To LLM, or Not to LLM: How Designers and Developers Navigate LLMs as Tools or Teammates
Large language models (LLMs) are increasingly integrated into design and development workflows, yet decisions about their use are rarely binary or purely technical. We report findings from a constructivist grounded theory study based on interviews with 33 designers and developers across three large technology organisations. Rather than evaluating LLMs solely by capability, participants reasoned about the role an LLM could occupy within a workflow and how that role would interact with existing structures of responsibility and organisational accountability. When LLMs were framed as tools under clear human control, their use was typically acceptable and could be integrated within existing go...
| Authors | Varad Vishwarupe, Ivan Flechais, Nigel Shadbolt et al. |
|---|---|
| Primary category | cs.HC |
| Published | 15 March 2026 |
| Last updated at source | 15 March 2026 |
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