A Simple Hack to Use AI to Improve Website Design

Can you AI help you with website design? If so, how can we get AI platforms like ChatGPT to have a look at our website designs and give us constructive feedback and novel suggestions for improvements.

Many of us see AI as a tool for answering questions or solving straightforward problems, but it can also act as your personal design assistant. I want to walk you through how I use AI to get fresh insights into design side elements of our business, in this case on Wealthy Affiliate’s interface and layout.

Step 1: Introducing AI to Your Design Challenge

AI tools like ChatGPT can provide perspective that you might not have considered when improving your website’s design. Here’s how I approached it:

• Scenario: I took a screenshot of the Wealthy Affiliate interface (back office and menu structure) and uploaded it to ChatGPT.
• Prompt: I asked the AI to act as an expert website designer and UX specialist, providing solutions for a better interface that’s more intuitive for our users.

Here’s what I typed:

"You are an expert website designer and UX specialist. I want you to help me come up with solutions for a better interface design and one that is much more understandable to our end users. I am the owner of Wealthy Affiliate, and this is the current interface in the back office and menu structure."

Step 2: Reviewing AI Feedback

The AI delivered detailed suggestions based on the interface I shared. Here are some key takeaways from this.

1. Prioritize Clarity in the Menu:
   The AI noted that the menu structure could feel overwhelming due to the variety of icons and labels in close proximity. It suggested grouping menu options into collapsible sections (e.g., "Training," "Community," "Tools") to streamline navigation.
   
2. Streamline the Dashboard:
   The AI observed that the dashboard presents too much information at once, potentially overwhelming users. It recommended:
3. • Adding quick-access cards (e.g., "Continue Learning" or "Your Next Action").
   • Moving elements like "Recent Questions" and "Live Chat" into dedicated community tabs to reduce clutter.
     
3. Simplify Visual Design:
   Clean, minimalist designs with less clutter were recommended to make the interface more intuitive.
   
4. Introduce Activity Analytics:
   The AI suggested integrating analytics that allow users to track progress, which could motivate them to engage more with the platform.

Step 3: Digging Deeper on Suggested Improvements

One of the best aspects of using AI is the ability to probe further.
For example, I asked:

"How would you appropriately group the current menus within Wealthy Affiliate in a way that would make sense to the end user?"

The AI responded with a detailed architecture for menu grouping, suggesting categories like:

• Training: Core lessons, advanced classes, tutorials.
• Community: Live chat, forums, success stories.
• Tools: Keyword research, content templates, website builders.

This kind of iterative dialogue allowed me to refine and explore ideas that I might not have thought of on my own.

Step 4: Testing and Implementing AI-Driven Ideas

Once I had these suggestions, I began thinking about how to test and implement them:

• Sketch New Layouts: AI can analyze even hand-drawn sketches of potential designs and provide feedback.
• Iterate on Concepts: Ask follow-up questions to refine ideas and gain insights into coding, layout, or usability.
• Prototype Changes: Using tools like Figma or Adobe XD, I could translate these ideas into prototypes for user testing.

Why Use AI for Design?

AI acts like an extra set of eyes (or an unbiased consultant) that can help you, where you can get quick "design audits".

• Spot areas of improvement that you might miss.
• Generate new ideas for organizing or presenting content.
• Offer detailed suggestions for layout, usability, and functionality.

Even if the AI’s feedback isn’t always perfect, it often sparks new ideas and provides a fresh perspective that can lead to innovative solutions.

Have you used AI tools for website design or other creative projects? If so, I’d love to hear about your experiences. Drop your thoughts in the comments below, and let’s discuss how AI can help us all create better, more user-friendly designs. Looking forward to your feedback!