaction.

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