logo
episode-header-image
Sep 11
17m 45s

#123 The 3 UX Skills That Will Still Mat...

PATRICIA REINERS
About this episode

AI is changing the way we design fast. Tools are writing copy, generating wireframes and even running research. It is easy to wonder what is left for us as designers.

In this episode I share the three core UX skills that will always matter no matter how powerful AI gets. You will hear personal stories from my own projects and workshops plus practical tips on how to practice and strengthen these skills yourself.

🔑 Key Learnings

  • Why critical thinking and synthesis are more important than ever
  • How empathy and storytelling can change the direction of a project
  • What system design and ethics mean in practice and how to apply them

By the end you will see why design is not disappearing, it is evolving. And these human skills are what will keep you relevant, valuable and future proof in the age of AI.



👉 0€ AI mini Training for Designers 👈

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Learn 3 strategies to leverage gen AI as a designer in just 30 min⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠


AI for Designers: 5-week Bootcamp 💻

→ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up for the ⁠waiting list


💌 Newsletter

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Free Weekly UX insights and updates: UX Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠


Follow the Future of UX:

🎨 Linkedin: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Future of UX Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

📸 Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Future of UX Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

🍏 Apple Podcast: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Future of UX⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

💚 Spotify: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Future of UX⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠



Find Patricia on Socials

📸 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram @ux.patricia⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

🎨 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Linkedin Patricia Reiners⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

🐦 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter @ux_Patricia⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

📝 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠My UX Design Blog ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

🎥 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Youtube ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Up next
Yesterday
#127 How ChatGPT Apps Could Redefine UX Design: When Apps Go Invisible:
What happens to UX design when apps disappear or rather, move inside ChatGPT?Please share your thoughts with me on LinkedinIn this episode of Future of UX, Patricia explores OpenAI’s latest update: ChatGPT’s new app ecosystem. With integrations from Canva, Figma, Booking.com, and ... Show More
16m 51s
Oct 2
#126 Synthetic Users in UX Research: Hype, Reality, and the Future of Design
Curious to hear your thoughts .Please share them here: LinkedinIn this episode of Future of UX, we dive into one of the most controversial topics in design right now: synthetic users.These AI-generated “users” promise fast, cheap, scalable insights — but can they really replace t ... Show More
20m 47s
Sep 25
#125 Ray-Ban Meta Glasses: UX Wins, Fails, and What’s Next
Smart glasses are back and this time, they actually look good. In this episode of Future of UX, Patricia Reiners breaks down Meta’s brand-new Ray-Ban Meta Glasses and what they mean for designers, technology, and the future of human-computer interaction.We’ll explore the UX lesso ... Show More
13m 23s
Recommended Episodes
Feb 2022
What Does a Content Designer Do? | Aladrian Goods, Intuit
Episode 60 Show Notes: There are so many paths to take to get into UX, but have you considered Content Design? I know it's another term in the sea of UX terminology, but this could be the career you've been searching for, mainly if you've found that being a visual designer or res ... Show More
1h 5m
Apr 2025
49. Design Leadership & Org Design (feat. Peter Merholz, co-author of Org Design for Design Orgs)
In this episode, Peter Merholz—co-founder of Adaptive Path and co-author of Org Design for Design Orgs—joins us to talk about what it really takes to build and scale effective design teams. We explore the systems, structures, and leadership mindsets that shape successful organiza ... Show More
43m 19s
Feb 2025
Why Creative Freedom is a Graphic Designers Kryptonite—And How to Actually Unlock Your Design Genius
Graphic designers love to complain about brand guidelines, tight budgets, and impossible client restrictions—but what if those so-called limitations are actually the secret weapon to better design?That’s right—constraints don’t kill creativity; they fuel it. The best designers, t ... Show More
51m 38s
Feb 2025
The Ugly Truth About How AI Will Replace Graphic Designers – Are You Safe or Helping It Take Your Job?
AI is already replacing some Graphic Designers—and if you’re not paying attention, you could be next. The scary part? Most Graphic Designers are making it easy for AI to take their place. Whether it’s by ignoring it, misusing it, or pretending it’s not happening, too many are sle ... Show More
49m 56s
Apr 2025
157 What Separates $3K Designers from $10K+ Designers
Most designers stay stuck at $3K projects because they’re pricing wrong, targeting the wrong clients, and positioning themselves as just another freelancer. The difference between a $3K designer and a $10K designer isn’t design skills. It’s how they run their business. In this ep ... Show More
22m 17s
Aug 18
He built the top AI agent startup | Flo Crivello, Former PM, now CEO & Founder, Lindy AI
If you’ve ever said “I just wish I had an assistant who knew exactly how I think”... Lindy is that assistant. These agents aren’t demos. They’re real, customizable workflows anyone can build. No code.Flo Crivello (founder of Lindy and ex-Cruise/YC) joined us to show how his perso ... Show More
53m 10s
Sep 21
From managing people to managing AI: The leadership skills everyone needs now | Julie Zhuo (Facebook VP, Sundial CEO, The Making of a Manager author)
Julie Zhuo is the former VP and Head of Design at Facebook (now Meta), author of the bestselling book The Making of a Manager, and co-founder of Sundial, an AI-powered data analysis company. Also, my first-ever podcast guest over 3 years ago!In our conversation, we discuss:1. The ... Show More
1h 36m
Sep 7
How AI is reshaping the product role | Oji and Ezinne Udezue
Ezinne and Oji Udezue have over 50 years of combined product leadership experience at Microsoft, Twitter, Atlassian, WP Engine, Typeform, and Calendly. They’ve witnessed every major shift in product management, and, despite their seniority, they’re taking beginner AI courses and ... Show More
1h 18m
Aug 2024
My Top 3 Instructional Design Pet Peeves
There are certain types of phrases that can trigger an instructional designer. Learning styles, using “understand” in learning objectives, cognitive overload, last minute stakeholder changes, and more are enough to drive the best instructional designer crazy. Over the years, I’ve ... Show More
18m 12s
Feb 2025
OpenAI researcher on why soft skills are the future of work | Karina Nguyen (Research at OpenAI, ex-Anthropic)
Karina Nguyen leads research at OpenAI, where she’s been pivotal in developing groundbreaking products like Canvas, Tasks, and the o1 language model. Before OpenAI, Karina was at Anthropic, where she led post-training and evaluation work for Claude 3 models, created a document up ... Show More
1h 14m