5 misconceptions about PMs wireframing with AI

"Stay in your lane" is oft-heard advice. Focus on what you do best if you want to deliver the most value. But today's AI tools are making it easier for everyone to do a little bit of everything in product development — write, plan, design, code. The line between lanes is fading. How should you adapt?

With powerful AI tools available to you, it is time to form new habits in addition to optimizing the old ones.

Anyone can now draft feature specs, generate functional prototypes, or even build simple software with a few instructions. It is exciting to learn and experiment — though it can feel unsettling at times.

Role boundaries are blurring. Some worry that colleagues who are more AI-savvy could take on parts of their responsibilities, even if the quality is lower. This strains relationships that might already be tense — including between product management and UX. Murkier ownership only heightens the competition for influence over roadmap decisions.

If this sounds familiar, you might be tempted to get territorial by hoarding your knowledge and protecting your work. But that mindset is out of step with where we are headed.

AI should reinforce the overlap between product management and UX — as a partner to both, not a substitute for either.

Wireframing is a good example. Many PMs have avoided it in the past, seeing it as outside their role or too time-consuming to learn. But AI has made it approachable. You can describe a user flow and get a first-pass wireframe instantly. This does not replace design experience — it makes your thinking visible earlier.

An AI-generated wireframe can expose gaps in logic, spark better questions, and give UX a clearer starting point. It is especially useful in the planning phase when concepts are still forming.

Some people will push back on that. You can find plenty of loud opinions online (or maybe even in your organization) asserting that wireframing is a waste of product management's time — even with AI.

But those objections miss what many teams already see: A quick AI sketch can prevent weeks of misunderstanding later.

So let's clear up a few misconceptions:

'Wireframes are a design deliverable.'

A better way to think: AI wireframes can be thinking tools, too.

You can try a quick AI wireframe to work through ideas before UX reviews. Describe the user flow, generate a simple layout, and see if the concept holds together. This can reveal assumptions that you might miss when writing requirements. And you can even ask AI to help you spot them.

'You still need design expertise to make AI wireframes.'

A better way to think: AI wireframes are for intent and working out experiences, not aesthetics.

Wireframes are unpolished on purpose, meant for showing key states and flows. AI is great (and quickly improving) at creating lo-fi layouts like this. And you do not need design knowledge or special tools to prompt it — a simple whiteboard and clear instructions are enough.

'Product managers should stick to requirements — not visuals.'

A better way to think: Most stakeholders respond faster to visuals, so why not add one?

An AI wireframe takes minutes to digest. This is often easier than trying to imagine what features might look like from text‑heavy specs or annotated screenshots. And for designers, an early visual offers sharper feedback in the "language" they prefer.

'More people making wireframes will slow things down.'

A better way to think: Early input reduces rework.

The process change can cause delays at first. But the point is to reduce misunderstandings and rework later. When product managers take a quick first pass at wireframing, it gives UX clearer direction — so the next design round is more likely to get an approval than a "that's not what I meant."

'AI wireframes will bias the design direction.'

A better way to think: Every team has biases. AI wireframes help surface them earlier so you can resolve things together.

Some worry AI-generated wireframes trade quality for speed — that PMs will rush early design concepts without UX's input. But real quality still comes from collaboration and iteration. Frame these visuals as discussion starters (and not directives) to give your UX team a chance to challenge your ideas.

AI wireframes make product concepts clearer with minimal effort — giving UX a stronger starting point to design better solutions.

By the way, you can create your own AI-powered wireframes in Aha! software. Use text prompts or screenshots to show how new functionality should work — then watch the AI assistant lay it out for you.

Ready to try it? Open a whiteboard, click the sparkle icon, describe your idea or feature, and ask AI to draft your first wireframe. In minutes, you can create something you feel confident handing to the team.

Discover the new Aha! AI assistant —> it will change how you build products.