AI UX research tools: what actually works in 2026
Not a list of 50 tools. This is what I actually use for UX research with AI after testing almost everything. Claude for analysis, ChatGPT for synthesis, Midjourney for rapid concept testing.
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Free tools and real workflows from a designer who builds with AI
I have been designing for banks for over 10 years. Now I build everything from scratch with Claude, Midjourney, and PHP. This is not theory. It is what I do every day.
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Build
Claude Code Tutorial
How I built this site without knowing PHP, using Claude as my development partner
Optimize
GEO Tarot: 22 concepts
22 technical decisions I implemented to get AI models to cite my content
Implement
llms.txt Guide
The file that tells ChatGPT who you are and why it should cite you
Generative design with code: how I built a visual identity system in PHP
Each post on my blog generates its own unique image from a content hash. No AI, no stock photos. This is how I built the complete system with PHP and GD.
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What changed in Midjourney V7 and why your old prompts no longer work the same
Midjourney V7 understands language differently. The prompts that worked in V6 now produce different results. This is what I learned migrating my workflow as a designer.
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How I measure the real impact of AI in my projects
Measuring AI ROI in UX means looking beyond time saved to iteration quality, user validation and reduced design debt.
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Security, data and prompts in financial environments
AI can be used safely in banking if prompts exclude PII and follow internal security policies and audit requirements.
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The uncomfortable conversation with legal about using AI
Using AI in fintech creates real legal risks around sensitive data, intellectual property and compliance that design teams cannot ignore.
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Models learn from those who coexist with them and that changes everything
AI models are not databases that spit out answers. They are systems trained on what humans write. The quality of what we publish today directly defines the quality of what AI will generate tomorrow. And that changes everything.
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The designer of tomorrow looks nothing like us
I have been designing interfaces for ten years. The world moved fast but in a direction you could follow. Now I no longer know which direction it is moving. And for the first time that does not scare me, it makes me curious.
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What I lost when I stopped drawing by hand
I have a Moleskine notebook in my desk drawer that I have not opened in months. It used to be the first thing I reached for when starting a project. Now I open Figma directly. I lost something along the way.
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Every prompt is a creative brief
A prompt is not a technical instruction for a machine. It is a creative brief. And designers are probably the best prepared people in the world to write good prompts because we have spent our entire careers writing good briefs.
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