What Happens to Design After AI?

June 25, 2026

1:02

Imagine sitting down with a designer and a tech innovator, and they tell you AI is quietly reshaping how we create. The big takeaway from content+a16zpodcast@a16z.com with John Maeda and Paul Bakaus? AI isn't just automating tasks — it’s redefining what creative judgment means. According to Maeda, some parts of design — like routine tweaks — are becoming automated, but that pushes the value of taste and human intuition even higher. Bakaus adds that AI will shift how designers, engineers, and even software itself work together, creating new workflows that are more agentic — more collaborative. So what does this all mean for you? If you're in design or product, get ready for a future where tools elevate your judgment, not replace it. These insights from Maeda and Bakaus, highlighted in content+a16zpodcast@a16z.com, suggest that the real power lies in mastering AI as a creative partner. The shift is subtle now, but it’s exactly the kind of signal that shapes the next wave of innovation.

Anish Acharya speaks with Microsoft VP of Design John Maeda and Impeccable founder and CEO Paul Bakaus about how AI is changing the practice of design.

The conversation explores the relationship between design and technology, the rise of AI-powered creative tools, and whether automation raises the floor, the ceiling, or both. Maeda and Bakaus discuss software craftsmanship, taste, creative judgment, and why some aspects of design may become increasingly automated while others become more valuable.

They also examine agentic workflows, the future of user experience, the role of designers in an AI-native world, and how new tools may reshape the relationship between designers, engineers, and software itself.

Resources:

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Follow Paul Bakaus on X: https://x.com/pbakaus

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Audio Transcript