The more I prompt, the more disconnected I can feel.

AI isn’t the problem, but conceding your taste and insight is.

It’s become harder to tell a shortcut to output from a shortcut to value.

“Taste is a practice you can develop and strengthen. It's a reflection of who you are.”
— Rick Rubin

I shaped my design spec once so AI can scope forever.

I give it a handful of seeds: problem, context, a rough direction.

It returns structure I’d missed, questions I hadn’t asked, unexpected clarity.

A well-shaped prompt lifts the floor and raises the ceiling.

It's only a matter of time before we grow tired of AI-generated content and yearn for pre-internet, physical experiences.

Very cool. Thank you 🙏

5 rules for creating with AI without losing your voice:

1. Don’t just prompt. Curate.
2. Study what resonates. Steal the structure.
3. Fewer, sharper drafts > more noise
4. Rewatch, re-read, re-listen to what shaped you.
5. If it doesn’t feel like you, start over

The faster it gets, the less it means.

Volume and velocity are only part of the equation.

To create work that holds weight, you need direction.

You need a point of view.

That’s what taste is for.

They say AI makes you faster.

That’s not the point.

I mapped AI into the design process to see more, not move more.

It helps surface patterns, stretch edges, and clear space to listen.

Not speed, but clarity.

Creativity isn’t magic, it’s systems, inputs, and design.
I share ways to think clearly and create better, especially with AI.

Follow me for more ways to create with intention.

Lo-fi beats shine during shallow, routine work.

They reduce resistance, ease decision fatigue, and keep you gently engaged with a familiar rhythm in the background.

I use them for emails, planning, and admin resets.

Binaural beats are built for analytical deep work.

They sync your brain to beta and gamma waves, associated with focus and memory.

No melody. Just subtle pulses that help me stay immersed, when clarity matters most.

But not every session needs intensity:

Studies also show groove-based instrumentals improve emotional state, lifting mood and reducing mental fatigue.

You can’t focus when you’re tense. Or drained.

ODESZA and M83 help me reset—big sound, light touch.

But not every task benefits from rhythm:

Studies show groove-based instrumentals boost task speed by 7% and persistence without sacrificing accuracy.

No lyrics, just rhythm and flow.

For creative deep work, I listen to Tycho, Bonobo, and Jon Hopkins.

But even the best tracks fail when your mind’s heavy.

Most people default to silence or lyrical music.

But silence doesn’t guide you, and lyrics distract you.

The following soundtracks increase focus, boost mood, and ask nothing of you:

4 ways I use music to sharpen creativity, focus, and thinking.

Each is backed by science.

Here’s what to play, and when:

We used to handle every design detail ourselves, every input, every decision.

Now, we teach the process to lead machines.

I write about designing AI and human workflows for clarity, product growth, and solo execution.

Follow to stay sharp.

Curation is creative authorship.

It’s how you shape your system,

stay rooted in what matters,

and spot patterns worth keeping.

Taste isn’t decoration, it’s direction.

What your missing isn't speed.

It's your signal.

Your voice, values, and direction get buried beneath options.

The more friction AI removes,

the more clarity you have to hold yourself.

The symptoms are subtle

You scroll through draft after draft,

prompt again, hoping one finally lands.

Nothing feels broken, just… misaligned.

Eventually, you settle.

The hidden cost of ignoring taste is AI workflows:

Most people don’t notice when it happens.

The prompts get faster.

The drafts get smoother.

The friction disappears.

But so does the feeling that you made it.

This brings us to:

3 ways AI helps me design deeper, not faster

1. Sorts raw input into patterns I can act on
2. Pushes past safe ideas with unexpected prompts
3. Simulates edge cases before I test them

I still decide what stays, AI just expands my vision.

AI doesn't replace your systems.

AI enhances and amplifies your system’s effectiveness.

Without a structured workflows you have no leverage.

"Showing up" everyday doesn't necessarily mean you're making progress.

Consistency without calibration creates waste.

True leverage compounds only when consistency is paired with taste and feedback loops.

Compound Leverage = (Human Intent × AI Consistency)ⁿ

You supply the clarity and vision.

AI removes friction, maintains momentum, and documents progress.

Over time, your identity and output converge.

Manual research stacks input.

AI surfaces what matters.

Avoid piling on AI features that smother your product.

Focus on your essential engagement loops and keep them aligned with your user's natural habit cycles.

Skip unnecessary trends, layer engagement loops and keep users coming back for more.

Try mapping your own process.
Where can AI help you think deeper?

Follow me for more on how to design with AI, without losing the human.

AI doesn’t replace you.

It gives you the space to let your thoughts unfold.

AI explores the edges. You define the centre.

But only if you know when to lead and let go:

The Deliver phase is where clarity becomes output.

AI becomes The Draftsman, sketching flows, generating options, refining drafts.

I become The Conductor, setting direction, making decisions, shaping the final result.

When do you know it’s ready to ship?