Episode Player

How AI is Transforming UX and Agile Teams with Nick Cawthon

Definitely, Maybe Agile

Chapters
0:04
Meet Nick and today’s focus
1:10
UX inside agile teams
2:39
Building fast feedback loops
4:20
Balancing short and long cycles
5:39
Systems, patterns, and reuse
5:39
Common early UX pitfalls
7:00
Entering a new team well
8:03
Learning the stack to design right
9:35
Why UX is now embedded
10:47
Generative tools blur roles
12:14
Real impact vs vendor hype
13:08
Prototyping with real components
14:47
Designers starting from code
15:53
Coherence, guardrails, and oversight
16:31
Experience over feature lists
18:33
From patterns to true experiences
20:12
Code-native design beats mockups
22:55
Team size, skills, and clarity
26:04
Three takeaways and closing
Definitely, Maybe Agile
How AI is Transforming UX and Agile Teams with Nick Cawthon
Oct 09, 2025 Season 3 Episode 194
Peter Maddison and Dave Sharrock

In this episode, hosts Peter Maddison and Dave Sharrock sit down with Nick Cawthon to explore how generative AI is revolutionizing the relationship between UX, design, and agile development.

Key Topics:

  • Embedding UX research into agile sprints, balancing short-term feedback loops with long-term strategic insights
  • The "electric bicycle" analogy: How AI gives teams superpowers but can also accelerate you in the wrong direction
  • Why Nick believes he'll never use Figma again, shifting from design tools to code-native prototyping
  • Building functional prototypes using company design systems and generative AI tools
  • The evolution of team size: From 6-8 person cross-functional teams to powerful 2-3 person teams leveraging AI
  • The architect's mindset: Understanding the technical foundation before designing the interface

Three Key Takeaways:

  1. What an incredible opportunity we have; it feels like the year 2000 again, with the excitement and disruption ahead
  2. Small teams (2-3 people) with diverse perspectives can now move incredibly fast using modern tools
  3.  Speed is powerful, but you still need feedback loops to ensure you're building the right thing and not racing in the wrong direction

Connect with us: Website: https://definitelymaybeagile.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/definitely-maybe-agile-podcast Email: feedback@definitelymaybeagile.com