· 1 min read

How AI Will Transform Product Design: Lessons from the Jevons Paradox

How AI Will Transform Product Design: Lessons from the Jevons Paradox

In the 19th century, economist William Stanley Jevons observed a counterintuitive phenomenon: when something becomes more efficient, we don't use less of it—we find new ways to use even more of it. This idea, known as the Jevons Paradox, continues to shape technology today. Computing power demonstrates this perfectly. As processors became cheaper, demand exploded beyond basic calculations into entirely new territories like computer graphics and video games. When internet speeds increased, users didn't just load web pages faster – they started streaming high-definition video and joining virtual conferences.

This pattern holds important lessons for AI's role in product design. Right now, design is often a bottleneck in product development. Teams frequently face a difficult choice between shipping quickly or creating polished experiences. It's a challenging trade-off that affects product quality and user satisfaction.

But making design 10 times more efficient won't reduce design work. Instead, it will open up exciting new possibilities:

Design will become a key part of product discovery. Instead of vague ideas sitting in a backlog, teams can quickly turn them into clear, testable user journeys.

Products will expand beyond just websites. Teams will be able to design seamlessly for web, mobile, watches, AR/VR, and chat interfaces all at once.

Teams can optimize entire user journeys, not just individual screens. Instead of focusing only on the most urgent parts of an app, the whole experience can be perfected.

Design exploration will multiply. Rather than settling for the first good-enough design, teams can try dozens of different approaches to find the best one.

Accessibility will become built-in, not an afterthought. Making products work well for everyone will be the starting point, not just a compliance checkbox.

At Chordio, this future is already taking shape. The goal isn't just to speed up design work – it's to create a world where every product idea can get the design attention it deserves.

The more efficient design becomes, the more opportunities emerge to use it. And that's going to make products better for everyone.