A small change in how I use prototypes as a product designer

I’ve been using prototypes a little differently since I started building more with AI.

For internal reviews, I still find simple prototypes useful. They help the team understand the overall flow and discuss whether we’re looking at the same problem.

But when I want to explore how an idea actually works, I often go straight to building a working version with AI.

The interesting part is that I’m not necessarily trying to skip the design process.

I’m using different methods to answer different questions.

A simple prototype helps me communicate an idea. A working version helps me explore how that idea behaves.

I think that distinction has become more useful to me than deciding whether Figma or AI is the better tool.

I’m curious whether other designers building with AI have started separating these two purposes as well.