We are entering the age of intelligence—a time when technologists imbue artificially intelligent components into many products without a clear framework for how such intelligence is delivered to users consistently. It is a product designer’s job to make AI feel human-like and magical, not overwhelming and scary to users. When designing for Artificial Intelligence scenarios, whether for a large enterprise or small start-up, setting user expectations is critical to delivering a reliable product. Emily will share some best practices for designing for AI in both large and small organizations. No matter the company size, a minimum viable product is important to design and not be the result of unplanned feature cuts. Emily will share what Minimum Viable Intelligence is for an AI product, and how designers can deliver a clear UX when solving problems efficiently.
When thinking of how to design intelligent products, first and foremost it needs to seem competent. Users must trust the AI agent or service with information and believe that it can achieve their goal. The bar for this depends on the expectations the designer sets. The most difficult thing about breaking out of scenario-focused AI is the lack of clear boundaries. Are you aspiring to create an entire conversational AI agent? Then the bar will be high. A less intelligent Bot, however, will teach users the rails of its conversation early on to avoid disappointment.
In her talk “Designing with AI” at UX Brighton 2019, Emily Sappington shares how drawing on human interaction models helps designers know what to expect when people encounter their AI product, and setting appropriate expectations when designing for AI across large and small applications. Responsiveness when users expect it is only one part of this equation. Apps that explain processes in human ways, like thinking, seeing, or reading, can benefit from showing users where they are in a process while explaining it in natural ways. Emulating true intelligence takes more than just seeming alive and being basically competent though. To surpass users’ expectations can be a delightful moment when the product seems truly and independently intelligent.
“Designing with AI” Talk
“Designing with AI” Slides
About Emily Sappington
Emily Sappington is the Product Director at Babylon Health. Previously she served as VP of Product at London-based AI startup, Context Scout.
Emily has spent the bulk of her career in the United States designing Cortana for Microsoft across devices, particularly Natural Language & UI interactions with the assistant. Emily is a lecturer, US patent-holder, and career coach for Ada School (the National College for Digital Skills in the UK), and is a recipient of an Exceptional Talent Visa from the UK Government and Tech Nation.
