Darrell Estabrook

I coach Product Designers who are driven to design for value and transform their products, teams, and companies from the inside out.

[Darrell Estabrook @getdesigny]

Oh yes, it’s a reality. Yet, it doesn’t matter how anxious the stakeholder is, there are ways to provide stability and guidance through the design process.

Check out this episode of The Daily Sprint and find out how.

https://t.co/5zfmvoPtf1

#productdesign

[Darrell Estabrook @getdesigny]

@IvyMarin98 I’ve seen whole teams bend over backwards to solve a problem when the stakeholder was simply asking if a certain thing could be done. Honest curiosity was mistaken for an edict.

[Darrell Estabrook @getdesigny]

I run into the "left-field" product strategy change from stakeholders all the time. The question is, do I panic or do I embrace it?

I talk about what makes me tick and how you can get a new mindset for these everyday challenges on the podcast.

https://t.co/d23k8UW3Ys

[Darrell Estabrook @getdesigny]

@IvyMarin98 I’m detecting a new phrase “Stakeholder Anxiety” 👍

[Darrell Estabrook @getdesigny]

Yes, there’s always a cascade that many people don’t anticipate. That’s great to ask.

I usually ask how the new change aligns with the purpose of the product. Depending on the seniority of the stakeholder, the change may be speculative and actually doesn’t align and should be abandoned. In other cases, the change is at the purpose level and there could be sweeping changes to consider.

I’d rather there be discussion than the team assume everything stays on time and on budget.

[Darrell Estabrook @getdesigny]

@zoink https://t.co/oS8Ekv607C

[Darrell Estabrook @getdesigny]

@RaminNasibov There’s so much of it, but yet personally never enough.

[Darrell Estabrook @getdesigny]

@IvyMarin98 You got it! That’s the Goldilocks zone of the AI feature in a software product. 💯

I know there are more designers out there with that sensibility, but the current level of noise is making it hard to find them.

Thanks for sharing!

[Darrell Estabrook @getdesigny]

So much buzz about the product design AI tool wars (and worth), what happened to the conversation about designing AI as a feature in a product?

https://t.co/mhqxWMbK2a

#productdesign #ux #uxui #ai

[Darrell Estabrook @getdesigny]

@IvyMarin98 Yes indeed. There are still uncertainties with AI (no pun intended), but that makes it all the more a design challenge on how to incorporate it into one’s product.

[Darrell Estabrook @getdesigny]

Rest assured, that is not AI 😜 I remember seeing an original print at a conference in 2000-something-or-another. Great, painstaking work 👍

[Cameron Moll @cameronmoll]

🤔

[Darrell Estabrook @getdesigny]

@cameronmoll Rest assured, that is not AI 😜 I remember seeing an original print at a conference in 2000-something-or-another. Great, painstaking work 👍

[Darrell Estabrook @getdesigny]

Never enough of it, but cutting corners to the design process adds risk to every project. Here are three ways to use time as a design tool so you you can design well under pressure.

Listen: https://t.co/qWyPZdcUbz
Watch: https://t.co/NSW6MVSCnL

#productdesign #design #creativity

[Darrell Estabrook @getdesigny]

Design won't die since it’s the fabric of invention.

Those who “think in design terms” will succeed with or without AI tools. Those relying on AI tools solely for their design output will hit a creative ceiling at some point down the line.

The question is, are you equip with a universal design process that enables you to use these tools for a purpose?

More on my Daily Sprint podcast episode:

https://t.co/s7e7RlIhEy

[Gokul Rajaram @gokulr]

DESIGN: THE FIRST AI CASUALTY

I'm increasingly sure that 2026 signals the end of product design as a full-fledged stand-alone function within companies. If so, it will be the first role / function to be eliminated by AI on a go-forward basis.

Instead of hiring FT designers, startups are hiring / will hire design consultants to create a design system that the founder likes (this takes a few weeks max). Once the design system is finalized, PM/Eng feed it into their AI tool of choice to generate prototypes. The design system is refreshed annually by the same consultant.

Larger companies will likely not backfill design roles and will do some targeted attrition to reduce the design department to 20% the size it is today.

If you're a designer, I think you have two choices:
1. Become an entrepreneur: Start a design agency and become the go-to resource for design systems for startups and even larger companies. This can be a good recurring revenue business.
2. Become a builder: Add PM/Eng responsibilities to become a product builder.

Would suggest you embrace this proactively vs waiting for the other shoe to drop.

I'm really sorry about this - some of my best friends and the people I admire most and have learnt the most from are designers - but it seems inevitable.

[Darrell Estabrook @getdesigny]

Are AI tools pushing their design process on you, or do you have a strong enough design process to guide the tool?

The Daily Sprint 20-minute podcast: https://t.co/Xh0pUIZ2PB

Full screen share and commentary: https://t.co/GQtku2EEEI

[Darrell Estabrook @getdesigny]

@cameronmoll @gokulr A lot of designer comments all over the AI conversation make me think many in the design community never had a solid understanding of the design process. Tools come and go—even AI tools—but the way of thinking and communicating design hasn't, and won't, change. Learn it now! 😀

[Darrell Estabrook @getdesigny]

The Daily Sprint, Episode 14

https://t.co/cTsDffoOy4

#productdesign #uxui #designer

[Darrell Estabrook @getdesigny]

As designers, we need to define purpose in order to make strong design decisions, but what drives you to be a designer?

The Daily Sprint Podcast, Episode 13
Listen: https://t.co/JoVMKxW4gr
Watch: https://t.co/l2qbjnJdPZ

#productdesign #design #UIUX