Every tool changes the distribution of capacity. It can make something easier to see, remember, coordinate, or create. It can also make the person dependent on a system they no longer understand.
My central design test is simple: after using the tool, does the person have more agency or merely more convenience?
Remove the wrong friction
Some friction is waste: repetitive administration, duplicated context, avoidable searching, and mechanical translation between systems. Removing it creates room for more meaningful work.
Other friction teaches perception and judgment. A creative tool that makes every aesthetic decision for you may produce faster output while weakening the very capacity you wanted to develop.
Remove the friction that blocks creation. Keep the friction that teaches seeing.
Visible capability
This is also why I prefer explicit tools over hidden authority. AI can interpret a request, but consequential actions should remain connected to visible capabilities, data, and human confirmation. Organizational software can surface patterns, but it should not quietly become the manager.
The best tool gives something back: clearer perception, stronger judgment, more room to act, and a better understanding of the system you are inside.