Introduction

Designers must move beyond using AI as a helper. The future of product design is about creating systems that AI agents can understand and use.

What’s the problem it solves?

Most designers today only think about how AI can help them make things faster. But as AI agents begin to use and interact with products directly, old design methods will fail. Designers need a new way to create products that AI systems - not just humans - can understand, use, and trust.

Quick Summary

This article explains how product design is changing as AI agents become active users rather than tools. Instead of designing screens, layouts, and buttons for humans, designers will soon design experiences that AI systems navigate on our behalf.

The author introduces “AXD” (Agentic Experience Design), a new design field focused on how AI agents perceive, reason, decide, and act. In this world, user personas, linear journeys, and even browsers become obsolete. A human might simply say, “Book me a trip to Madrid,” and an AI agent handles the rest - from searching to payment.

Designers will need to learn reasoning, logic, and systems thinking instead of focusing only on visuals. Testing will involve both humans and synthetic users. Trust, data ethics, and inclusivity become new experience pillars, as AI acts for users of all ages and abilities. The job of designers and leaders is to build systems that AI agents can understand and operate safely.

Key Takeaways from the article

• Designing “for” AI means creating systems that AI agents can interpret, not just tools for humans to click.
• AXD (Agentic Experience Design) replaces UX as AI agents start performing user tasks.
• Personas, onboarding flows, and linear user journeys will disappear.
• Testing will involve synthetic users with reasoning abilities, not only humans.
• Trust and data transparency will become the main experience metrics.
• Voice, gesture, and text prompts will replace traditional browsing.
• Designers must understand AI logic, reasoning, and context to stay relevant.

What to do

• Learn how AI agents reason and make choices.
• Update design briefs to include “synthetic users” as part of KPIs.
• Move from linear user flows to flexible, logic-based experiences.
• Build trust and data transparency into every design.
• Prepare for browser-less, voice-first user experiences.
• Create modular systems that AI can easily use and interpret.
• Rethink design tools and workflows for integration with AI agents.
• Train teams in logic, reasoning, and AI system design.

‍