Strategic UX Consulting in an AI World
The rules are changing. Is your strategy keeping up?
Before building a digital product, careful UX strategy has always been the right approach. Now, AI has changed the rules and raises questions like “what AI tools should we use?” or “how do we implement AI features?“ But even more important questions come before those.
questions to answer first
Most AI implementations focus on execution. The highest-stakes questions come earlier:
- Should this be built at all? User research and market insight can reveal whether there’s genuine demand for what you’re planning (or whether you’re solving a problem people don’t have).
- What should be built? Strategy informed by user needs and business objectives produces better products than strategy driven by what’s technically possible or what competitors are doing.
Critical UX checkpoints
Once the decision to use AI is in play, how do you know AI is taking you in the right direction? AI generates solutions fast. That speed is an asset – or it can accelerate you in the wrong direction. I see this happen in two ways:
- Designers and developers use AI tools and they may accept the output without enough careful critique from a UX/UI usability point of view.
- AI features are implemented on websites or apps without regard to user understanding of their benefits or how to use them.
I help safeguard against the possible negative user or business impact resulting from poor use of AI.
Why this moment is different
UX pioneer Jakob Nielsen calls AI the first new UI paradigm in 60 years — a fundamental shift from users controlling every step to delegating outcomes to AI systems. That changes what “good UX” means and how it’s measured. Nielsen also points out that his classic usability heuristics , the bedrock of UX evaluation for decades, remain as valid as ever, but must be reinterpreted for AI-driven interfaces.
There’s another risk worth naming: the rush to adopt AI can push products and experiences far ahead of the typical user. Not everyone is equally comfortable with AI-driven interfaces, and a growing gap between what brands build and what users can actually navigate is a real threat to engagement, trust, and conversion. Evaluating how much AI is the right amount for your audience is a critical part of this work.
What I bring
My background spans UX strategy, content, web/app development, and digital marketing. AI doesn’t respect the boundaries between those disciplines and neither do the strategic questions it raises.
I’m not pro-AI or anti-AI. I help you think clearly about your users, your goals, and whether the direction you’re heading is likely to get you there. Sometimes that means embracing AI with confidence. Sometimes it means slowing down and asking harder questions before committing resources.
- Strategic Direction Review – Are user needs and business goals clearly defined? Is AI playing an appropriate role in serving them?
- Pre-Build Discovery – Defining what should be built, and why, before development starts.
- AI Design and Feature Assessment – Evaluating proposed or existing AI-assisted designs or features for usability and fit with your audience’s needs and abilities.
- UX Strategy for AI-Driven Products – Helping teams think through experience design where traditional UX assumptions no longer apply cleanly.
- Ongoing Advisory – Strategic guidance as your product or digital strategy evolves.
Let’s talk
Every organization’s situation is different. The most useful thing I can do initially is listen. If you’re navigating questions about AI’s role in your digital products or UX strategy I’d welcome the conversation.