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In the Dawn of AI: Why Website Design is ImportantDate:
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I’m often asked about the benefits of web design done by humans in an age where AI tools are now at our disposal. Indeed, I am sure that at some point down the line, AI tools will reach a point where they are possibly much superior to where they are now. However, at time of writing, all the AI tools I have tested deliver results that lack originality. As an example, when I have tried Wix.com and the online AI, they give me a website very similar to other, already existing, websites. Using a product like Wix.com also creates the issue that, if you look into the terms and conditions, you are not able to own your own website content. So, why would you go for a website designed by a human web designer, rather than one of these AI tools or doing it yourself? Let me break it down for you. I will preface this article by stating that I am by no means saying that these tools aren’t useful, and I do believe that, if used correctly, these have a place in design, and can give great results. I have also seen businesses use these tools and site builders such as Wix.com and Squarespace with amazing results and effectiveness. The ‘Barrier to Entry’ to Making a WebsiteWhen I talk about the barrier for entry, I am referring to the knowledge that is required to make a website by yourself nowadays. With the tools at our disposal, it’s quite easy and there is very little barrier to entry. Looking back to when I studied how to make websites, it was a very technical process. Today, a background in coding or HTML is not a requirement. The lower threshold of skills required to make a website, while opening access of this industry up, also leads to the creation of some unskilled products. I have witnessed websites where people have gotten experimental with certain UI principles to the point where the site’s function is unusable. In principle, there is no problem in experimenting with UI – indeed, I think with a strong background knowledge and training, we can experiment with UI to produce interesting and functional results. The technical knowledge that I gained when I studied this area still helps me massively to this day in producing high quality websites. This sort of background allows web designers to build not only a functional website, but one that accurately represents the brand they are hired to create for. But when a website is executed poorly, it just becomes a point of frustration for people trying to use your website and runs the risk of misrepresenting the brand it was made for. “A little knowledge is a dangerous thing” is an idiom I believe holds truth. No Scale-Ups with AIOften, when I build a brochure website, that might be just the first step into someone creating a web app or something similar. When you start your business, you might need only a simple landing page, but a few years in, it might develop into something more. That is what is meant when I refer to a ‘scale-up’. I have a background of working with development teams prior to running my own business, which has shaped how I build by products. When I build websites, I do so in a way that allows them to be extended into online e-commerce, automations, and web apps. What does this mean for someone after a website? It means that when you come to do a scale-up or add more features to your business, you aren’t having to completely remake your website. A lot of the website-building tools and AI are automated and thus don’t allow you to go in and edit their functionality. Even if you bring the automated site to a developer, they are completely locked out of expanding the site to fit your needs. WordPress holds market dominance in the sphere of content management systems – making up just under 50% of websites on the Internet. It is used by developers all over the globe, but when it comes to scaling up websites, they are left with little choice but to completely overhaul the site. This is where work produced by website designers is invaluable. Building websites ourselves, we understand that scale-ups are an inevitable aspect of business and can account for it – saving businesses the time and money that would be required if they were to constantly have to overhaul pre-built website tools such as WordPress. Lacking a Human TouchAI, simply put, does not have the originality of web designers. The products produced by AI are generic, similar to pre-existing work, and as can often be seen in AI artwork, produces a sense of the Uncanny Valley. As a business, you need to consider what you would like to represent you – the unoriginal work of AI tools or something more human and personal, able to reflect the unique nature of your brand. The Uncanny Valley is a term more often employed about robots. Roughly defined, it is the phenomena of something (often a robot) looking near-identical to a human but there being some quality that sets it apart from humanity. This produces a sinister feeling – a feeling not produced when you are faced with non-human looking robots, such as the cute robots in Pixar’s Wall-E. The mimicry of humanity where there is none will almost always produce a trace of the Uncanny Valley. In the context of AI, sure, there are some works produced by AI which fly under the radar, but in the vast majority of cases, there are easy tells which make clear something has been produced by AI – something which disconnects it from reality. Again, this is not to say that AI cannot serve a useful purpose or that we, as a blanket rule, should not use it. But what I am saying is that the work of AI is not at a level where it can generate text or designs for websites that will look original or tailored to your business. If you believe in your brand and in your brand’s mission, the visual communication of your brand is massive – especially in an age in which we, as humans, do not consume written media in the ways we once did. Visuals are vital to a brand, and it is worth asking if you really want to leave such an important aspect of your business to AI tools. To Think On…AI will surely continue to progress and advance and there may come a point in which this post is not reflective of the world of web design. As it stands, it seems clear to me that AI tools are still nowhere near the level of skill, originality and flexibility that the work of human web designers produces. AI tools often lead to more time and money being sunk into a project than originally anticipated – especially with the pitfalls of being unable to scale-up websites or truly cater them to a business’s branding. Moreover, the work of AI often leaves a mark and allows for a business’s audience to see that they have used AI to produce their branding or website. AI tools make websites easy to produce for almost anyone without the need for background or skills in the area of website design. But in an age of visual communication, ask yourself what you’d rather be represented by – the original work of designers that take the time to cater to your unique brand, or the generic work of AI?
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