AI Chat UX Sux
As it stands, the user experience of AI chat is limited by an overly simplified interface. Chat works well for a single line of thought, but it needs to sit within a larger UI framework to support more complex thinking.
I’ve accumulated a few ideas on how to improve the AI chat experience, blending elements of chat applications and web browsers to create a platform for exploring thought itself.
The New Tab Screen: A Familiar, Frictionless Start
- A single input field.
- As soon as the user starts typing, the chat begins immediately.
- A clean entry point with no superflous distractions.
Naturally Forking Conversations into Tabs
- When AI detects multiple possible paths, it offers the user the option to fork the conversation into a new tab.
- This allows for parallel thinking, rather than forcing the user to choose one direction and lose the other.
An Organically Emerging Project Structure
- Each tab represents a chat and tabs evolve into projects as the conversation unfolds.
- If the user forks a conversation into a new tab, a project is automatically created, grouping the original and the fork.
- Any subsequent forks remain within that project, forming an organic, structured workspace.
Navigation: Simple, Intuitive, Functional
- Sidebar on desktop, hamburger menu on mobile.
- Search bar for filtering conversations.
- A clear list of projects and tabs for easy access.
Bookmarks That Act as Both Markers & Forking Points
- Users can place bookmarks to return to key moments in a conversation.
- Bookmarks can also be used to fork a conversation from that exact point, allowing for divergence without redundancy.
- Using an interface that blends chat and browser functionality gives us the flexibility AI deserves.
Right now, AI is an incredible tool for accelerating ideas into execution, but it's hamstrung by a limited user interface.
If we rethink how we design AI chat, we can increase its utility ten-fold.