Trends
Why I Keep Returning to These Ten Vibe-Coded Projects
A Playground tour of portfolios, experiments, and Framer components that show where product feel actually gets built.
AI UX Playground · Updated Jun 2, 2026 · 12 min
AI product design trends and industry takes
Industry takes on where AI product design is heading: roles, tools, deliverables, and the craft fundamentals that still matter when models change every month.
Trends
The Rise of the Design Engineer in the Era of AI
Why the most valuable product people of the next decade might sit between design and code, and what taste, systems thinking, and builder energy look like in practice.
AI UX Playground · Updated May 26, 2026 · 14 min
Trends
The Week I Realized I Was Learning the Wrong Thing
In a week of nonstop AI launches, why the best investment is still timeless design fundamentals: trust, craft, and clear decision quality.
AI UX Playground · Updated Apr 28, 2026 · 7 min
Trends
Companies like Ramp are hiring AI-first designers and we built a skill for that
A practical decode of "AI-first" design hiring language, including before-vs-after workflows and a reusable skill to prep for interviews and team alignment.
AI UX Playground · Updated Apr 21, 2026 · 10 min
Trends
The prototype is the deliverable in the AI era
Running code as the shared artifact. Fewer specs, fewer translations, faster alignment with engineering and agents.
AI UX Playground · Updated Mar 30, 2026 · 9 min
Trends
How AI Is Changing the UX Designer Role (And What to Do About It)
Design used to be about making the right thing. More and more, it's about choosing the right thing from what AI makes. And knowing why.
AI UX Playground · Updated Mar 5, 2026 · 10 min
Trends
Why UX Designers Are Ditching Figma for Cursor
Figma outputs pixels. Cursor outputs products. Why the best designers are switching from static mocks to working code, and how to make the transition.
AI UX Playground · Updated Jan 15, 2026 · 10 min
Frequently asked questions
What topics do trends guides cover?
This hub includes 7 essays on role evolution, tooling shifts (Figma toward code), hiring language, vibe-coded inspiration, and what to invest in when AI launches accelerate.
Are trends guides opinion or reference?
They are editorial perspective grounded in shipped products and practitioner workflows, not release notes. Use them to align teams on direction, then pair with tutorials or deep dives when you need execution detail.
How often are trend essays updated?
Essays are refreshed when tooling or hiring narratives materially change. Subscribe on the main Guides hub for new takes; older essays stay linked for context on how the conversation evolved.