Artificial intelligence has evolved from an emerging technology to an integral part of our daily lives. From recommendation engines to image generation and content assistants, AI is everywhere. However, many people still don’t fully understand how it works or what to expect from it.
As a design team, our challenge goes beyond building intuitive interfaces—we need to create experiences that make AI accessible, understandable, and truly useful. The success of an AI-powered product doesn’t depend solely on the technology behind it, but on how we present it to users.
One of the biggest challenges in AI-driven product design is that AI is invisible. Unlike traditional features, where users take an action and see an immediate result, AI systems often operate autonomously—making suggestions or generating content without users fully understanding how.
To design AI-powered experiences that are clear and usable, we focus on three key questions:
1️⃣ What is the AI doing? → The interaction should clearly communicate when and how AI is influencing the experience.
2️⃣ Why is it making certain decisions? → AI cannot be a “black box”; users need to understand why they received a particular result.
3️⃣ How can users interact with the AI? → The experience should allow for adjustments, customization, and user control.
One of the most common mistakes in AI design is assuming that users trust AI by default. In reality, most people remain skeptical of AI-driven systems when they don’t understand how they work.
🔹 How we design for transparency:
• Contextual explanations → Instead of overwhelming users with long descriptions, we provide relevant information at the right moment, such as “This result was generated based on your recent activity.”
• AI visual indicators → Labels like “AI-Generated” or icons help clarify which parts of the experience are AI-driven.
• Interactive feedback → Allowing users to rate or adjust AI-generated results reinforces trust.
💡 Example: In Freepik, tools like Expand AI enable users to extend images beyond their original borders. To ensure users understand this capability, we incorporate micro-interactions and visual explanations.
AI should feel like a tool that enhances user capabilities, not something that makes decisions for them.
🔹 How we design user control in AI experiences:
• Customization options → Users can adjust generation parameters or content style to better fit their needs.
• Alternatives to AI → We always provide manual options for those who prefer more control.
• Undo and edit functions → Users can modify AI-generated results without having to start from scratch.
💡 Example: In tools like Adobe Firefly or Midjourney, AI generates images, but users can tweak prompts, modify styles, and regenerate results. This balance between automation and control makes AI more reliable.
Designing AI-powered products isn’t just about making the experience easy to use—it’s also about helping users learn how to use AI effectively.
🔹 How we design learning experiences in AI-powered products:
• Progressive onboarding → AI features are introduced gradually, starting with basic functionalities before advanced ones.
• Examples and use cases → Real-world examples help users understand how AI can benefit them.
• Interactive assistants → Guides and tutorials provide step-by-step instructions to maximize AI capabilities.
💡 Example: In Freepik, AI integration is designed to feel intuitive and progressive, ensuring users are not overwhelmed by too many features at once.
As artificial intelligence becomes the core of more digital products, the role of Product Designers will be more critical than ever. It’s no longer just about designing visually appealing interfaces—it’s about creating experiences where AI is understandable, accessible, and genuinely useful.
The challenge is real, but so is the opportunity: to make AI not just usable, but trusted, empowering, and seamlessly integrated into everyday workflows. 🚀
Because designing AI-powered products isn’t just about technology—it’s about how we bring that technology closer to people.
