The founder of $2 billion AI website builder Framer says this is what designers should focus on to thrive in the age of AI

The founder of $2 billion AI website builder Framer says this is what designers should focus on to thrive in the age of AI

Summary

Jorn van Dijk, cofounder of AI website builder Framer, argues that designers must keep sharpening their taste and core skills even as AI makes creation faster. He warns of “AI slop” — work that looks hurried or generic — and says the way to stand out is by focusing on quality, uniqueness and craft. Van Dijk recommends going back to basics: practising hard skills, producing lots of mock-ups, icons and logos, and using AI as a tool rather than a shortcut. Framer, founded in 2014 and based in Amsterdam, raised $100m at a $2 billion valuation in August 2025.

Key Points

• Taste and quality remain differentiators in design; AI makes it easy to produce sloppy output quickly.
• Designers should emphasise uniqueness that reflects the individual or brand, not generic AI-generated results.
• Hone hard skills through practice: create many mock-ups, icons and logos to refine judgement and technique.
• AI is a powerful assistant but hasn’t levelled the playing field — great work still requires craft and critical taste.
• Framer’s growth (130+ employees and a $2bn valuation after a $100m Series D) underlines industry confidence in AI-driven design tools.

Why should I read this?

Short version: if you design stuff, don’t let AI make you lazy. This is a quick, practical reminder from someone who built a big AI-first product — useful if you want to stay relevant and actually improve your work instead of just churning out bland assets.

Context and relevance

The piece matters because it cuts through hype: AI will speed up production, but differentiation still comes from human taste, craftsmanship and brand thinking. For designers, product teams and managers, the guidance is timely — invest in training and practice, and treat AI as a force-multiplier rather than a replacement. The comments also reflect broader industry trends where AI tools scale output but place a premium on curation and quality control.

Author style

Punchy — the take is direct and practical: practise more, care more, rely less on shortcuts. We’ve summarised the essentials so you can act on them quickly.

Source

Source: https://www.businessinsider.com/framer-founder-what-designers-focus-age-of-ai-2025-9