What Jakob Nielsen thinks about vibe coding
Usability pioneer; co-founder of Nielsen Norman Group and founder of UX Tigers; author of the ten usability heuristics and of Jakob's Law.
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Jakob Nielsen did not write this page.
We collected these quotes from things they published elsewhere, and every quote links to where it was said. They have no account here and have not endorsed this site. Quotes are word for word; the short line under each one is our own restatement, not their wording. Their own site. Is this you? Claim it or ask us to remove it. Or tell us what is wrong here.
4 dated positions, 2025, in their own words. Our reading of what Jakob Nielsen has said — not written or endorsed by them.
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Their wordsThe new trend toward vibe coding and vibe design may be upending the user-centered design paradigm that has remained based on the same ideology since the first UX design projects at Bell Labs, starting in 1947.
↗Does User-Driven Design Still Need User-Centered Design?jakobnielsenphd.substack.com
- 6 days earlier
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Their wordsVibe coding can execute instructions, but deciding what the software should do and why is not automated. Product managers and designers must still do user research, market analysis, and creative brainstorming. In that sense, vibe coding changes the implementation phase more than the planning phase of the product lifecycle.
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Their wordsIn a vibe coding future, companies will hopefully invest more in understanding user needs, refining the interface, and polishing details that delight users, because those are harder for AI to get right without guidance.
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Their wordsEssentially, vibe coding makes it trivial to create front-end code, so designers can skip static mockups and go straight to building a UI that works.