The potter and the machine

“A computer is an educational device, it's in fact a direct reflection of your own imagination, your own intelligence. And once you're given the freedom in which to create things and see the immediate response on the screen. Then it becomes a very enjoyable experience, you go on to involve yourself in many other things.” — Unknown Computer Store Manager, 1979. This quote played in my mind as I watched Cursor, an AI powered coding tool, execute on my vision for a Mac app to accelerate my team’s work. This project proved to be the perfect test as it had great potential without the risks of turning production code over to an agent, and the experience has fundamentally changed the way I think about what it means to design a digital experience.