Best Practices for AI-Powered Experiences

AI features are everywhere now, from support chatbots to smart search. The technology is impressive, but people judge it the same way they judge any interface: does it help me, and do I trust it? These are the practices we follow on every AI project.

Set expectations before the first message

Tell people what the assistant can and cannot do, in plain words, right where they start. A short line such as “I can answer questions about orders and returns” prevents most frustrating conversations before they happen.

Show your work

When an answer comes from a document, a product page or an account, say so and link to it. Sources turn a confident-sounding reply into one people can check, and they make mistakes easy to spot.

Design for the wrong answer

Every model gets things wrong sometimes. Make correcting it effortless: suggested follow-ups, an easy way to rephrase, and a visible “talk to a person” option that keeps the conversation history.

“The best AI experiences feel less like magic and more like a helpful colleague who knows when to ask for help.”

— Maya Collins, Head of Product, Northwind

Keep people in control

Never let the AI take a consequential action – a payment, a cancellation, a message to someone else – without a clear confirmation step. Speed matters, but trust matters more.

Measure what matters

Track resolution rate, hand-off rate and how often people rephrase the same question. Those numbers tell you far more about the experience than the number of messages sent.