AI Tools Every Web Designer Should Know About
I remember the first website I tried to design on my own. It was a mess. Too many colours, fonts that didn’t match, spacing issues everywhere. It didn’t matter how many tutorials I watched; something always felt off. The more I worked, the more I realised that designing a truly great website isn’t just about creativity—it’s about precision, balance, and a deep understanding of how people interact with digital spaces.
Fast-forward to today, and things have changed. Not because I became a design genius overnight, but because I’ve learned to lean on something that makes all the difference—artificial intelligence. It’s quietly shaping the way we build and experience websites. Whether it’s helping with design suggestions, optimising layouts, or generating code, AI tools have become the invisible assistants behind many great websites.
If you’re a web designer, whether just starting or years into the craft, knowing which AI tools to use can be the difference between struggling with details or having time to focus on what really matters.
A Second Pair of Eyes for Design Balance
One of the hardest things about web design is knowing when a layout is just right. When I was starting out, I would stare at a page for hours, tweaking tiny elements without knowing if they actually improved the design. Humans aren’t always great at spotting patterns and alignments at a glance, but AI is.
Tools like Adobe Sensei analyse your design and suggest improvements—balancing elements, aligning objects perfectly, and even adjusting colour harmony. It’s like having a hyper-aware second pair of eyes. You still have full control, but instead of second-guessing yourself endlessly, you get instant suggestions that are rooted in data and good design principles.
The Silent Code Writer
I used to envy the designers who could also write flawless code. For a long time, I thought I had to choose—be great at design or master coding. But AI has changed that. Now, tools like GitHub Copilot help bridge the gap.
If you’ve ever wasted hours searching for the right snippet of code to make something work, you’ll appreciate what this tool does. You start writing, and it suggests code in real time, anticipating what you need based on context. It learns your style, adapts, and even helps you avoid errors.
It doesn’t replace learning to code—it enhances it. Instead of getting stuck on small details, you get to focus on the bigger picture: creating something beautiful.
Making Images That Don’t Exist—Yet
Every designer knows the frustration of searching for the perfect image—only to realise it doesn’t exist. Maybe you need an illustration in a particular style, or a photo with just the right lighting and composition. In the past, this meant either settling for something close enough or spending hours creating it from scratch.
Enter AI-generated images. DALL·E and Runway ML allow you to describe what you need, and they generate an image for you. It still feels like magic—typing a sentence and watching a unique artwork or photo appear within seconds.
This doesn’t mean photographers and illustrators are obsolete. It just means designers have more options. If you need a custom piece quickly, AI can provide a starting point. Often, the best results come when combining AI with human creativity, refining the image until it feels just right.
Writing Without Staring at a Blank Screen
Designers don’t just shape how a website looks; they also influence how it communicates. Great design and great copy go hand in hand. But writing compelling website text takes time, and not everyone enjoys the process. Some designers fill sections with placeholder text, hoping someone else will take care of it later. The problem is, words are part of the design. They shape structure, guide users, and influence how people feel about a brand.
This is where AI writing tools like ChatGPT or Jasper AI come in. They don’t just generate words; they adapt to tone, rewrite awkward sentences, and provide inspiration when you’re stuck. Instead of staring at a blank screen, you have a writing partner.
Of course, AI can’t replace human storytelling. But it can turn rough ideas into polished text much faster, freeing up more time to focus on design.
Smarter UX Decisions Without Guesswork
User experience is one of the most important (and frustrating) aspects of web design. You might spend weeks perfecting a layout, only to find out that users don’t interact with it the way you expected.
AI-powered analytics tools like Hotjar and Crazy Egg change that. They don’t just give numbers—they create heatmaps that show you where users click, how far they scroll, and where they lose interest. Instead of guessing what works, you can see real behaviour patterns.
Pair this with Google’s UX Design AI, which predicts how people will interact with different layouts, and you have something incredibly powerful. It’s like running a usability study without needing hundreds of testers.
An Ally in Accessibility
Web accessibility is often overlooked, but it shouldn’t be. More than a billion people worldwide have some form of disability, and many struggle with poorly designed websites. AI can help bridge that gap.
accessiBe uses AI to automatically adjust websites for users with disabilities—tweaking contrast, adjusting text sizes, and even offering screen reader support. It doesn’t replace proper accessibility design, but it does make it easier to ensure your website is usable by all.
This isn’t just about compliance or avoiding legal trouble. It’s about designing with empathy. AI helps make inclusivity a standard, not an afterthought.
AI as a Partner, Not a Replacement
There’s a common fear that AI will take over creative jobs, making designers obsolete. But from what I’ve seen, AI doesn’t replace creativity—it amplifies it.
Web design takes intuition, emotion, and human judgment—things AI still struggles with. What it does well is handle the tedious, time-consuming tasks, giving designers more space to focus on ideas, storytelling, and craftsmanship.
Think of it like having a brilliant intern who never gets tired. It suggests, assists, and speeds up your workflow, but you still make the final call.
The Future of Web Design Belongs to Those Who Adapt
I often wonder what web design will look like in a decade. Will AI create entire websites with a single command? Maybe. But there will always be a need for human touch—someone who understands brand identity, emotion, and connection.
The best designers aren’t the ones who resist AI; they’re the ones who learn to use it as a tool. They let it handle the technical work while they focus on originality and experience.
So if you haven’t explored AI tools yet, start today. Experiment, play, see what works for you. The future isn’t about choosing between human creativity or artificial intelligence. It’s about using both to create something better than either could alone.
