The Future of UX: Generative UI and Outcome-Oriented Design
In their recent article, "Generative UI and Outcome-Oriented Design," Kate Moran and Sarah Gibbons explore an emerging trend poised to disrupt the field of user experience (UX) design: generative user interfaces (GenUI).
As artificial intelligence advances to dynamically generate personalized interfaces for each individual user in real-time, Moran and Gibbons argue that UX designers will need to transition from designing discrete interface components to orchestrating experiences focused on user goals and desired outcomes. This shift to outcome-oriented design, they suggest, represents both significant challenges and exciting opportunities. Inspired by their insights, I wanted to write a post to further examine the implications of GenUI and outcome-oriented design through the lenses of computer-mediated communication (CMC) and product management.
While GenUI is still an emerging concept, early examples like Spotify's AI DJ and Adept Fuyu-Heavy hint at the potential for AI to dynamically generate personalized content and interfaces based on user data and intent. These instances, though not yet full-fledged GenUI, provide a glimpse into the future possibilities of AI-powered, adaptive user experiences.
Connecting GenUI to Communication Theory
GenUI has the potential to enhance the richness and social presence of digital interactions. Recent research suggests that AI-powered personalization can lead to more engaging and satisfying user experiences. By tailoring the interface to the individual user's needs, preferences, and context, GenUI can create a highly immersive and interactive communication experience (as shown in this interesting study on human-computer interaction with smart service systems in cities). This aligns with the concept of "contingency interactivity," which suggests that interfaces that adapt to the user's actions and context can lead to greater perceived interactivity and engagement.
However, as Moran and Gibbons point out, the constantly morphing nature of GenUI could undermine usability and learnability - key principles of UX. This echoes concerns raised by Yang and Newman (2022), who caution that excessive personalization can lead to user confusion and frustration. Striking the right balance between personalization and consistency will be a key challenge. UX designers can look to recent work on adaptive user interfaces and user-centered AI design for guidance on defining appropriate guardrails and constraints for GenUI systems.
From a Product Management Perspective
The shift to outcome-oriented design will necessitate changes in how product teams operate. Empowered product teams are characterized by a clear vision, strategic alignment, and autonomous decision-making. To align with GenUI, the product vision needs to focus more on target outcomes and goals, rather than specific interface design requirements. Product managers need to work closely with UX designers to define the right constraints and success metrics to ensure the generated UIs are meeting both user needs and business objectives. Thoughtful user research and testing will be more critical than ever to validate whether the AI is generating appropriate, usable interfaces.
Empowering Designers to Lead
The advent of generative user interfaces presents both challenges and opportunities for the field of UX design. As AI-powered systems become increasingly capable of dynamically generating personalized interfaces, organizations must empower designers to lead the way in shaping these new experiences.
UX designers are well-equipped to navigate the transition to GenUI, as they already possess a deep understanding of user-centered design, research, and adaptive design principles. However, to fully harness the potential of GenUI, designers need to be given the opportunity to apply these skills in new ways.
To effectively guide the development of GenUI, designers must be empowered to focus on defining the guardrails, constraints, and success metrics that will ensure AI-generated interfaces meet user needs and business objectives. This will require close collaboration with cross-functional teams, including data scientists, developers, and product managers. Organizations must foster a culture of collaboration and provide the resources and support needed for these teams to work together more effectively.
As designers navigate the challenges and opportunities of GenUI, they will need to balance the potential for personalization with the need for usability and user control. This will require ongoing experimentation, validation, and refinement of generated interfaces, as well as open communication with users to understand their evolving needs and preferences.