This article showcases how integrating AI at every project phase transformed our delivery process, achieving a nearly 60% faster completion. It details AI’s role from strategy to final deployment, enhancing efficiency without sacrificing quality, and highlights key lessons learned to inform future AI-driven workflows.
- AI-Driven Strategy and Execution: Discover how AI tools optimized workshops, contract reviews, and project management, aligning our team and keeping everything on track.
- Faster Design and Development: Learn how AI in Adobe and Figma streamlined visual creation, code generation, and customization, saving time and maintaining high standards.
- Enhanced Client Satisfaction: See how AI-enabled rapid turnarounds and consistent quality deliver a seamless experience that exceeds client expectations.
- Key Takeaways for Future Projects: Explore lessons learned on AI’s role in reducing timelines, maintaining quality, and creating a blueprint for ethical and efficient AI use in project management.
Everyone is talking about AI these days, but here’s a case study of how we used it to transform a project—from strategy to final deployment.
This wasn’t an experiment; it was a deliberate approach to streamline workflows, cut down time, and boost client satisfaction. And it paid off.
With AI by our side, we wrapped up the project nearly 60% faster than usual, handed over a high-quality final product, and gained some valuable insights.
Here’s how we put AI to work, what it did for us, and why it matters.
Project Strategy – From Kick-off to Contract
Every project starts with strategy. Typically, this means workshops, goal-setting, and countless hours spent aligning everyone’s vision. With AI tools integrated into Miro, our go-to for workshops and tracking, we organised insights in real time. AI spotted patterns in feedback that would usually take hours to find, immediately pointing us toward a clear direction without the usual scramble afterwards.
Then came the contract phase.
Instead of the usual drawn-out process, we used our custom GPT “UXContractAI” to quickly scan the contract and Statement of Work (SOW) drafts, flag any ambiguities and suggest standard clauses to keep everything clear and streamlined.
What normally took a day or two to finalise was done in an hour. We ended up with a solid, precise contract that set the foundation for a smooth project, and everyone was aligned from day one.
AI also stepped in as our project manager. We created a custom GPT to track tasks, send updates, flagging issues—AI took on these repetitive but essential tasks with ease.
By using historical data, AI even suggested realistic timelines, keeping us one step ahead without us having to micromanage every detail. The team stayed aligned and organised, and nothing fell through the cracks.
Research, Analysis, and Ideation – From User Insights to Innovative Ideas
Once contracts were signed, it was time to dive into research.
Normally, studying user data is a time-consuming process, but AI changed the game. It swiftly analysed competitor and user data, delivering insights into behaviours, preferences, and pain points we could prioritise. Instead of days spent sifting through endless data, we had a clear view of the user journey and knew exactly where to focus—all in a fraction of the usual time.
With research wrapped, we moved to ideation.
With Miro, RelumeAI and Figma, we had initial frameworks and rough wireframes ready within minutes. This gave us a running start, allowing our team to jump in with creative ideas without bogging down in basic groundwork. AI got the heavy lifting out of the way, and we could focus on bringing unique, high-impact ideas to the table.
Design and Development – Creating, Coding, and Customizing
Design and development are typically the longest, most resource-intensive stages. From visuals to coding, every task demands precision, rounds of edits, and in-depth Quality Assurance (QA) and User Acceptance Testing (UAT). But with AI, these time-consuming steps became more streamlined and efficient.
For design, we leaned on AI tools in Figma and Adobe’s Creative Suite (Photoshop and Illustrator) to create, optimise, and refine both vector and raster visuals.
Instead of manually creating icons and vector clip art, AI has allowed us to process these steps almost instantaneously. What typically took days can now be accomplished in minutes, letting us turn around high-quality visuals at record speed without sacrificing attention to detail or creative control. For example, creating a range of assets to support the editorial screen, cutting up and touching up images, or reworking colours and layouts based on feedback is now faster and easier, keeping the client’s brand consistent and polished throughout.
The development phase saw similar gains. We needed custom code for additional CMS functionality, typically a task that involves rounds of testing and troubleshooting. Instead, generative AI helped us generate, test, and refine code in about two hours—a process that usually would have stretched over a full day or more. By handling repetitive technical tasks, AI freed our developers to focus on enhancing the user experience and overall functionality.
And, like any project, we had a few hurdles.
The client delayed providing the final text for a screen, so we used another custom GPT to draft a temporary, SEO-optimized, and brand-aligned version of the copy in order to keep us moving forward. The client was not only impressed by the speed but also the quality of the draft copy.
At one point, we needed a short video created from the client’s original copy. Instead of spending hours on traditional video editing, we used AI to generate a polished video, which passed client reviews on the first go. Although the client ultimately decided not to include videos in the final delivery, using AI saved us significant time and prevented any wasted effort on edits and revisions.
Lessons Learned
This project showed us just how transformative AI can be—not only for streamlining our workflow but for enhancing quality and client satisfaction. Here’s what we learned:
- AI handles the essentials: From contract reviews to drafting content, AI took care of the basics, giving us more time to focus on creative and strategic work. This shift allowed us to add real value to the project and our client’s experience.
- AI as a partner, not a replacement: While AI-generated content and code helped us move faster, they still needed human refinement to capture the nuance and originality that define a project. The synergy between AI’s efficiency and human creativity is where the magic happens.
- Comparison with Traditional Workflow: Without AI, contract reviews, data analysis, and rounds of edits would have dragged this project out over weeks. Traditionally, the strategy phase alone could take days to finalise.
In contrast, AI turned days into hours in the contract phase, provided rapid analysis of user data, and accelerated both design and development. All told, AI helped us deliver the project in about 60% faster than usual—without cutting corners on quality. - Efficiency without sacrificing quality: Our AI-driven approach didn’t just save time; it allowed us to maintain and even enhance the quality of our deliverables. This consistency is setting a new standard for our projects, proving that speed doesn’t have to compromise quality.
- Client satisfaction reaches new heights: Faster delivery, streamlined communication, and consistently high-quality work have significantly improved client experiences. This enhanced satisfaction strengthens client relationships and is increasing repeat business.
- Continuous learning and adaptation: As AI tools evolve, our team remains committed to learning and experimenting. This culture of innovation is positioning us as industry leaders and attracting top talent eager to work with cutting-edge technology.
- Ethical considerations at the forefront: We’re actively developing guidelines for ethical AI use in project management, addressing data privacy concerns, and ensuring responsible AI applications.
Client Feedback
The client’s response?
“The process was incredibly seamless, and the end product exceeded our expectations. It’s exciting to see how much faster and smoother things can go with a technology-forward approach.”
Their reaction highlighted the value of an AI-driven workflow and its positive impact on their experience as much as ours.
Looking Ahead – The Future of AI in Projects
Reflecting on this project, it’s clear that AI is here to stay and only getting better.
From more precise analytics to faster content generation, AI’s possibilities are expanding. It’s no longer a question of if we should use AI but how we can use it to work smarter.
Human creativity is still the wellspring of great work. Technology only becomes powerful when it serves our ideas and insights.
This project wasn’t just about meeting deadlines; it was about pushing the boundaries of what’s possible. For organisations and clients wanting to stay competitive, AI isn’t just a tool—it’s an ally that, when used well, lets us achieve more than we thought possible.
