Designing AI interfaces that users can actually operate
Generative UI should not replace every response. It earns its place when the answer needs structure, controls, or progression that plain text cannot deliver efficiently.
Use text when the task is interpretive
Explanations, summaries, and recommendations often work best as text. A UI surface becomes useful when the next step is interaction rather than reading alone.
Use generative UI when the user needs structure
Dashboards, planning canvases, forms, approval flows, and scenario comparisons benefit from explicit layout. The interface lets the user inspect, adjust, and act without translating prose back into work.
Keep the mental model stable
A professional product should not feel like a new paradigm every time the model chooses a different output shape. The surrounding chrome, action patterns, and trust cues need to remain familiar even when the content itself is generated.
Design for refinement, not just reveal
The best AI interfaces treat the first render as a starting point. Users should be able to revise the assumptions, preserve the result, or push the surface into the host workflow without losing context.