Algorithm Control: AI's UX Takeover and Coding's Creative Boom
Today, the line between human and AI in product development blurs further. We're seeing AI tools reshape everything from UX design and user behavior analysis to code generation and rapid prototyping. It’s not just about automation; it’s about understanding how AI influences user experience, impacts design thinking, and empowers developers to build faster than ever before. This necessitates a strategic shift towards algorithm control and ethical AI integration, alongside embracing the new possibilities for creative problem-solving.
Key Stories
UX vs. The Algorithm: Daley Wilhelm argues that algorithmic feeds should be part of UX. User wellbeing must be the top priority, demanding transparent and ethical operation of algorithms. This calls for product managers to champion ethical design within their organizations and push for user-centric algorithm development. The question is: who controls the algorithm, the product team, or the algorithm itself?
AI-Powered Prototyping: Cody De Arkland's demonstration of building a 3D multiplayer game in 15 minutes highlights the power of "vibe coding" with AI. Tools like Cursor and Claude empower developers to rapidly prototype and iterate. This demands product leaders reconsider timelines and resource allocation for early-stage development. Teams need to learn how to leverage AI assistants while maintaining strategic oversight.
Ignoring Character Limits, Crippling UX: Stephanie Schwarz points out how content constraints, often overlooked, severely impact UX. Poor content planning and implementation can destroy a product. Product managers must emphasize clear, functional, and scalable content strategies as a core aspect of the user experience. This means investing in content strategy and UX writing.
The "Andor Effect" on Design: Darren Yeo examines the rebel blueprint on design and what this means for product managers. The human experience is crucial and understanding the user's needs through testing is fundamental.
Why it matters: As AI becomes increasingly integrated into product development and user interfaces, product managers need to develop new skills and frameworks for ethical algorithm governance, AI-assisted development, and holistic user experience design. Ignoring these trends could lead to products that are either irrelevant or actively detrimental to users.
Quick hits
- Big tech companies retain engineers because it remains profitable, despite inefficiency. Knowing how to optimize this process is important.
- The creative power of constraints can either make you or break you. Understand what your limitations are, and how to use them to your advantage.
- Synthetic UX: is there a place for “AI-generated users?” Product managers should tread cautiously here.
Articles
Articles included in this digest.
Prioritization Techniques Compared – Part 2
In the first article in this series I reviewed common prioritization approaches, including opinion/consensus/HiPPO, rules-of-thumb, and Cost of Delay. I also explained why prioritization as part of product discovery — prioritizing what to test ...
Source: Itamar Gilad | 10:10 AM
Your career ladder is actually an escalator
Steve, the CEO of Tripadvisor, had gathered the company's top executives. As the newcomer—having joined just months earlier—I listened intently as he outlined “the most important initiative in Tripadvisor's history.” For nearl...
Source: Ravi on Product | 04:27 PM
105: Melissa Perri - Why "AI" is a terrible strategist
Melissa Perri drops truth bombs about why most companies fail at AI integration, how legacy giants self-sabotage innovation, and why "slapping AI on it" is the fastest way to irrelevance. Timestamps & Key Moments 05:59 – AI: Innovation vs. ...
Source: Leah’s ProducTea | 01:33 PM
How I Wrote 3 of My Biggest LinkedIn Posts - And The New Trio (PM-PMM-Growth)
Check it out on Apple, Spotify, or YouTube. Brought to you by: • WorkOS: Your app, enterprise ready • Linear: Plan and build products like the best • Amplitude: Try their 2-min assessment of your company’s digital maturity Today’s Episode...
Source: Product Growth | 11:56 AM
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Inside Devin: The world’s first autonomous AI engineer that's set to write 50% of its company’s code by end of year | Scott Wu (CEO and co-founder of Cognition)
Listen now: YouTube // Apple // Spotify Brought to you by: Enterpret—Transform customer feedback into product growth Paragon—Ship every SaaS integration your customers want Attio—The powerful, flexible CRM for fast-growing startups ...
Source: Lenny's Newsletter | 11:02 AM
Designing beyond AI through Nietzsche’s three metamorphoses
A philosophical lens for designers ready to move past process, prediction, and the constraints of algorithmic logic. Image source: https://voegelinview.com/what-we-get-wrong-about-nietzsches-nihilism/Most design frameworks are built to structurally g...
Source: UX Collective - Medium | 10:43 AM
The liminal design of opening sequences, Top Gun and Henry V
Planes on a boat: a cinematic seduction to have the film take proper flight, courtesy of the director (RIP).The opening sequence of TOP GUN stands out as a liminal masterpiece, leading us resolutely from a handful of over-salted popcorn in a darkened...
Source: UX Collective - Medium | 10:40 AM
Sunday Rewind: Storytelling: Don’t convince; Inspire by Petra Wille
This week’s Sunday Rewind is a 2023 ProductTank Perth talk by coach and author Petra Wille, in which she highlights the importance of storytelling and actionable strategies to present stories to keep your audience engaged and involved. Petra starts b...
Source: Mind the Product | 09:00 AM
Product Purgatory: When they love it but still don't buy
When even "free" is too expensive.
Source: A Smart Bear | 12:00 AM
Control the algorithm, AI-generated users, ignoring character limits
Weekly curated resources for designers — thinkers and makers. “To be as blunt as possible: algorithmic feeds should fall under user experience. This is because I, perhaps naively, still believe in the mission of user experience serving users. Their w...
Source: UX Collective - Medium | 11:06 AM
Vibe coding a 3D multiplayer game in 15 minutes—with no game dev experience | Cody De Arkland (Senior Director of Developer Experience at Sentry)
Watch or listen now: YouTube // Spotify // Apple Brought to you by: Enterpret—Customer superintelligence platform for product and CX teams WorkOS—Make your app enterprise-ready today with WorkOS Cody De Arkland is the senior director of d...
Source: Lenny's Newsletter | 11:03 AM