Exploring an AI-First Application
Project Team: Chris Hill, Max Miner
Project Summary:
This project explored the development of an AI-first platform. The challenge was to design a solution that effectively catered to diverse user needs without compromising clarity and value. Through extensive research, design, and prototyping, the project successfully demonstrated a potential future direction for the platform, receiving positive feedback from leadership and inspiring further innovation within the team.
Background and Context:
While exploring new ways to engage with users, SkillsEngine was considering a strategic shift to an AI-first platform. The goal of this project was to create an idealized vision of this future platform, align the team around a shared direction, and develop a prototype for continuous testing and iteration.
Problem Statement:
The original "one-size fits all" vision for the platform aimed to serve a wide variety of users with diverse goals and expectations. However, this approach led to significant challenges in creating a clear value proposition, as different user types sought different content, used different terminologies, and had distinct needs. The result was a sometimes vague and ambiguous platform that failed to effectively communicate its purpose or value to any specific user group without significant training.
Research and Exploration:
I led the research phase, working closely with the Head of Product to explore existing AI frameworks, platforms, and interaction patterns. This involved evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of various large language models (LLMs), identifying frameworks for connecting multiple AI agents, and researching how other companies were integrating AI into their platforms. I also familiarized myself with new tools like Replit and API prompting with GPT to gain firsthand experience in building with AI technologies.
Design and Development Approach:
The design process required balancing the integration of existing platform elements with new AI-driven interactivity. I spearheaded the development of the UI and architectural structure, making key decisions about screen layouts, content, and interaction patterns while maintaining alignment with the current design system. The projects output focused on creating key screens to illustrate a potential future direction for the platform, intended for presentation to company leadership. Due to time constraints, the prototype portion of this project remained unfinished, and I left the company before it could be fully developed.
Key Outcomes:
The project was well-received by leadership and the output used to present to company executives, validating its direction and strategic potential. It also inspired further design work and discussions around related features and processes. This exploration deepened my understanding of AI interaction within platforms, highlighting the importance of integrating AI tools in ways that enhance workflows while allowing users to focus on strategic outcomes. It also sparked a personal interest in continuing to learn about LLM’s and the potential applications of the technology.