This week, I’ve been diving headfirst into something brand new. I was lucky enough to get early access to NXT Innings Academy’s “Launch Your Business Website with AI” course, which has just opened up to a small, select group of businesses. I’m definitely not a coding expert, but even though I’m only 40% of the way through the material, it has already given me a huge wealth of knowledge. It’s a fantastic new skill to add to my existing services in UX/UI design and product research.
Lately, I’ve been tinkering away on my MacBook using local development tools and terminal applications that honestly would have had me running for the hills not too long ago. Before starting this course, I had very little knowledge of how to set up a local testing site on my computer or manage a local server environment. Now, not only do I have the baseline infrastructure running, but I’m actively populating content into an entirely new, AI-built iteration of my portfolio site at eleonorcollins.com. It’s not live just yet, but it’s definitely coming soon.
Right now, my biggest learning curve is figuring out how to prompt efficiently using the Mac Terminal. The trick is learning how to structure commands cleanly so I don’t accidentally burn through my Claude Pro token limits or data quotas. It’s a completely different way of working, but demystifying the local tech stack has been incredibly empowering.
Coincidentally, today I also sat in on an online presentation called ‘The AI-Assisted Web Designer: Faster Delivery Without Losing Creative Control’, run by the Interaction Design Foundation (IxDF). It was presented by Richard O’Brien from BugHerd, and it really solidified exactly where I’m at in my web design journey. Honestly, I feel incredibly lucky to be learning this technology while AI is still in its formative years. Developing these skills right now makes the whole shift feel far less intimidating than I initially imagined.
The key takeaways from the presentation perfectly mirrored what I’ve been experiencing firsthand:
- Think in systems, not deliverables
- Ideate with agents, design in Figma
- Share in code, and review on the real thing
- Learn git and GitHub
- Real gains come from an efficient review cycle
I particularly appreciated Richard’s advice on how to manage AI token usage efficiently by doing the heavy lifting inside Figma first, and then using AI tools just to refine the smaller details. It was a great reminder that we don’t always need to jump straight to the most expensive AI subscription tiers to get our work done effectively.
On top of the technical tips, his reminder to look after our mental well-being and protect ourselves from burnout was incredibly timely. In an industry that moves as fast as this one, taking a moment to prioritise mental health is something I think we all appreciate. Stepping into the world of AI tools can feel overwhelming, but it’s important to remember to protect our bandwidth as we learn.
Over to you: How are you navigating the fast-paced shift into AI tools within your own workflow? And more importantly, how are you protecting your own energy and mental health while doing it? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments.