What happens when machines erase the very steps that guide us towards greatness?Image source: Adobe StockThey say AI isn’t a threat to a designer’s job. It’s just a tool. It can’t replace refined design skills such as taste, strategy, and vision.On the surface, this is a valid argument. But it’s also a paradox.Gaining those skills requires experience wrestling with the very tasks AI now makes unnecessary — cranking out layouts, grinding through late-night revisions, and sketching idea after idea to find the right solution. I know this because I was forged through these tedious processes — most veteran designers were.The question today is — how do entry-level designers in the age of AI develop high-level skills — like creative judgment — when the traditional path that once honed our abilities is now being paved over by machines?As a young designer, I had a natural eye for aesthetics and I was fast. That made me valuable. And while design is more than making things look pretty, back then, if you had the talent to solve problems quickly with strong visual appeal, you found a job easily. But that early recognition did more than validate my talent — it gave me a foundation to grow from.Over the past 18 years, I’ve worked as a creative director, brand strategist, UX engineer, and university professor. These roles go far beyond raw talent or speed — they demand critical thinking, adaptability, and strategic clarity. But all of it traces back to those formative moments as an entry-level designer performing the tedious tasks.Lately, I’ve been thinking about how rare those moments are becoming.The creative industry has shifted — especially for those just starting out. AI tools like ChatGPT and Midjourney, and automation tools like Figma plugins can now generate polished, professional work in minutes.The initial talent and speed that once helped novice designers like me propel ourselves forward are becoming sadly irrelevant.The rise of AI has created a strange kind of disruption. For new designers, the challenge isn’t just developing their talents — it’s being forced to skip the part where ability is tempered and tested, and jump straight into a career without the climb.I’m not against AI technology. I use it daily. But I do feel a kind of grief for the creative world that once allowed you to earn your place through a natural process. I worry that newcomers won’t get to feel that thrill — the pride that comes from struggle, from failing, iterating, and finally watching something fall into place.As a university design instructor, I see the gap widening. Students believe talent will set them apart. But talent now is not enough. The qualities that truly matter — the ones AI can’t mimic — don’t come baked in. They come with experience.You don’t develop taste by hitting “generate.” You don’t build vision without seeing your ideas fall flat in public. You don’t learn strategy by watching a machine solve problems you never got to grapple with with yourself.That’s the paradox.AI removes the climb. But the climb is where the growth happens. And when you skip the struggle, you skip the transformation.Which brings us back to the real question — how do new designers grow when the first steps are being erased?You’ll have to create your own friction. Resist the shortcuts. Slow down. Try it the hard way — not because it’s efficient, but because it’s formative.It means building things from scratch, even when a template or AI is faster. It means struggling through a problem without googling the answer right away. It means sitting with imperfect work longer than feels comfortable — and finding your own solutions instead of relying on instant ones.Write your own case studies, even if no one asks for them. Sketch by hand before refining. Design something meaningful for someone you know — something imperfect, something real — not something polished for someone you’re trying to impress.I could list a thousand examples of what to do — but it wouldn’t matter. Real creative judgment isn’t something you follow step-by-step. It’s something you discover by wrestling with problems that don’t have clear answers. It’s built by experimenting, by getting it wrong, by chasing ideas that don’t come from a prompt or a tutorial.Because mastery can be mimicked. A portfolio can be polished. A brand can be templated. But becoming — that inner shift forged through failure, persistence, and self-discovery — cannot be faked.Remember, friction isn’t the enemy. It’s the forge.If you’re just starting out, you’re not behind. You’re in a system that forgot how to train you.So train yourself. Embrace the mess. Get it wrong. Share it anyway.That’s how you build what AI can’t. That’s how the work starts to feel like it’s yours. That’s how you grow.Don’t miss out! Join my email list and receive the latest content.AI is stripping away the forging process that shapes designers was originally published in UX Collective on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.