This blog is heavily inspired by these people Emil Kowalski, Ram, Manupaaji, Akash Bhadange and their tweets, blogs or videos.
Something changed in the last year, and most people haven't noticed yet.
Every product now has two users: the human and the AI agent.
If AI tools can generate interfaces, write code, and ship products faster than ever before...
What exactly is your job?
The answer is taste.
And taste is the one thing that cannot be automated.
“In a world of abundance, we treasure taste.”Anu Atluru
What is Taste?
Taste isn't just about pretty colors or nice typography.
It's a trained instinct. It's the collection of human qualities that work together:
- Empathy: Understanding that the user is tired and just wants to get the job done.
- Craftsmanship: Caring about the 4px padding that nobody consciously notices, but everyone feels.
- Judgment: Knowing when to remove a feature that works perfectly fine because it distracts from the core experience.
AI is excellent at generating options. But it is terrible at choosing between them.
That choosing is what you do.
Why Does Taste Matter Now?
When the first car came out, consumers didn't care about its color or silhouette because the competition was a horse.
But now? Quality and details matter more than ever.
The same applies to software. Simply shipping a product that works is no longer a differentiator. AI can do that.
When AI handles the functional layer, the experiential layer is all that's left to compete on.
If two apps do the exact same thing, the one that wins is the one that feels better.
How to Develop Your Taste
So, how do you train this instinct?
1. Surround Yourself with Great Work
If you are a designer, you should be looking at great designs.
Expose yourself to the best things humans have done.
“It comes down to trying to expose yourself to the best things that humans have done and then try to bring those things into what you're doing.”Steve Jobs
Find tastemakers, study their work, use their apps, and read their books.
Resources to explore:
2. Think About Why You Like Something
Don't just rely on gut feelings.
When you see a great design, don't just say "that looks good". Ask yourself why.
Why does this specific interaction feel smooth? Why did the creator make these choices?
Analyze the patterns. Be curious. Go beyond the surface level.
3. Practice and Iterate
A designer should design. A writer should write.
The things you create probably won't be good at first.
But here is the secret: That's a good sign.
It means your taste is good enough to tell that your work isn't on par yet. This is called the "Taste Gap".
Don't quit. Keep creating, seek feedback, and your skills will eventually catch up to your taste.
Conclusion
Every product in the market will eventually work. The functional baseline will keep rising.
But the gap between "it works" and "it feels good" will only grow wider.
That gap is where you live. It always has been.
Cultivate your taste. It's the only thing AI can't prompt.
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“Thank you for reading 💖”