Who is Json?
By Steven Bedford on 30th June 2026
What does "vibe coding" mean for modern web design?
Fundamentally there is still a requirement to understand code to be ready for production. If you are building an app, the Apple store and the Android store will reject apps that are built by AI, then it will require some input from a human to get the app to a standard to launch.
How does AI measure success? As a developer we measure site performance, accessibility and maintain best practice set by users of websites over time and researched by our peers. Does AI do this after each build and report you? Does it just think it knows best practice? Will it define it? If not will it output anything and if there is no push back from the vibe coder, does that make it successful? If so, we are going to see a much worse internet, full of janky, slow and bland websites, with no-one to push back on it.
It will be harder for companies/agencies to maintain apps and websites with a new generation of vibe coders because of the inevitable movement of staff between companies. If you have ever worked with someone developing a website, you know how difficult it is to work with someone else's code. This will now be amplified because of the lack of understanding of code by a new generation of vibe coders. Inevitably what will happen is whenever there is a change in employment, there will be massive changes to the codebase of the project they have inherited, just so the person can understand what they are working on. Brands will lose recognition and loyalty as their website will be in constant fluctuation, in a way that is not part of a strategic plan.
How does vibing code compare to other website development platforms?
One of my main issues with AI vibe coded websites, is that it is trying to solve a problem that has been fixed for some time; people want to launch a website cheaply and quickly. For years anyone could start a website using a SaaS platform such as Webflow, WIX or Squarespace and purchase a template or even get one for free. This would allow you to market your company or sell your products and get it ready to launch to your customers in a very quick timeframe.
What these both lack is the creative thinking to take your site from a boring sales first experience that gets no engagement to a website that creates connection with your audience. They also have the same issue of looking like a template and don't make your brand stand out.
Being beige in a world of colour
AI models are generated by hoovering up as much information as possible and then output the average of all those things. Marketing is the exact opposite of that, you want to stand out and keep away from being average and just another company in the mix.
The output of AI marketing is like going into a room full of people wearing red, blue and purple t-shirts, then AI telling you to wear purple. A good marketing company would tell you to wear a green t-shirt and stand out from the crowd.
One of the push backs I often get is that AI can “make the dull jobs easier for you”. To me there is merit in doing the “dull” jobs, as this can often lead to a eureka moment or allows you to have a deeper understanding of how your client operates. Just like in other arts and crafts there should be more emphasis on the process rather than just focusing on the output.
The Enshitification model
One of the major factors in choices we make for our clients is to make sure our solutions are scalable. Most companies at the moment are subsidizing their generative AI platforms to get you hooked on their system. This is the classic pricing model seen by many companies in Silicon Valley, mainly Uber and Netflix. Losing money on these platforms is not sustainable, and at some point the company has to raise its prices. This is baked into the current pricing model of these AI platforms, so be prepared for the price hike when you are reliant on them.
Final Thoughts
Is this just the ramblings of a millennial stuck in his ways? Or someone who can’t keep up the pace of change? Will I personally be overtaken by a new breed of developer that embraces AI? This is what social media and AI companies want you to believe, but in my opinion AI can never replace the function of marketing. A system designed to find the middle ground, to never stick its nose out and to never challenge, will not be the future of marketing. Good marketing is a human connection, something that algorithms can not recreate.
