How I Design Websites With AI (and What AI Still Can't Do)
A behind-the-scenes look at how I use AI to plan, write, design and build websites faster, plus the parts that still need a human touch.
People ask me all the time: "Can AI just build my website now?" The honest answer is AI makes building a website dramatically faster, but it doesn't replace taste, strategy or knowing your customer. Here's exactly how I use it, step by step.
Step 1: Strategy first, with AI as my thinking partner
Before any design, I get clear on three questions: Who is this site for? What should they do when they get there? What would make them trust you? I use AI to pressure-test the answers, asking it to role-play a skeptical first-time visitor and tell me what's confusing.
Step 2: Words before pixels
A website is mostly words. I draft headlines and page copy with AI, then rewrite them in the client's real voice. AI is great at giving me ten headline options; picking the one that sounds like you is a human job.
Step 3: Design with a mood, not a template
I collect colors, textures and references into a mood board (this very site came from a torn-paper collage video), then use AI image and design tools to explore variations fast. The final system (fonts, colors, spacing) gets decided by hand so everything feels intentional.
Step 4: Build with AI pair-programming
I build with modern tools like Next.js and host on Vercel, using AI coding assistants to write and review code with me. What used to take weeks now takes days, and I still check every page on real phones.
Step 5: Make it findable by Google and AI search
Search is changing. People now ask ChatGPT, Claude and Google's AI for recommendations. To show up, a site needs clear structure, honest answers to real questions (like the FAQ on my homepage), fast load times and a blog that keeps it fresh. That's called AEO, answer engine optimization, and it's built into every site I make.
What AI still can't do
- Know your customer the way you do
- Have taste: deciding what to leave out is still a human superpower
- Build trust: real photos, real stories and real results
- Take responsibility for accuracy, accessibility and privacy
Want one?
If you'd like a bright, fast website that's easy to update and built for both search engines and AI answers, let's talk.