Google Omni and Product Design changes

Refocusing this blog

For the last few weeks I've been wondering what to write about. It's not that I have nothing to say, but rather that the things I want to say don't quite match how I want to say them. A recent episode of Common Sense has re-inspired me.

That's not to say that I'm going to turn this into a political blog (I might start another one at some point though to go along with my religious one) but rather that I shouldn't let perfect overtake good.

I've had several long drafts in the last week that I've set aside, mainly because I felt they didn't quite work.

In the way I like to write I prefer a single session, get through all my thoughts, and ship. When I have to come back later I find it far less interesting.

With that preamble out of the way I want to try something, inspired by my friend Saadia. I want to see if turning this blog into a topic will be inspiring enough for others, and if it will be the type of writing that a version of me (thanks to Gruber for the inspiration) would like to read.

So, to put my stake in the ground, this blog will be about product design and how it's shifting and shaping in the world of AI.

I've written a lot of posts about it over the years, but hadn't decided if that was the main focus I'd touch on. Well now I have.

There's many great authors out there writing on topics I love and appreciate following. But I haven't found one that is specifically touching on product design in a way I'd like to read. So, my attempt here will be to put out into the world what I wish someone else was doing.

That doesn't mean I'll be exclusive to this topic, but it will be the center piece.

Google Omni and its relation to product design

With that out of the way, I want to share some insights on Google Omni, which was announced yesterday at Google I/O.

Yes, they announced a bunch of things at this event, as is the way of Google. But I haven't been able to get to all of them yet. Next on my list will be Antigravity 2.0 and seeing if there's any noticeable improvements to Stitch as a design tool.

And, while Google Omni isn't product design related, it's adjacent enough that I think it warrants attention.^Product

First of all, if you're just reading along and wondering what that is—Omni is a new tool from Google that generates video. Think of it like Nano Banana or ChatGPT Images, but for video.^Omni

Just last week I was attempting to create a video for our church; a sort of 30 second bumper ahead of the sermon. I tried the best tools available, and the entire attempt fell on its face. Several hours in I reached out to my friend on the worship team, and told her the whole endeavor was a no go.

But then, with the release of Omni, I decided to try again.

The results are good.

I worked with Claude and Gemini to create a series of 6-8 second video prompts, adding up to a ~30 second video, and then put those into Omni one at a time.^Reference

Once it gave me results I liked, I downloaded CapCut and strung it all together, along with some music that Claude generated for me.^CapCut

The final product is a passing grade in my book. It's not amazing, not fantastic, but it's a good start.

And much like my work in product design that I talked about on Async today, where I'm working as an editor and creative director, I can see this future coming for video. Where I'll be able to have direct input on the quality and direction of the output.

Now, I'm not a video editor. I've strung together quite a few videos over the years, and worked with great editors to build videos, but I'd say my skillset is still somewhere around novice. As a result my taste is basic as well. I don't know all the tricks, all the insights, and what's required to grab great results out of these tools.

But, as things like Omni improve, I imagine that great editors will be able to use these. Much like I've been able to turn my attention to Claude Code for product design, I see a similar shift for folks who do video, being able to get what they need out of AI tools.

AI tools for Product design are still growing up. They're just past the beginner stages, and advancing toward useful. In the hands of a great designer they're genuinely amazing and I'm learning more each day.

Video isn't there yet. But for someone who is not an expert in the field, I'm now able to create something I couldn't have imagined before.

And that has me excited.

1. Omni - And boy I wish Google would get their act together when it comes to products. Just getting into Omni is a freaking nightmare. They have a million services that all compete with each other. Maybe that's built in and why they keep succeeding, but they sure don't make it easy.
2. Product - I have an interest in video for a lot of reasons, not least of which is because my day job involves working at a company that helps distribute video products. Understanding these tools and using them is important for any product designer who sees themselves as part of multimedia as an industry.
3. Reference - I also generated a reference photo in Nano Banana, which I used for every prompt. It seems to be Omni's way of keeping a consistent look and feel across all the videos; pretty clever.
4. CapCut - Also, I don't know if I'm just getting old. But when did products get so bloated? CapCut is a great idea hamstrung by a shoddy implementation. The whole process of trying to download it, get past all the freemium crap, and use it, made the actual product a nightmare to use. I'll probably keep going with it for now, but the moment I find something better I'm out.