Using ChatGPT as an assistant to support the design of complex UXUI products

💬 Using AI as an assistant. The main design responsibility remains with the designer.

In this article, I’ll share how I use ChatGPT to assist me in the process of designing complex products. It helps me generate great and relevant ideas to build a polished product while optimizing the logic and connections between data and content within the flow.

Creating a Design Assistant in ChatGPT

The Project feature in ChatGPT allows you to create a personalized design assistant by inputting supplementary information like insights, guidelines, or specific requirements. This enables the AI to better understand your product’s context, deliver consistent responses, and align with your workflow.

👉 With the right setup, ChatGPT becomes a reliable assistant throughout your design journey.

1. Create a New Project

1. Open ChatGPT and look at the sidebar on the left.
2. Hover over the Project heading, and click the + sign that appears.
3. Name your project based on its purpose.

Name it according to your intention for the project.

2. Build Suitable Instructions

Instruction is where you provide specific guidelines on how you want ChatGPT to function in the context of the project. This section helps fine-tune ChatGPT’s responses to better suit your needs.

You can refer to my Instruction prompt in this text file. In this case, to align with the project I’m working on, I focus my prompts on the following principles:

• UX and Features: Suggest optimizations for user experience and new features.
• Research and Knowledge: Reference case studies or successful product examples.
• Feature Analysis: Analyze user journeys and ensure logical connections between content and data.
• UI Content Structure: Propose organized layouts to enhance user experience.

3. Add Supporting Documents (If Necessary)

The Add files section allows you to upload files that ChatGPT can read and use to better support your project. This increases interactivity and enables the AI to work with more specific data instead of relying solely on general queries.

✨ You can add project information files, such as requirements, user research, design documents, or analysis reports, so the AI better understands your project and provides more suitable solutions.

4. Complete and Start Chatting with Your Assistant

After completing the above steps, you can begin designing your product with the ChatGPT assistant. Start new chats within this new project.

✨ I create each chat for each major feature I want to develop.

Generating 8 Ideas Might Yield 1 or 2 Good Ones

Not every idea will be a winner, but generating multiple suggestions can spark creativity. Even seemingly unrelated ideas may lead to breakthrough solutions.

Sometimes, even seemingly unrelated suggestions can spark creativity and open new directions for your design. The key is to stay open-minded, select and combine ideas to create the best solution. Additionally, this process can help you identify and improve gaps in your design that you may not have noticed.

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How to Chat with the AI Design Assistant Effectively

To get accurate and helpful responses from ChatGPT, you should write prompts clearly, specifically, and in a structured manner. Here are some principles I follow:

Example prompts when starting with ChatGPT

1. Clearly Define Your Goals

State clearly what you want the AI to assist with in the UX/UI design process. This helps the AI understand the focus and scope to address. Example: Help me build a sales management product.

2. Provide Detailed Context and Feature Characteristics

Provide specific information about the product, target users, and design objectives. This helps the AI understand the context and propose suitable solutions. Example: Sales management is a tool that helps furniture businesses track…, The goal is…

3. Clearly State Your Requirements and Desired Outputs

Specify the aspects you want the AI to assist with, such as generating ideas, sketching interfaces, or suggesting improvements. Also, describe the format of the output you expect. Example: The process will involve me gradually updating features… then you will analyze, evaluate, and suggest improvements for me…

More Key Notes

1. Be specific with your requests: Don’t just ask for generic help like “Design a beautiful interface,” but describe your goals and target users clearly.
2. Break down the problem: If the design is complex, divide it into smaller parts such as the homepage interface, registration process, or user management flow.
3. Provide related data: If available, share information about the product, goals, or user behavior to give the AI deeper insights.

Additional Tips for Optimizing Desired Features

Actively provide feedback to the AI

1. Ask Questions to Clarify or Expand Ideas

Continuously ask questions to have the AI provide additional details or expand on its suggestions. This helps you discover aspects you might not have considered. Example: “Are there any alternative approaches?”… “Can you suggest a simpler version?”

2. Use AI to Compare and Evaluate

Ask the AI to compare design options or evaluate the pros and cons of each. Example: “Evaluate the solution above and suggest appropriate improvements.”

3. Request Multiple Versions from the AI

To find the optimal solution, ask the AI to provide multiple design options or ideas. Example: “Suggest 3 more solutions for this management feature,” “Are there any other more optimal approaches? I feel this one is a bit…”

Key Notes When Interacting with AI

1. Provide continuous feedback: Actively share your opinions and critique the AI’s suggestions to optimize results.
2. Focus on your goals: Always stick to your design goals to avoid getting sidetracked.
3. Check feasibility: Ensure the AI’s suggestions are practical and suitable for your project.

Conclusion

By setting up a Project, crafting detailed Instructions, and uploading relevant files, you can transform ChatGPT into a valuable design assistant. Combine this with clear prompts and logical chat organization to maximize its effectiveness.

My approach is not the only or the best one. Everyone will have different ways of using AI depending on their needs and workflow.

Feel free to share your methods, experiences, or tips that have worked for you. Your contributions will help us all learn and grow together.

Final Note

Always remember that AI is just a tool, helping make the design process more polished and optimized while shortening some necessary steps. We, as designers, are still the ones making the final decisions for the products we design. AI does not replace you; it only plays a supporting role to help you create the best solutions.

💬 The primary responsibility for design still lies with the designer! AI is just a supporting tool. 🔥