Warner Wong on the role of AI in UX/UI Design
For Harness Projects mentor Warner Wong, AI isn’t here to replace designers – it’s here to remove the friction.
Warner Wong has guided numerous aspiring UX designers on our live client research projects. His fresh perspective on design has been shaped by his current role at AI start-up Relume – a company rethinking how design teams work by streamlining the early, labour-intensive stages of the process. At Relume, tasks like mapping a site, producing wireframes, or creating UX-aligned copy can be completed in minutes, allowing design teams to devote more energy to creative problem-solving and strategic decision-making.
Ar Relume, Warner has seen how ideas that once took hours to develop can emerge almost instantly, and how prototypes can move from concept to testing at unprecedented speed. It’s a collaborative setting where designers, engineers, marketers, and product managers work side-by-side, constantly refining ideas and execution. This vantage point gives Warner a clear view of how new technologies are influencing the way modern UX teams operate – and how thoughtful design practice remains central, regardless of the tools in play.
Before joining Relume, Warner was a Senior Design Researcher at Canva, designing for one of the largest creative communities in the world. His work had to resonate equally with a high school student in Jakarta, a marketing manager in Toronto, and a small business owner in rural NSW – each with their own devices, goals, and cultural contexts. The pace and scale of Canva sharpened his ability to think globally, collaborate across multiple disciplines, and deliver elegant solutions that work for millions.
Whether at a global platform like Canva or a nimble startup like Relume, Warner’s philosophy hasn’t changed: UX is one of the rare careers where you bring your whole self to the job. Warner himself began his career as an architect, and the skills he developed in spatial thinking, problem-solving, and balancing aesthetics with functionality still shape how he approaches UX today. His message is every role, skill, and life experience you’ve had before shapes how you solve design problems now. A teaching background might make you a better communicator. Time in retail could sharpen your empathy for customers. Project management experience might give you a head start in aligning stakeholders. All of it matters, and all of it can be channelled into design practice.
Preparing for the Realities of Modern UX Work
What Warner’s journey shows is how modern UX environments are evolving. From the scale of Canva to the AI-driven speed of Relume, today’s designers are working in settings where collaboration is constant, tools are changing fast, and AI is less a competitor than a partner — removing friction so humans can focus on creativity and problem-solving.
That’s the kind of environment the Harness UX/UI Design Career Launcher prepares you for. Through live client projects, you’ll learn how to operate in real-world design teams, navigate shifting priorities, and apply your skills in contexts where AI and automation are increasingly part of the workflow.
If you’d like to explore how the course could help you break into UX, the next step is simple: Book a call with our team to discuss your journey.
