You're Not Behind

These past few days have felt like a lot. On top of everything, there's been new tools, strong opinions, and a constant stream of hot takes about what all of this means for design.

I shared a short post about it, mostly as a reminder to myself, and it ended up resonating with a lot of people. I wanted to expand on that thought just a bit here.

If you’ve been feeling uncertain or overwhelmed lately, you’re not alone. I promise. There’s a strange pressure right now to feel like you need to have a fully formed opinion on AI, on new tools, and on where things are headed, and to have it fast.

But when you zoom out, most teams are just now getting started. I saw something recently that suggested something like ~84% of people haven’t even really begun using AI in a meaningful way yet. Which means if you’ve tried anything at all, and especially if you’re thinking critically about it, or even worrying about it, you’re early, even if it doesn’t always feel that way.

You’re not falling behind. You’re in the middle of learning something new, along with everyone else. Me included.

The reminder I keep coming back to is this: we're designers, not our tools. The value we bring isn’t in knowing the latest feature first. It’s in how we think, what we notice, and how we help people, products, and teams move forward. That doesn’t go away when tools change. If anything, it becomes even more important.

The tools will keep evolving. They always do. The people who stay curious, stay open, and keep learning are the ones who figure it out over time.

We’re starting to explore these workflows more directly with teams at Baseline. Not as a set of answers, but as a way to understand what’s actually useful, what breaks down, and how to think clearly in the middle of it. It’s early, a bit messy, often overwhelming, but honestly kind of fun to explore, like most new things.

If this past weekend felt extra overwhelming, give yourself a bit of space. You don’t need to have it all figured out yet.

None of us do.

— Joey