On User Interfaces with Generative Design

Coming across Brain’s ‘Natural AI,’ a generative interface that allows software to be in sync with your intention, I got stuck thinking about how this technology could help automate the future of user interface design.

In contrast, generative User Interface design is a relatively new concept that describes a design approach that goes beyond the manual and descriptive approaches. This approach employs more or less computational methods, generative patterns, and machine learning algorithms to morph user layouts based on usability patterns and adapt to specific user needs. This provides the user with a more dynamic and personalized experience.

We’ve already experienced the use of Machine Learning algorithms in music recommendation on spotify, video recommendation on youtube, but not so far fetched when it comes to User Interfaces. The only comparable example would be Apple’s Siri recommendations.

Okay but why is this important? When descriptive user interface design is impractical or not feasible, generative user interface design can be useful. Such as in cases where there is high volume of data to be processed, when personalization is a key factor, or when there is more dynamic content rendering than usual. These algorithms would evaluate user patterns and tailor seamless experiences to each user using the large amounts of data collected during the first stages of the UI design process, a natural extension of the human experience. This approach, I believe, would allow for fluid and natural workflows, reducing total usage time.

Example use cases would be personalized interfaces, interactive games, automated UI testing. The possibilities could be endless.

This short piece presents my personal perspective on the optimistic possibilities in User Interface design. What are your opinions on this topic?

Originally posted on Medium