AI isn't just changing the tools designers use. It's changing the way they think, prototype, and build. In this episode of Design Review, YC Head of Design eve joins Aaron Epstein to share the AI-first workflow she uses to design products, websites, and events. Using projects like Paxel, STATE... OF THE ART, and YC Startup School as examples, she explains how coding agents are transforming everything from rapid prototyping and branding to design systems, and why the biggest bottleneck is no longer software. It's imagination. 00:00 - Eve's AI-First Design Workflow 01:27 - Why She Designs With Her Voice 03:44 - Paxel: Spotify Wrapped for Coding Sessions 07:13 - Building Tools for Yourself 11:01 - Turning Coding Transcripts Into Feedback 12:53 - The Story Behind SOTA Zine 16:57 - Designing With Context, Not Prompts 21:07 - How to Get Better AI Design Outputs 23:20 - Building an Interactive Map of San Francisco 25:17 - Behind Startup School's Visual Identity 29:59 - The Future of Designshow more

Tune in:

Paxel: SOTA Zine: YC Startup School:

@eve_bouff @aaron_epstein this is so fun to see the behind the scenes for the creative process!! i also love the conductor + paper collab @charlieholtz @stephenhaney 🩶

@eve_bouff @aaron_epstein this was an amazing watch, really into UI/UX rn and it dropped at the perfect time :D

@eve_bouff @aaron_epstein pure gold here, thanks!! @eve_bouff

@eve_bouff @aaron_epstein The Startup School branding process would make a fascinating case study on AI-assisted design.

@eve_bouff @aaron_epstein imagination isn't the bottleneck. taste is. ai lets anyone generate a thousand screens a minute, but almost no one knows which one is actually good.

@eve_bouff @aaron_epstein Such an awesome episode!

@eve_bouff @aaron_epstein The best designers in AI are becoming product engineers. Taste still matters, but now the person with taste can also prototype the interface, test the flow and throw away bad ideas before a meeting is scheduled.

@eve_bouff @aaron_epstein 🐐

@eve_bouff @aaron_epstein Designing with voice instead of prompts is the shift that changes how products get built. The biggest bottleneck being imagination not software is accurate

@eve_bouff @aaron_epstein the "prototype" part just got a lot easier. Grok 4.5 is now free for any X account via Grok Build — no subscription needed. solid option for founders who want to test agent-based workflows before committing to paid infra

@garrytan @eve_bouff @aaron_epstein Lmao

@eve_bouff @aaron_epstein That bottleneck shift from software to imagination is real, but context quality still decides the output

@eve_bouff @aaron_epstein Love this shift. AI amplifies creativity, but imagination still drives great design, mate.

@eve_bouff @aaron_epstein The bottleneck being imagination now instead of software is such a good way to frame it 💭

@eve_bouff @aaron_epstein AI-first design changes the feedback loop more than the tool stack. The best teams will prototype faster, but also decide faster what not to build.

@eve_bouff @aaron_epstein The bottleneck being imagination is the most underrated insight here. AI removes execution friction — but creative courage, psychological safety to prototype boldly, and the EQ to collaborate well? Still 100% human. The founders who win with AI will know themselves best.

@eve_bouff @aaron_epstein the bottleneck really is imagination now