Why 500 designers shocked me this week

Yesterday reminded me how wide the gap is between designers who use new tools — and those who don’t.

We ran our regular UI Boost program. Two days, nearly 500 designers signed up.

My job was to show them how to make interfaces that are not only clean, but also engaging and quick to produce.

We asked every participant: what slows you down the most?

Over 60% admitted they barely use AI or Figma plugins.

For me, tools like ChatGPT, NanoBanana, Midjourney and plugins now take up half my design process. I spend less than 4 hours in Figma each day. The contrast is massive.

We put it to the test. Starting with a blank artboard, I mocked up a landing page in 17 minutes using AI and plugins. Students without these tools needed hours(!!!) for the same task.

After two days side by side, one thing stood out: some designers can create 10–15 website blocks in a single day, while others spend the entire working day on one single version.

That speed gap is staggering.