Early 2026, job hunting. My portfolio needed a full refresh. I could do it the old way — or I could show exactly how a senior designer works with AI. I chose option 2.
Early 2026, I'm job hunting. My portfolio is dated — and more importantly, it doesn't reflect who I really am or what I can do anymore.
I could redo it the old-fashioned way: weeks of designing, coding, adjusting, second-guessing...
Or I could use AI as a collaborator and show how a senior product designer works with these new tools — transparently, deliberately, with full ownership of the result.
Before even opening Claude, I clarified my positioning (not Design System Manager, but designer who transforms complex products), my target (permanent position, Bordeaux/Remote), my flagship projects, and what sets me apart (facilitation, workshops, collaborative approach). AI can't do this for me — it doesn't know my background, my ambitions, what makes me tick.
With Claude, we worked on site structure (I validated), copy tone (after several iterations to make it sound like me), and case studies (AI accelerated the writing, I brought the soul). The workflow: I give the brief and context → Claude proposes a foundation → I challenge, adjust, personalise → we iterate until it feels right.
Claude generates base code. I define aesthetics and animations. Claude implements and we adjust together. What would have taken me 3–4 weeks alone? Done in 1 week. But it's not magic — you need to know what you want, know how to challenge proposals, and above all, keep your vision. The AI is fast. The vision is mine.
This is where it gets interesting. For all the acceleration, there were clear and consistent gaps.
A senior product designer in 2026 is someone who knows how to use AI to accelerate their work — but keeps their critical thinking and vision intact. Someone who brings what AI can't: empathy, facilitation, judgment.