A Thought by Shahzad Khan

Design Rabbit Hole 20th March 2026

The average Joe with a loaded toolbox: What’s next for the “Professionals”?

Summary of content

Booking a family vacation, generating videos with sentences that don't even make a paragraph and removing obstacles in life using AI is pretty convenient. So why do I keep circling back to figure out.. What's my loss here? Or broadly our loss?

AI can book your flights in seconds. No huss, no fuss. But what did I lose there? The late night research, debating the sight seeing spots, planning it together with loved ones, that's where the trip really starts. AI gave us efficiency but stole the memory. Similarly, tools now let anyone create in seconds what once took professionals long hours. So where does that leave us? Articles keep telling professionals their craft is dead. But is it really? The method and tool might change, but the craft, the ability to infuse emotion with logic and have fun while doing so. That part is still uniquely ours. We just need to get out of our shells and experiment more.

Design 13th March 2026

Vibe along – As the doors slide open, so does the user experience.

Summary of content

“With great power comes great responsibility.” Not really a line you’d expect me to quote, but Uncle Ben got this right. In a world where AI can build almost anything with just a few clicks. It’s tempting to chase flashiness, the real challenge is keeping the experience true for the people who will be your actual users, customers. Even with amazing things AI can do today, the oversight should always be human.

That’s where the basics still matter. K.I.S.S. — Keep It Simple, Stupid. Regardless if it’s an app, a website, or even a vibe-coded new screen interface, simplicity, context, and real-world testing are as important today as they were pre AI era. The lessons aren’t just digital — they’re physical too, like a well-designed sliding door that’s functional before you even touch it, these observations and executions flow both ways. Let's explore how we can combine AI, UX principles, and thoughtful design approach to build experiences that truly are for the people, not just for the sake of new tech.

Design Rabbit Hole Vibe Code 9th March 2026

Rediscovering delegation through AI coding – so I can write

Summary of content

After years of playing around with various creative outlets - drawing, photography, video, development, and writing (which I’m eager to dive back into) - I’ve gained some insights from my nearly two decades in design that I think others might find helpful.

The tricky part was creating a blog that truly captured my design style without using pre-made templates. Development had been a long-forgotten skill for over a decade, so instead of jumping back into traditional coding, I decided to try something fresh: agentic and conversational AI coding tools.

What began as a casual experiment during the quieter hours of Ramadan quickly turned into a practical learning journey. With the help of a close friend and developer, I explored several tools before choosing Cursor. I used it to plan, organize, and gradually build my blog using my own designs. By breaking tasks into smaller steps and embracing AI-assisted delegation, I managed to transform an idea into a functional platform for writing again - even with some bugs along the way.