Exploring how design can make AI intuitive, trustworthy, and a little more human.
AI is reshaping the way we design and build products. It’s powerful, promising, and yes, a little messy. For designers and product thinkers, that’s both an opportunity and a challenge.
We don’t have a shared language for designing AI systems yet—not the way we do for traditional software. But we need one, and fast, because those of us who can navigate these gaps will move quicker, design with more confidence, and ultimately deliver better tools for the people who use them.
If you’re a designer, a product thinker, or just someone who cares about building better tools, you’re probably asking the same questions I am:
How do you design for open-ended systems that are probabilistic and unpredictable?
How do you build trust and create clarity when the underlying technology is so complex?
How do you embrace ambiguity, instead of fighting it?
Every week, I’ll be thinking out loud, trying to make sense of what AI means for UX. Writing is how I work through problems, so don’t expect a playbook or definitive answers—this is more like walking through the fog, putting one foot in front of the other, and hoping I don’t trip over something. I’ll pull ideas from design, storytelling, psychology, and even philosophy to answer these questions.
The goal is simple: to shape AI into something more human. Not perfect, not magic, just useful.
I don’t have all the answers, but maybe together we can figure out a few of the questions. If something resonates—or if it doesn’t—hit reply and let me know. Or just lurk quietly. I’ll try to make this worth reading every week.
Let’s figure this out together.
What to Expect
Here’s what you’ll get from this newsletter:
A new article every week: Exploring design principles and patterns for AI systems.
Themes that matter: Trust, transparency, collaboration, and the gap between what AI can do and how users experience it.
Some messy thinking: I’ll share what I’m learning as a design leader working hands-on to integrate AI into fintech tools.
This isn’t polished thought leadership. It’s me, working in the open, trying to understand how we stay relevant as designers while navigating ambiguity at a breakneck pace.
Created by Andrew Sims
I’m a Design Leader working in Fintech, where my focus is designing products, services, and tools for small businesses. Many of the ideas explored here are rooted in the practical realities of my day-to-day work: creating interfaces for AI-powered financial tools in a space that intersects technology, regulation, and the deeply personal emotions people have around their money.
Fintech is a fascinating proving ground for AI design. The stakes are high—financial wellbeing and livelihoods are on the line—and the challenges are complex. But that’s also what makes it exciting. Designing for AI in this context means balancing trust, clarity, and usability in systems that feel anything but simple.
While my perspective often leans toward fintech, the principles and approaches discussed here are highly transferable. At its core, this blog is about figuring out how to make AI products more human-shaped—no matter the industry.
