What I’ve learned about UX design from an AI music project

🌈 Abstract

The article discusses the author's experience of leading a "double life" - working as a lead content designer in local government during the day, while also pursuing an experimental YouTube project creating retro, synthwave-influenced music and artwork using AI tools at night. The author shares several key takeaways from this side project that have impacted their professional design work, including:

1. Embracing constraints and trade-offs in design
2. The importance of having creative outlets outside of work
3. How side projects can help develop new skills
4. Focusing on the impact of design work, not just the output
5. The value of reflective practice for continuous improvement
6. Adapting to and embracing the rise of AI in design-related fields

🙋 Q&A

[01] Constraints and trade-offs

1. What are some of the constraints the author faced when using AI tools like Suno for their Eternity Arcade project?

• The music doesn't always sound professionally mixed
• Vocals can sound unclear or heavily auto-tuned
• There's only so much control over the output, no matter how skilled the prompting and techniques

2. How did the author have to accept trade-offs and embrace the concept of "good enough" when working on this project?

• The author had to accept the limitations of the AI tools and their own skills, and focus on creating songs they liked rather than striving for perfection.
• This same principle of "good enough" design also applies to the author's UX work, but the side project helped reinforce this mindset.

[02] Creative outlets

1. How did the author's Eternity Arcade project help them realize the importance of having creative outlets outside of their day job?

• The author found that they instinctively wanted to stamp their personal creative vision on every design project at work, even though collaboration and user-centered design are important.
• Having the Eternity Arcade project as a creative outlet where the author had full control helped them become more willing to adapt, make compromises, and act as a contributor rather than a dictator in their professional work.

2. Why does the author believe creative side projects are important for design professionals?

• Creative side projects allow designers to fulfill their creative needs, rather than trying to treat their day job as a creative outlet.
• This helps designers be more focused on solving problems as part of a team at work, rather than trying to make the design "their own".

[03] Side projects = new skills

1. What new skills did the author develop through working on the Eternity Arcade project?

• The author had to learn how to effectively use AI tools like DALL-E to generate music and artwork.
• The author also improved their skills in image editing and video editing, which they were able to bring back to their professional design work.

2. How did learning these new skills through a side project benefit the author's design work?

• Stepping outside their comfort zone and learning new tools/skills for the side project helped break the author out of their normal design rut.
• The author believes this kind of experience with new problem-solving is great training for design thinking processes.

[04] Impact versus output

1. How did the author's focus on "impact over output" differ from their typical professional design work?

• In the author's day job, there is often a focus on completing projects and deliverables rather than measuring the actual impact.
• With the Eternity Arcade project, the author could focus more on metrics like views, likes, and comments (impact) rather than just the number of songs/videos published (output).

2. How does this "impact over output" mindset align with principles of Lean UX?

• The author notes that this focus on impact over deliverables is very much aligned with Lean UX, which differs from more conventional user-centered design approaches.

[05] Reflection = improvement

1. How did the author use reflective practice to improve their Eternity Arcade project over time?

• After completing the first album "The Infinite City", the author took time to reflect on what worked well and what could be improved.
• This led the author to take a more structured approach when creating the next album "Heat of the Night", focusing on better song structure and editing techniques.

2. Why does the author believe reflective practice is important, both for their side project and professional design work?

• Reflection allows designers to learn from their experiences and continuously improve, rather than just jumping straight into the next project.
• The author found that even individual reflection can be very valuable, not just team-based "lessons learned" sessions.

[06] Embrace and adapt to AI

1. How did the author's experience with AI music tools like Suno and Udio shape their perspective on the impact of AI on design-related industries?

• The author believes the best response to the uncertainty around AI's impact is to embrace and experiment with the technology, rather than resisting or rejecting it.
• The author sees their role as a "creator" using AI tools as just as valid as being a traditional "musician", as long as the output has value for others.

2. Why does the author think it's important for designers to adapt to and integrate AI into their work, both professionally and creatively?

• Failing to adapt to technological shifts like AI can make designers feel out of touch and left behind.
• Integrating AI into both creative side projects and professional work allows designers to be part of the future, rather than resisting change.