Thank you for pointing this out! I wrote the article, and that was exactly the point I was trying to make. I agree with most comments in this thread, but they're addressing a different issue. I assume they didn’t read the article in full. There’s a common frustration with designers who create superficial user interfaces—visually attractive at first glance, but offering little to the user. There's a good article on this topic called, "The dribbblisation of design."
Good design isn’t about making things pretty. It’s about making things make sense. Visual design is just one piece of that puzzle.
To reduce a designer’s role to 'making it look nice' is a fundamental misunderstanding of the craft. The shape of the interface reflects the thought behind it—ideally rooted in a deep understanding of the user’s context, goals, and jobs-to-be-done.
The notion that AGI’s rise will stifle creativity is, in itself, a misreading of history. Technology has always been a force that enhances human ingenuity. The printing press didn’t kill creativity; it multiplied it. The rise of personal computers didn’t make writers obsolete; it created entire new industries. AGI is simply the next chapter in this narrative, enabling creativity on a scale never before possible.
Rather than fearing the loss of traditional employment, we should embrace the explosion of new roles that AGI will make possible.
So true! Describing an issue on a website or app can be really difficult without a visual. And communicating a proposed design change is even harder without something to look at.
I'll explore how NextUX could fit the workflow and issues you described.
Thank you for testing it out! I am happy to hear NextUX helped you re-organize a page quickly. Sometimes people can't figure out the scissors tool but it sounds like you must have figured it out. I'd love to hear any feedback you have on how I can improve the app.
I've often gotten sidetracked in design software so many times when all I needed to do was add a small update to the UI.
The process goes something like...
1. Have an idea or requirement to add a small tweak or feature.
2. Find the original design file.
3. Figure out how the file is constructed.
4. Get frustrated because I notice unrelated inconsistencies.
5. Forget what I was originally doing.
6. Realize hours have past and I haven't accomplished the simple task yet.
I am creating NextUX to make updates to designs faster and easier for more people.
My process now looks like...
1. Have an idea or requirement to add a small tweak or feature.
2. Take screenshot(s), update the design, and add comments.
3. Share the iteration with the team in Trello or Jira.
I hope NextUX enables non-designers to incorporate more visuals with their writing. It doesn't have to be pretty, but adding mockups to a spec doc, long email, or jira issue makes it so more obvious what is being proposed.
Thanks for giving it a go and good catch on the email field. I hope NextUX helps your team come up with some good designs. Feel free to reach out to me if you would like my feedback on what you are building.
The original vision for NextUX was to convert your website or web app into vector elements so you can quickly make design changes.
Since this is technically challenging, I focused on the next best thing, capturing a screenshot that can be cut up into pieces with the app.
I still plan on allowing users to convert live or locally hosted websites and web apps into a design files that you can edit. Hopefully, I can launch something along these lines in a few months.
I also would love to somehow use ML to provide suggestions based on design best practices.
I've noticed that the apps listed above are often too prescriptive or too complicated. My goal is to create a simple tool that lets you quickly provide feedback and iterations on websites and web apps. I think of NextUX as similar to Loom but for design mockups.
In my workflow, I typically include a NextUX link along with an exported image in my product management software (Trello). I describe the changes I made contextually with comments in the design. Often, the design looks hacked together and incomplete but it's just enough to communicate a change. My focus with NextUX is to make the iteration process faster.
Thank you! I hope it works well in your pilot project.
In my process, I often hack a design in my browser first, capture a full-page screenshot and continue to iterate in NextUX to visualize new ideas quickly. I built most of NextUX this way.
Sometimes a new design can be articulated with a contextual comment on an existing design or a quick hacked together amalgamation of elements. I think good design is messy and evolving.
I've noticed that I become a perfectionist in other design apps like Figma and the design begins to deviate from production as things develop. It can be quite frustrating!
I remember many years ago using Fireworks, then Photoshop, then Sketch, and most recently Figma. With each platform I said,
"I will never leave Fireworks" (2005-2008)
"I will never leave Photoshop" (2009-2012)
"I will never leave Sketch" (2013-2016)
"I will never leave Figma" (2017-2020)
But I think Figma is a great product and I think NextUX can compliment it in many ways. NextUX is great for quick feedback or design creation based on what's already in your browser.
Good design isn’t about making things pretty. It’s about making things make sense. Visual design is just one piece of that puzzle.
To reduce a designer’s role to 'making it look nice' is a fundamental misunderstanding of the craft. The shape of the interface reflects the thought behind it—ideally rooted in a deep understanding of the user’s context, goals, and jobs-to-be-done.
Thank you for reading the article!