The agentic era of UX

🌈 Abstract

The article discusses the current state of AI-powered user experience (UX) and proposes a new paradigm called "Agentic UX". It highlights the limitations of current AI-powered features and the need for a more transformative approach that integrates AI as a partner in the user's journey, rather than just a feature. The article outlines the key aspects of Agentic UX, including cognitive, creative, and logistical support from an AI agent, and provides examples of early implementations. It also emphasizes the strategic importance for companies to embrace this new UX paradigm and offers a high-level approach for revisiting user journeys and envisioning the future of digital experiences.

🙋 Q&A

[01] The agentic era of UX

1. What is the key issue with the current state of AI-powered user experience? The article states that the transformative new era of AI has not been as transformative as expected, with companies using AI to solve micro user needs rather than transforming the user experience from end-to-end.

2. What is the "agentic" approach to UX proposed in the article? The article proposes the "agentic UX" paradigm, where a built-in AI agent supports the user's journey by taking on cognitive, creative, and logistical weight, transforming the experience from a solo endeavor to a partner-based journey.

3. What are some examples of early implementations of Agentic UX? The article mentions Adobe's Gen Studio, Intercom's Copilot, and Dovetail's Magic Experience as examples of early implementations of the agentic UX paradigm.

[02] A vision for agentic UX

1. How does the article describe the difference between traditional digital experiences and Agentic UX? In traditional digital experiences, the user is expected to do the necessary thinking, planning, and navigating to complete a task, while in Agentic UX, the user is continuously supported by a built-in AI agent that pulls real weight in the journey.

2. What are the three categories of weight that the AI agent takes on in Agentic UX? The article states that in Agentic UX, the AI agent takes on cognitive weight (analysis and decision-making), creative weight (visualization and media creation), and logistical weight (operational and workflow tasks).

3. How does the article describe the Dovetail example of Agentic UX? In Dovetail's Agentic UX experience, the AI agent plays a supportive role, summarizing transcripts, providing highlight suggestions, and assisting with data clustering, rather than autonomously acting on the user's behalf.

[03] Strategically reinvent your digital experience for the agentic era

1. What is the key challenge the article identifies for companies in embracing the Agentic UX paradigm? The article states that the enthusiasm and buy-in from leadership needed to embrace the transformative change of Agentic UX is still missing, as companies have been consumed by 'AI readiness' and laying the foundational infrastructure and governance.

2. What approach does the article recommend for companies to strategically reimagine their digital experiences for the Agentic era? The article recommends a high-level approach that involves revisiting critical user journeys, examining the cognitive, logistical, and creative burdens on the user, and exploring how AI agents can be applied to support the user's tasks, and then vividly bringing the future vision to life for leadership.

3. What is the strategic opportunity the article sees for the design discipline in the Agentic era? The article states that the strategic winds are at the design discipline's backs again, and it's time to raise the sails and vividly bring the future of Agentic UX to life for business leaders.