Jan 13, 2026

Designing With AI vs Designing AI Experiences

Most AI content for designers is lately focusing on AI assisted UX workflows. This article highlights a different design space: designing AI powered applications and agents, and shares resources for designers exploring this area.

Where Most AI Design Content Is Today

Use AI tools to design (what you were always designing) FASTER!


AI as a workflow accelerator

Most AI content for designers is lately focusing on AI assisted UX workflows. Faster research synthesis, quicker wireframes, improved content generation, and automation of repetitive tasks.


In these cases, the nature of UX work stays largely the same. Designers continue solving familiar problems, but with more efficient tools.


This kind of upskilling matters. It improves speed and is quickly becoming expected across teams.

Another Design Space Worth Attention

Some AI work changes the product itself, not just the way designers work - Designing AI powered applications and agents

There is another area that receives far less attention: designing AI powered applications and agents. This is not about where AI lives, whether in a standalone product or embedded inside an existing one. It is about what is being designed.


When AI behavior becomes part of the product, designers are shaping how systems respond, adapt, and act, not just how interfaces look or flow.

What Changes in These Products

AI as a core system introduces new design questions - New interaction challenges

When AI is central to the experience, several things change.


Outcomes are generated rather than predefined.
Interfaces adapt based on context, intent, and confidence.
Users interact with systems that can reason, decide, and act.


Design focus shifts toward trust, explainability, control, feedback, and recovery. These challenges are different from traditional UX patterns and require new judgment and frameworks.

Resources: Design AI Exp. and Agents

Material that focuses on designing AI driven products, not just using AI tools - Books and deep reads

UX for AI: A Framework for Designing AI Driven Products
A framework for researching, designing, and validating products where AI behavior directly shapes the user experience.

Applied UX Design for Artificial Intelligence
A practical guide to designing human centered AI systems with close collaboration between UX, product, and data science.


Designing User Interfaces for Agentic AI
An introduction to designing interfaces for AI systems that reason and act on behalf of users.

Guidelines and Articles

Practical guidance from teams designing AI products - Design principles in practice

Microsoft Design: UX design for agents
Guidance on shaping autonomy, behavior, and trust in AI agents.


UX Design Institute: Designing experiences for AI agents
How designers should think about interaction, feedback, and control for agents.


Generative UI by Nielsen Norman Group
An overview of interfaces generated dynamically by AI based on intent and context.


Microsoft UX guidance for generative AI applications
Product guidance for designing copilot and generative AI experiences.

Courses

Structured learning for designers moving deeper into AI driven products - Formal learning paths

Stanford Online: UI and UX Design for AI Products
A course focused on designing experiences where AI capabilities are central to product behavior.

Closing Thought

An expanding design responsibility

Using AI to assist UX work improves speed and efficiency.


Designing AI powered applications and agents introduces a different set of design problems altogether.


As AI becomes more embedded in products, this space will increasingly define where design thinking creates long term value.

More Works

FAQ

01

What kind of projects have you worked on?

02

How do you usually collaborate on projects?

03

Do you take freelance or consulting projects?

04

What tools do you use?

05

How do you approach new projects?

06

Can you help set up a design system?

07

How can I get in touch?

Jan 13, 2026

Designing With AI vs Designing AI Experiences

Most AI content for designers is lately focusing on AI assisted UX workflows. This article highlights a different design space: designing AI powered applications and agents, and shares resources for designers exploring this area.

Where Most AI Design Content Is Today

Use AI tools to design (what you were always designing) FASTER!


AI as a workflow accelerator

Most AI content for designers is lately focusing on AI assisted UX workflows. Faster research synthesis, quicker wireframes, improved content generation, and automation of repetitive tasks.


In these cases, the nature of UX work stays largely the same. Designers continue solving familiar problems, but with more efficient tools.


This kind of upskilling matters. It improves speed and is quickly becoming expected across teams.

Another Design Space Worth Attention

Some AI work changes the product itself, not just the way designers work - Designing AI powered applications and agents

There is another area that receives far less attention: designing AI powered applications and agents. This is not about where AI lives, whether in a standalone product or embedded inside an existing one. It is about what is being designed.


When AI behavior becomes part of the product, designers are shaping how systems respond, adapt, and act, not just how interfaces look or flow.

What Changes in These Products

AI as a core system introduces new design questions - New interaction challenges

When AI is central to the experience, several things change.


Outcomes are generated rather than predefined.
Interfaces adapt based on context, intent, and confidence.
Users interact with systems that can reason, decide, and act.


Design focus shifts toward trust, explainability, control, feedback, and recovery. These challenges are different from traditional UX patterns and require new judgment and frameworks.

Resources: Design AI Exp. and Agents

Material that focuses on designing AI driven products, not just using AI tools - Books and deep reads

UX for AI: A Framework for Designing AI Driven Products
A framework for researching, designing, and validating products where AI behavior directly shapes the user experience.

Applied UX Design for Artificial Intelligence
A practical guide to designing human centered AI systems with close collaboration between UX, product, and data science.


Designing User Interfaces for Agentic AI
An introduction to designing interfaces for AI systems that reason and act on behalf of users.

Guidelines and Articles

Practical guidance from teams designing AI products - Design principles in practice

Microsoft Design: UX design for agents
Guidance on shaping autonomy, behavior, and trust in AI agents.


UX Design Institute: Designing experiences for AI agents
How designers should think about interaction, feedback, and control for agents.


Generative UI by Nielsen Norman Group
An overview of interfaces generated dynamically by AI based on intent and context.


Microsoft UX guidance for generative AI applications
Product guidance for designing copilot and generative AI experiences.

Courses

Structured learning for designers moving deeper into AI driven products - Formal learning paths

Stanford Online: UI and UX Design for AI Products
A course focused on designing experiences where AI capabilities are central to product behavior.

Closing Thought

An expanding design responsibility

Using AI to assist UX work improves speed and efficiency.


Designing AI powered applications and agents introduces a different set of design problems altogether.


As AI becomes more embedded in products, this space will increasingly define where design thinking creates long term value.

More Works

FAQ

01

What kind of projects have you worked on?

02

How do you usually collaborate on projects?

03

Do you take freelance or consulting projects?

04

What tools do you use?

05

How do you approach new projects?

06

Can you help set up a design system?

07

How can I get in touch?

Jan 13, 2026

Designing With AI vs Designing AI Experiences

Most AI content for designers is lately focusing on AI assisted UX workflows. This article highlights a different design space: designing AI powered applications and agents, and shares resources for designers exploring this area.

Where Most AI Design Content Is Today

Use AI tools to design (what you were always designing) FASTER!


AI as a workflow accelerator

Most AI content for designers is lately focusing on AI assisted UX workflows. Faster research synthesis, quicker wireframes, improved content generation, and automation of repetitive tasks.


In these cases, the nature of UX work stays largely the same. Designers continue solving familiar problems, but with more efficient tools.


This kind of upskilling matters. It improves speed and is quickly becoming expected across teams.

Another Design Space Worth Attention

Some AI work changes the product itself, not just the way designers work - Designing AI powered applications and agents

There is another area that receives far less attention: designing AI powered applications and agents. This is not about where AI lives, whether in a standalone product or embedded inside an existing one. It is about what is being designed.


When AI behavior becomes part of the product, designers are shaping how systems respond, adapt, and act, not just how interfaces look or flow.

What Changes in These Products

AI as a core system introduces new design questions - New interaction challenges

When AI is central to the experience, several things change.


Outcomes are generated rather than predefined.
Interfaces adapt based on context, intent, and confidence.
Users interact with systems that can reason, decide, and act.


Design focus shifts toward trust, explainability, control, feedback, and recovery. These challenges are different from traditional UX patterns and require new judgment and frameworks.

Resources: Design AI Exp. and Agents

Material that focuses on designing AI driven products, not just using AI tools - Books and deep reads

UX for AI: A Framework for Designing AI Driven Products
A framework for researching, designing, and validating products where AI behavior directly shapes the user experience.

Applied UX Design for Artificial Intelligence
A practical guide to designing human centered AI systems with close collaboration between UX, product, and data science.


Designing User Interfaces for Agentic AI
An introduction to designing interfaces for AI systems that reason and act on behalf of users.

Guidelines and Articles

Practical guidance from teams designing AI products - Design principles in practice

Microsoft Design: UX design for agents
Guidance on shaping autonomy, behavior, and trust in AI agents.


UX Design Institute: Designing experiences for AI agents
How designers should think about interaction, feedback, and control for agents.


Generative UI by Nielsen Norman Group
An overview of interfaces generated dynamically by AI based on intent and context.


Microsoft UX guidance for generative AI applications
Product guidance for designing copilot and generative AI experiences.

Courses

Structured learning for designers moving deeper into AI driven products - Formal learning paths

Stanford Online: UI and UX Design for AI Products
A course focused on designing experiences where AI capabilities are central to product behavior.

Closing Thought

An expanding design responsibility

Using AI to assist UX work improves speed and efficiency.


Designing AI powered applications and agents introduces a different set of design problems altogether.


As AI becomes more embedded in products, this space will increasingly define where design thinking creates long term value.

More Works

FAQ

What kind of projects have you worked on?

How do you usually collaborate on projects?

Do you take freelance or consulting projects?

What tools do you use?

How do you approach new projects?

Can you help set up a design system?

How can I get in touch?