In my more optimistic moments, I’ve been pondering whether AI can serve as an extra muscle that might just help us deliver on the promises and potential of the processes and workflows we all advocate for, but usually fail to uphold.

Ask any designer about their process, and you’ll likely hear a familiar refrain – double diamond, etc. – but in practice, we all know work rarely follows the script of best practices. We all struggle (across all disciplines) to create the space and time to do the work properly. However, most of the time, we fail to meet our own expectations. We compromise and cut corners in the name of teamwork, business, and shipping.

We trumpet our perfect case studies to the world, while keeping our failures close to the vest.

The truth is, your company's processes evolve to find the path of least resistance. You will always be tweaking your processes and practices to keep them relevant and useful.

So how can AI help? Much like any tool, I believe it can assist in replacing the more challenging parts of our work, the parts that require too much time, and help us complete more of the best practices steps, leading us to better outcomes.

For designers, that could mean ideating and generating more early concepts. For researchers, it could mean analyzing more data for consumer sentiment. For developers, it might mean adding more tests to their code.

Now is a good time to reflect on your workflows and identify where they’re falling short, then consider if there's potential for AI to bolster those areas. These changes may not be revolutionary. Maybe AI only helps you write up that weekly email summary of the team's work that you could never muster the energy to do on Friday. But the value of that one small communication will compound over time. You will be adding more value, and it will be noticed. So start thinking about how to use AI as a power-up for yourself and your team.