MCP (Model Context Protocol)
AI & Emerging Tech
An open standard for connecting AI models to tools and data.
In practice
The Model Context Protocol is a shared way for an AI application to plug into external systems — files, databases, design tools, services — so a model can read from them and act on them without a bespoke integration for each. For designers it matters because it is the plumbing that lets an assistant open your Figma file or query your CMS.
Questions
What is MCP (Model Context Protocol)?
MCP is a protocol that lets AI models connect to tools and data sources through one common interface, instead of a custom bridge for every pairing.
Why do you use MCP (Model Context Protocol)?
Integrations were the bottleneck. A standard means a tool built once works with many assistants, and an assistant gets many tools for free.
How do you use/apply MCP (Model Context Protocol)?
A tool exposes an MCP server describing what it can do; an AI client connects and the model can call those capabilities as part of doing a task.
When do you use MCP (Model Context Protocol)?
When an AI needs to work with real systems — your files, your data, your software — rather than answer from general knowledge.
Who uses MCP (Model Context Protocol)?
Engineers building AI tooling, and designers whose products are becoming things an assistant can operate.
