When we first asked ChatGPT about web design in January 2023, the technology was still relatively new to the public. It could answer questions, write basic content and produce snippets of code, but its practical role in professional web design was limited.
A great deal has changed since then. ChatGPT can now work with text, images, files, data and code, with exact capabilities depending on the version and features available. Web designers can use it to explore ideas, organise information and speed up certain tasks.
We decided to revisit some of our original questions to see what ChatGPT says about web design in 2026, where it can genuinely help and why human experience still matters.
Jump To:
- What Is ChatGPT?
- What Makes a Good Website?
- How Can ChatGPT Help With Web Design?
- Can ChatGPT Build a Complete Website?
- Will AI Replace Web Designers?
- What Are ChatGPT’s Limitations?
- What Has Changed Since 2023?
- Using AI Alongside Professional Web Design
What Is ChatGPT?
ChatGPT is an artificial intelligence tool developed by OpenAI. It responds to written or spoken instructions and can help with tasks such as drafting text, explaining information, reviewing documents, analysing data and writing code.
It is important to clarify that ChatGPT is an OpenAI product, rather than a Microsoft chatbot. Microsoft has worked closely with OpenAI and incorporated related technology into some of its products, which may explain the occasional confusion.
ChatGPT has developed considerably since its public launch in 2022. Depending on the tools available, it may be able to interpret images, review uploaded files, search for current information and assist with more involved projects.
However, it does not think, feel or hold personal opinions in the way a person does. Its responses are generated from patterns, context and the information available to it.
What Does ChatGPT Say Makes a Good Website?
We asked: “What makes a good business website in 2026?”
The answer focused on many of the same principles a professional designer would consider. A good website should be clear, easy to navigate, accessible on different devices and designed around what its visitors need to accomplish.
That means helping people quickly understand:
- What the business provides
- Who its products or services are intended for
- Why a potential customer should trust it
- How to enquire, buy, book or take the next step
Visual appearance matters, but attractive design alone is not enough. A website also needs sensible page structures, useful content, reliable functionality and good performance across mobiles, tablets and desktop computers.
These principles are reflected in our approach to professional web design, where design decisions are shaped around the business, its customers and the purpose of the website.
How Can ChatGPT Help With Web Design?
ChatGPT can support web designers in several practical ways. Used carefully, it can reduce the time spent on early research, repetitive work and initial drafts.
Planning Website Content
Before writing a page, ChatGPT can help organise information into a sensible structure. For example, it could suggest questions a service page should answer or turn a collection of unstructured notes into a starting outline.
This does not mean the finished copy should be generated and published without review. The wording still needs to reflect the business accurately, sound natural and provide information that customers will find genuinely helpful.
Exploring Early Ideas
AI can provide prompts for page layouts, navigation structures, calls to action and content sections. This can be useful during the early stages of a project when several possible approaches are being considered.
The suggestions are starting points rather than finished creative decisions. Without a detailed understanding of the client, audience and project goals, AI-generated ideas can easily become generic.
Explaining And Reviewing Code
ChatGPT can explain sections of HTML, CSS, JavaScript and other programming languages. It can also suggest possible causes of an error or produce a starting point for a particular feature.
Generated code still needs to be understood, tested and reviewed before it is added to a live website. A convincing-looking answer can contain mistakes, create security problems or interfere with other parts of the site.
Reviewing Existing Pages
When given suitable information, ChatGPT can help identify repeated content, unclear explanations or gaps in a page. It may also suggest frequently asked questions based on the subject being discussed.
Our separate guide to how ChatGPT can help web designers explores more of these everyday applications.
Can ChatGPT Build a Complete Website?
AI tools can generate layouts, write code and create draft content. Some platforms can also assemble simple websites from a written description. That does not necessarily mean the result is ready to represent a real business.
A professional website project involves decisions that extend beyond producing a set of pages. These may include:
- Understanding the business and its customers
- Planning navigation and user journeys
- Applying the brand consistently
- Prioritising information and calls to action
- Checking performance across different devices
- Testing forms, integrations and interactive features
- Considering accessibility, privacy and security
- Maintaining and improving the website after launch
AI can contribute to parts of this process, but it cannot automatically guarantee that the finished website is accurate, accessible, secure or appropriate for its audience.
Will AI Replace Web Designers?
We asked: “Will AI replace professional web designers?”
The sensible answer is more nuanced than a simple yes or no. AI is already changing how some design and development tasks are completed. It can make certain stages faster and allow designers to explore more possibilities in less time.
However, professional web design also depends on judgement, communication and accountability. A designer must understand what a client is trying to achieve, ask the right questions and make decisions when different priorities conflict.
Business owners do not usually need someone who can simply produce a page. They need somebody who can decide what the page should contain, how it should work and how it fits into the wider website.
The role of a web designer is therefore likely to evolve alongside AI. Designers who use suitable tools responsibly may work more efficiently, but the need for human direction, testing and decision-making remains.
What Are ChatGPT’s Limitations?
ChatGPT can produce confident and well-written answers that are incomplete or incorrect. Any important factual, technical, legal or commercial information should therefore be checked before it is used.
It Does Not Automatically Understand Your Business
An AI tool only knows the context it has been given. It will not automatically understand a company’s customers, internal processes, brand personality or commercial priorities.
Its Output Can Be Generic
If a request is broad, the response is likely to contain familiar phrases and predictable suggestions. Publishing this material without careful editing can leave a website sounding similar to many others.
Code Still Requires Testing
Generated code may look plausible while containing errors, outdated methods or security weaknesses. It should be treated as a draft and checked by somebody who understands how it works.
Accessibility Cannot Be Assumed
AI can suggest alternative text, colour improvements and accessibility checks, but automated advice is not a substitute for proper testing. Context matters, and not every suggestion will be suitable for the page or its users.
Confidential Information Requires Care
Businesses should consider privacy, contractual responsibilities and the settings of the AI service before uploading client information, personal data, unpublished material or confidential code. Sensitive information should not be entered without understanding how it will be handled.
What Has Changed Since Our Original Test?
In 2023, our experiment mainly involved asking ChatGPT questions and testing whether it could produce a simple piece of code. In 2026, the range of possible tasks is much broader.
AI can now play a useful supporting role throughout a website project, from organising an initial brief to reviewing content and helping investigate development problems. Its greater capabilities also make careful human review more important. The more work a tool can produce, the more material there is to check.
The biggest lesson is that AI works best as an assistant. It can help an experienced person reach a result more efficiently, but it does not remove the need to understand the problem or take responsibility for the finished work.
Using AI Alongside Professional Web Design
ChatGPT and similar tools can be genuinely useful when they are given clear instructions and used for suitable tasks. They can help generate ideas, organise information and speed up early drafts, giving designers more time to concentrate on strategy, usability and the details that make a website feel specific to its business.
If you are planning a new website, AI can help you prepare your ideas, but professional guidance can turn those ideas into something reliable, distinctive and useful to your customers. Contact Athena Media to discuss your website and the results you would like it to deliver.
