The design elements of running a startup might not sound like the most crucial part of the process, but the imagery a company puts out quickly becomes the brand that consumers and customers judge the business by. Low-effort design can give a business an unprofessional look, turning potential clients off at the first hurdle.
Having skilled designers is often key to nailing the marketing and user experience side of the business — but for cash-strapped startups and scaleups, hiring a team of experts might not quite fit within budget.
“Startups and scaleups face immense pressure to scale quickly while staying agile and resource-efficient,” says Duncan Clark, head of Europe at the all-in-one visual communication platform, Canva. “But fragmented design tools and a lack of resources often create complexity and inefficiency. Teams waste time navigating disconnected workflows, while skill gaps mean only a few can contribute effectively, slowing execution and limiting collaboration.”
This is where AI could step in: design apps and visual tools are introducing AI-powered solutions to help equip employees with the ability to tackle creative design without extensive training — and give designers the tools to maximise efficiency.
Here’s how to make the most of AI when it comes to design.
Immediate relief
So where do you start? Ricardo Amorim, vice president of product and design at BCG X, points to workflow.
“The first thing any startup should do is really understand where AI can have the most significant impact on their team’s workflow,” he says. “For instance, maybe your team spends a significant amount of time on user research, or have long cycles when it comes to A/B testing of new features. AI could offer immediate relief in those areas.”
Amorim adds that AI is already making a noticeable difference in the efficiency of design teams, especially when it comes to early-stage processes like research and ideation, and the prototyping and testing of concepts and features.
You can supercharge small teams to deliver what otherwise would have required huge budgets or production teams.
Clark agrees, adding that efficiency is where AI’s benefits lie. For instance, AI tools like Canva’s can generate initial drafts of visuals and product concepts, which designers can then refine and adapt to meet user needs.
“By automating tasks like analysing feedback, running usability tests and generating prototypes, AI frees designers to "get creative about being creative" by simplifying the process of turning ideas into tangible solutions,” he says. “It reduces the time and skills barriers, enabling designers to iterate faster and more effectively.”
This is particularly helpful for startups with small teams, says Anders Färdig, founder of leadership platform Monoscope who before that, headed up product design at Swedish unicorn Bambora Group and open banking payment company Trustly.
“You can supercharge small teams to deliver what otherwise would have required huge budgets or production teams,” he says. “All aspects of the design process can be enhanced by AI tools.”
Will this replace the need for designers altogether? Clark says no — by “taking care of the mundane”, designers free up time to spend on innovating.
“While it can’t replicate human judgement or emotional intelligence, AI serves as a powerful partner, amplifying creativity and enabling designers to deliver higher-quality work, collaborate effectively and make design more accessible across teams,” he says.
Design dilemmas
Given these benefits, AI design tools have exploded. “It’s changing every couple of months, since we now live in a world with a constant outpouring of new tools,” says Färdig.
Amorim adds that constantly evolving tech can make it difficult for teams to figure out what tool serves them best and a lack of training can still be an issue as employees need to understand how to make the most of the opportunity.
We now live in a world with a constant outpouring of new tools.
“With the fast pace of innovation in this space, what is considered the best solution today might not be the same tomorrow,” says Amorim. “I also see a common issue around teams not having enough training or a deep enough understanding of how to leverage these tools fully, which can hinder their ability to unlock the full potential of AI within their workflows.”
Clark agrees, adding this is a problem Canva has tried to solve by prioritising accessibility in its recent range of updates, which included over 40 upgrades, such as AI-powered whiteboards and enhanced video capabilities.
“With these updates, we’re continuing to prioritise accessibility, serving the 99% of workers without formal design training while developing features that also appeal to professional audiences,” he says. “Updates reinforce our mission to make powerful, intuitive design tools available to all.”
Untapped potential
But there’s still space for AI to grow.
“When it comes to the later phases of design implementation and scaling, I believe we’re still scratching the surface of what AI can do,” says Amorim. “There’s a lot of untapped potential in this area.
Those combining creativity with AI will not just keep up — they’ll lead the charge.
“I can picture a future where designers are able to focus purely on their creativity, judgement and vision, while AI broadens your horizons (from a creative standpoint), and takes care of the execution with precision and speed.”
Färdig agrees. “I see big opportunities for product managers who’ll be able to do more design simply by using prompts to design,” he says. “For marketing and brand it’s the same opportunity to allow everyone to create stronger assets, without a request being sent to the creative team.”
Clark believes startups will start to benefit long-term in the near future.
“Looking ahead, startups that embrace AI as both a creative and operational ally will provide a more dynamic culture, foster greater collaboration and achieve long-term growth by staying agile in an ever-evolving market,” he says.
“Those combining creativity with AI will not just keep up — they’ll lead the charge.”
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