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The evening shift
Designer Jamie Rothwell argues that the modern design industry has become too focused on internal processes and documentation, pushing him toward an 'independent builder' model powered by AI.
What: Jamie Rothwell details his shift from traditional corporate design roles—drained by meetings and documentation—to building and shipping his own software projects using AI-assisted development tools in just six weeks.
Why it matters: This reflects a growing sentiment among designers that traditional 'design-only' workflows (creating handoffs/specs) are becoming obsolete, and those who learn to build alongside AI can capture more value than those who simply design for others to build.
Deep dive
- Documents the burnout caused by 'process-heavy' design environments.
- Encourages designers to move beyond Figma/Adobe specs to building functional software.
- Suggests that AI allows a single designer to handle the entire lifecycle of a product.
- Argues that shipping real products provides more career security and satisfaction than mastering internal documentation workflows.
Original article
After years of feeling drained by meetings, documentation, and design process, veteran designer Jamie Rothwell rediscovered his enthusiasm for the craft by building products directly with AI-assisted tools. A side project that went from idea to App Store in six weeks showed him the value of shipping real software instead of producing handoffs and specifications. Following a layoff, he doubled down on this designer-builder approach, arguing that adaptability and staying close to the product matter more than protecting traditional design workflows—and that many designers lost the fun of the job to process long before AI arrived.
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