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Figma prototypes have been the go-to for years. For digital product designers crafting clickable mockups of apps, this powerhouse design platform hasn’t just gained popularityit’s become the indispensable tool of choice. Nearly every app, website, or digital experience that didn’t make you rage-quit was likely prototyped and rigorously tested in Figma before a single pixel was coded. The platform’s dominance is no accident. Figma prototypes help product teams communicate direction, test early ideas, and align stakeholders around what’s being built. At design consultancies like ours, they’ve played a critical role in due diligence where we stress-test client concepts before writing a single line of codesaving countless development hours and budget dollars. All of that is important, because the first version of any design is usually wrong. It’s based on assumptions about what users want or how they’ll behave. And if you ship based on those assumptions, you risk launching a broken experience that tanks in the market. That’s why prototyping for validation has been industry standard. And Figma has been the undisputed champion in the game the past 5+ years. But with the blistering pace of AI, we may be approaching the end of the clickable prototype era as we know it. AI can do more Until now, prototypes were the fastest way to go from idea to experience. But new AI tools are starting to change that because they can: Generate user interface (UI) from a single prompt. UI is what you see and interact with on a screen, like buttons, menus, and layouts. Simulate logic, state, and user paths. This shows how a digital product would workhow it reacts to choices, keeps track of information, and guides users through different steps. Auto-populate realistic data and content. This instantly fills in a design with lifelike text, names, images, or numbers to show how it would look and feel in context. Create testable product flows. AI tools can do this without manually connecting screens, letting you quickly explore how a user would move through the product. Were not talking about wireframes anymore. Were talking about high-fidelity simulations that look and feel like real software. Tiny testbeds for behavior. And theyre being spun up in actual seconds. Instead of designing screens, were starting to describe outcomes. Were shaping intentand AI is helping us fill in the rest. This is not just a faster way to prototype. It is a leap forward in how we go from an idea to something you can touch, click, and test. But make no mistake, its not replacing designers. Instead, its shifting their rolefreeing them from repetitive tasks so they can focus on what really matters: understanding users, shaping strategy, and making sure the experience is not just functional, but human. Communicate a vibe, not visuals Theres a new term floating around in product circles: vibe coding. Its the idea that instead of specifying exactly how something should look or function, we start by telling the AI the feeling we want a product to evoke. For example: Make it feel luxurious and calm, like checking into a boutique hotel. Should feel fast, responsive, and trustworthylike booking a ride on Uber. And the AI? It generates an interface, interactions, even tone of voicebased on that emotional brief. Its not perfect (yet). But it gets scarily close. For designers and product leaders, this unlocks a wild new dimension: communicating vibe, not just visuals. You become a creative director of experience, not just a user experience lead pushing pixels. Its a shift from mechanics to meaning. From layout to language. But lets be real: The tools arent quite there yet. Theyre close. But not close enough to fully replace the fidelity, intentionality, and nuance that a designer brings to a clickable prototype. AI misses the thoughtful transitions. The user context. The subtle decisions that are often the difference between something that works and something that clicks. That saidit wont be long before thats possible. Designers will evolve We think well see a hybrid approach emerge where designers dont disappear, they evolve. Our predictions include: AI-generated prototypes to quickly test concepts and assumptions Clickable flows to align teams and create confidence High-fidelity design systems built after AI confirms demand AI copilots supporting live ideation, usability testing, and iteration Well move from building UI blocks to shaping systems and behaviors. Well direct the choreography of an experience, rather than drawing every step. Still, its time to lean in. At Crema, our designers are still using Figma, and were still building prototypes. But were also exploring whats nextbecause we believe in the power of using the right fidelity at the right time to move ideas forward. If youre leading a product team, this shift matters. Because the tools we use to test the viability of our ideas are about to get a serious upgrade. George Brooks is CEO and founder of Crema.
Category:
E-Commerce
The world of work is being dominated by the transformative power of artificial intelligence. We see it reshaping processes, driving efficiencies, and promising new levels of productivity across every business. And while AIs technical capabilities are undeniable, we must also recognize the enduringand even amplifiedimportance of uniquely human skills, particularly our ability to connect with one another. In this age of algorithms, fostering genuine human connection is not a soft skill; it’s becoming a core driver of innovation and progress. More than ever, employees want stronger relationships, a sense of connection, and to be seen and valued. In fact, according to McKinsey & Company research, the top reasons for quitting, as cited by former employees, were that they didnt feel valued by their organizations (54%) or their managers (52%), or didnt feel a sense of belonging at work (51%). Moreover, extensive research has found that workplace loneliness is associated with lower job performance, reduced job satisfaction, poorer employee-boss relationships, and higher burnout. Its vital for organizations to understand how human connection can benefit their businesses. AI and the human element The promise of AI is vast, analyzing data in seconds and automating complex tasks. Yet, this very power presents a potential paradox. If we are not intentional, AI risks creating intellectual silos, limiting our exposure to diverse viewpoints, and stifling innovation. The human capacity to connect, to truly understand and appreciate different ways of thinking stemming from various life experiences and backgrounds, is essential to spark innovation and tackle shared problems. The capacity and desire for connection is already causing a shift in AI usage. According to Harvard Business Review findings, the top usage of GenAI right now is for therapy/companionship, whereas just last year, it was for generating ideas. The power of understanding: Insights on connection Insightful research about connection is being done by academic researchers and nonprofit organizations like More in Common, a Workday Foundation grantee. Their two-year study, The Connection Opportunity, underscores a fundamental human truth: We are wired for connection. They found that 66% of Americans across all demographic groups feel they can learn something valuable from others who are differentand 70% of those surveyed also feel that responsibility. In a separate poll, they found that 82% of Americans either somewhat or strongly agree that our success as a nation depends on our ability to work across differences and a majority express an interest in better understanding one another. When we are working toward a shared goal, there are core values and shared aspirations that bind us. By actively seeking out this common ground and fostering positive interactions, we can all bridge divides, both in our personal lives and within our organizations. Feeling connection is not just good for our own wellbeing, it is also crucial for business outcomes. According to research, 94% of employees say that feeling connected to their colleagues makes them more productive at work, and over four times as likely to feel job satisfaction and half as likely to leave their jobs within the next year. More in Common has identified key “connectors”shared values and experiences that have the power to bring seemingly disparate groups together. These can range from a shared commitment to community well-being to ensuring participants feel confident they would have something in common with one anotherlike shared identities or interests. This emphasis on shared values and the active pursuit of connection resonates deeply with the principles we strive for at Workday and underscores why supporting nonprofit organizations and funder collaboratives like More in Common, the U.S. Chamber of Connection, One America, New Pluralists, and many more, is so vital for business and society to thrive. The elevated human: Skills for an AI-driven era Workdays recent global study, Elevating Human Potential: The AI Skills Revolution, delves into the evolving impact of AI on the workplace. Strikingly, our research found that while AI will undoubtedly transform how we work, it is simultaneously elevating the importance of uniquely human skills, like empathy, ethical decision making, conflict resolution, and relationship building. Our findings also confirm that employees are feeling a need for increased human connection as AI adoption grows, with 82% employees recognizing a greater demand for it. Lead with connection These studies all underscore a vital leadership imperative. As we integrate AI deeper into our workflows, we should be deliberate in cultivating environments that prioritize genuine human connection and the development of these essential human skills. This means creating intentional spacesboth physical and virtualthat encourage open dialogue, active listening, and the respectful exchange of diverse perspectives. Leaders should champion empathy and relationship-building skill development within their teams, actively working to promote thoughtful opportunities for human connection in our AI-driven environment. Ultimately, the future of innovation and progress will be shaped by our ability to harness the power of AI in a way that amplifies our uniquely human capacities, especially our innate drive to connect with one another. By prioritizing human connection and cultivating these essential skills, we can ensure that AI empowers a more collaborative, innovative, and ultimately, more human-centered future of work. Carrie Varoquiers is the chief philanthropy officer at Workday.
Category:
E-Commerce
U.S. President Donald Trump’s executive order on drug pricing threatens Roche’s planned $50 billion investment in the United States, the company said on Wednesday. Trump’s order, signed on Monday, directs drugmakers to lower prices of brand-name medicines to align with those in other wealthy nations. Analysts and legal experts say the policy would be difficult to implement. “Should the proposed EO (Executive Order) go into effect, Roche’s ability to fund the significant investments previously announced in the U.S. will be in question,” the company said in a statement. Roche said it did not expect the executive order to affect its business in 2025, and said it would continue engaging with the Trump administration and Congress. Roche in April announced it would invest $50 billion in the U.S. over the next five years, creating more than 12,000 jobs. It is among several drugmakers, including Eli Lilly, Johnson & Johnson and Novartis, to announce large-scale U.S. investments in response to Trump’s push to onshore pharmaceutical manufacturing. Novartis, another Switzerland-based big pharma company, said on Wednesday it had no plans to alter its U.S. investment strategy in response to the executive order. “We are working both in the U.S. and Europe to advocate for necessary changes, including reducing the role of PBMs (pharmacy benefit managers) and correcting significantly low pricing in Europe,” the company said in an emailed statement to Reuters. “These discussions will take time, and we do not expect any changes to happen quickly.” In the U.S., drug prices are shaped by complex negotiations involving PBMs that act as middlemen between drugmakers and health insurers and have been criticised for inflating costs. In Europe, countries generally have public health systems that negotiate directly with manufacturers and keep costs down. Since taking office, Trump has repeatedly threatened to levy tariffs on medicines and his administration is conducting an investigation into imports of pharmaceuticals in an effort to impose tariffs on national security grounds. Maggie Fick, Reuters
Category:
E-Commerce
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