Before we build anything, the basics — what these tools actually are, how to talk to them, and which ones earn a place in your studio. No jargon, no hype, no experience needed.
Design is at an inflection point. The studios adopting AI now will pull ahead — not because AI replaces designers, but because it makes every person on your team dramatically faster at the parts that aren't the design itself.
Think of it as a brilliant, tireless junior designer who's read nearly everything ever written — but has never actually been in a room with a client. It doesn't truly think; it predicts the next best word. And it's shockingly good at it. Here's where that helps, and where your eye still has to lead.
The gap between "that's generic" and "how did it know that?" comes down to one thing: what you type in. There's a simple formula — and it's exactly how you'd brief a talented new hire.
"You are a high-end interior designer with a warm, confident voice. I just presented concepts to the Harpers for a $250K full-home renovation — a coastal-modern palette, custom millwork in the study, and a statement chandelier in the stair hall. They were most excited about the primary suite. Write a follow-up email that keeps the momentum — three short paragraphs, warm but professional."
The most powerful move isn't a better command. It's giving AI a role and letting it ask you the hard questions first. The result is a plan built around your studio, not a generic template.
"You are my blunt-but-supportive studio business coach. Walk me step by step through mapping how I take a client from first inquiry to signed proposal, comparing it to a sharper model, and designing a clear, repeatable process I can document and train my team on. Ask me questions one section at a time. Don't skip ahead. Push me with tough, practical questions."
AI will guide you through understanding how clients find you, where inquiries go cold, how you qualify the right projects, and how to turn your best instincts into a repeatable system — from first conversation to signed agreement.
Coach-prompt approach courtesy of Navot Shoresh, Spire.
We've tried dozens. These are the ones worth your time — the all-rounders first, then the specialists that quietly save hours. You'll go deep on one of them, Lovable, in Session 2.
Best for writing, long documents, and careful reasoning — proposals, briefs, and nuanced client comms. Its Cowork mode works right on your desktop; this class site was built with it.
The popular all-rounder. Great first stop for emails, brainstorming, and quick answers. Custom GPTs let you save a specialized assistant in your voice.
Lives inside Google Workspace. Perfect if your studio runs on Gmail, Docs, and Drive. Also strong at generating images.
Describe a tool in plain English and it builds a real, working web app — no code. This is what you'll use hands-on in Session 2 to build something for your own studio.
An AI that works on your desktop — reads your files, drafts documents, builds presentations, manages email. Set it up first using the guide above.
Concept imagery and mood-board starters from a text description. A jumping-off point for the conversation — never a substitute for your eye.
AI-assisted design for social posts, newsletters, and quick client-facing graphics and presentations.
Joins your calls, writes the notes, extracts action items, and syncs to your CRM. Never scramble to remember what a client asked for again.
A pocket recorder for site walkthroughs and calls. Dictate a room's whole scope on the drive home and get a clean summary. Always ask permission first.
Answers with real, cited sources — vendor research, product specs, and trends. Try its Comet browser and Computer agent; could be the next big thing.
Connects your tools with automated workflows — auto-send follow-ups, sync a new inquiry to your CRM, trigger next steps without lifting a finger.
Most designers in the room start at Level 1 or 2. That's exactly right. By the end of this class, you'll be standing on Level 3 — and you'll have touched Level 4.
You've heard about AI but haven't really tried it. That changes today.
You've used it for a few things — an email, some brainstorming, a draft or two.
AI is part of your daily rhythm. You've saved custom assistants for the tasks you repeat.
You're making your own tools and automations. AI is woven into how your studio runs.
Extend that same care to how you use AI — protect their privacy, verify what it tells you, and always keep a human eye on anything before it reaches a client.
Use paid AI accounts (Claude Pro, ChatGPT Team) that don't train on your data. When in doubt, anonymize — replace "the Harpers at 42 Oak Lane" with "a client with a $250K whole-home project." Treat AI like any vendor: you wouldn't hand a client's gate code to a contractor you just met.
One small action a day. That's the whole plan. By Day 7 you'll wonder how the studio ran without it.
Both are free to start. Create an account and ask it one real question about your studio.
Use the formula: Role + Context + Task + Format. You'll be surprised how close it gets.
Tell AI to interview you about how you win projects. Let it ask the tough questions and help you build a repeatable process.
Give AI the project details and let it write the first draft for you to shape and polish.
Start with your email voice or a proposal template. Train it once, use it forever.
Pick one: Fathom for meeting notes, Plaud for voice capture, Canva AI for social, or Perplexity for research.
Describe a tool you wish your studio had, and watch AI build it — no code. That's exactly what we do in Session 2 →
20+ years in technology before founding a design-build practice. Built 25+ AI-powered tools with zero coding experience — including this class site. Designed New England's largest Bang & Olufsen experience at the Boston Design Center.
"The studios pulling ahead aren't the most technical — they're the ones who got curious early. Today is you getting curious."
Everything in this session is something Adam's own studio uses to spec faster, write better, and free its people to do the parts that need a human. You'll see what's real, what's hype, and what's worth your time.
You've got the foundation. Now the fun part — in Session 2 you'll build a real, working tool for your own studio in Lovable, in your studio's branding, following prompts written out step by step.
Go to Session 2 →