Introduction
For 15 years, User Experience (UX) design was about "Point and Click." We designed static buttons, navigation menus, and forms. In 2023, it shifted to "Chat." We designed text bubbles. But in 2025, we have entered the age of Agentic UX. We are no longer designing tools for users to use; we are designing agents for users to manage.
This shift is profound. How do you design an interface for software that does the work while you sleep? How do you build trust without overwhelming the user? How do you prevent "Mode Confusion" when the AI makes a mistake? The Nielsen Norman Group and other design leaders have rewritten the rulebook. This guide covers the new principles of Human-Agent Interaction (HAI).
The Death of the Chatbot Interface
The "Chat Box" was a transitional phase. It is terrible for complex work. Scrolling through a linear wall of text to find a file the AI generated three days ago is bad UX.
The New Standard: Generative UI (GenUI)
In 2025, leading platforms like Vercel and Anthropic use Generative UI. When you ask the AI to "Show me sales trends," it doesn't write a text description. It generates a React component-an interactive bar chart-on the fly and renders it in the chat stream. The user can then click the chart to filter it.
Principle: "Don't tell me; show me." Output should be dynamic widgets, not static text.
Principle 1: The "Split-Screen" Pattern
The dominant design pattern for 2025 is the Split-Screen Agent (seen in Cursor, Replit, and Microsoft Copilot).
Left Pane (The Conversation): This is where you give intent. "Make the logo bigger."
Right Pane (The Artifact): This is the live preview of the work. You see the code change or the image update in real-time.
Why it wins: It separates "Intent" from "Result." It allows the user to audit the AI's work instantly without losing the context of the conversation.
Principle 2: Reducing "Mode Confusion"
Mode confusion occurs when the user doesn't know if they are talking to a human or a bot, or if the system is in "Drafting Mode" vs. "Execution Mode."
Design Solution: Explicit State Indicators
Agentic interfaces in 2025 use clear visual signaling:
Thinking State: A pulsing amber border indicates the agent is reasoning (System 2 thinking).
Tool Use State: A terminal icon appears showing the agent is executing a command line script.
Human Handoff State: The UI shifts color (e.g., from purple to blue) when a human support agent takes over the chat.
Principle 3: Object-Oriented UX (OOUX) for AI
AI models think in unstructured text, but humans think in objects. Good AI design forces the AI to structure its output into "Cards" or "Blocks."
Example: In a travel agent app, when the AI suggests a hotel, it shouldn't just say "The Marriott is nice." It should generate a Hotel Card object with a photo, price, and a "Book Now" action button. This makes the AI's output actionable rather than just informational.
Principle 4: Designing for Trust (The "Why" Button)
Trust is the currency of automation. If an AI agent recommends a stock trade, the user will not accept it unless they know why.
Explainability Patterns
Every AI recommendation in 2025 includes a "Why did you say that?" tooltip. Clicking it reveals the Chain of Thought—the cited sources, the data points considered, and the logic used. This "Glass Box" approach replaces the "Black Box" of the past.
The "Human-in-the-Loop" Toggle
The most important control in Agentic UX is the Autonomy Slider. Users want different levels of help at different times.
Co-Pilot Mode (Low Autonomy): "I type, you suggest completions."
Agent Mode (Medium Autonomy): "I write the goal, you do the draft, I review."
God Mode (High Autonomy): "You do everything, just ping me if you get stuck."
Great 2025 software allows the user to toggle between these modes seamlessly depending on their energy level and risk tolerance.
Conclusion
We are moving from "User Interface" (UI) to "User Intent" (UI). The job of the designer is no longer to arrange pixels, but to arrange capabilities. The goal is to create a system where the human feels like the Captain of the ship—setting the course—while the AI Agents are the crew below deck, turning the wheels and shoveling the coal.
Design Challenge: Take a feature in your app that requires a form. Redesign it as a 'Generative UI' conversation where the AI asks one question and pre-fills the form for the user to approve.