Design patterns

Save time by applying established solutions to human-AI interaction problems.

What are the HAX design patterns?

The HAX design patterns describe flexible and actionable solutions to recurring human-AI interaction problems. Each pattern follows the same structure that guides you from the Problem the pattern can solve, to a Solution, When to use, How to use, User benefits, and Common pitfalls to avoid. Each pattern is illustrated with examples.

Patterns are currently available for eight Guidelines. Use the HAX Design Library to browse the patterns and see examples of each Guideline. We encourage you to submit ideas for new patterns and examples.

How do I use the HAX design patterns?

We recommend referring to the patterns when your team is defining requirements and Guidelines for your product or in the very early prototyping stages. When you have selected a Guideline to implement (at Step 3 in the HAX Workbook, if you are using it), review the patterns and corresponding examples for that Guideline in the HAX Design Library. The pattern number inherits the Guideline number, so you know that all patterns starting with G1 help you implement Guideline 1.

The patterns are UI-independent and can be implemented in a variety of systems and interfaces. Pick one or more patterns and review their directions to understand when and how to use them. You can also view concrete examples of the patterns in real AI-driven products or features in the HAX Design Library.

Because most design patterns will impact many components of your system, including its interface, data, and models, it’s best to collaborate on relevant patterns with UX, AI, project management, and engineering.

Why design patterns?

There are multiple ways of implementing each Guideline. Through our engagements with product teams, we learned that many struggled to decide on the best approach for their specific product scenario. Teams were asking for “something that’s trusted and credible that isn’t biased towards like one point of view or the other.” We created the HAX design patterns to save teams time and deliver consistently high-quality user experiences by helping them reuse established solutions. We derived the patterns by analyzing hundreds of examples of the Guidelines in everyday AI products as well as synthesizing research on human-AI interaction.