What is AX Design?

AX stands for Agentic Experience Design.

The field is still being defined, and you may see other interpretations such as Adaptive Experience Design or Agent Experience Design. To avoid confusion, the most accurate framing today is Agentic Experience Design: the practice of designing experiences that combine humans and AI agents in co-agency.

Think of it as the next chapter in design evolution:

• 1980s: UI Design → The age of screens and buttons.

• 2000s: UX Design → The era of human-centered design.

• 2020s: AX Design → The age of human + AI collaboration.

Just as UX branched out of UI, AX is branching out of UX. We’re no longer just designing user interfaces and interactions, we’re designing how humans interact with AI agents inside those interfaces.

Why AX Design Matters

Apps that aren’t “agentic” are now considered dumb. Users expect applications to:

• Recognize intent.

• Perform tasks on their behalf.

• Adapt dynamically to their context.

• Learn and improve over time.

This is no longer a nice-to-have. It’s the new baseline.

A Real Example: The Journaling Agent

To demonstrate AX principles, let’s walk through a practical app concept: a journaling agent.

The problem: Maintaining consistent journaling habits feels time-consuming, unstructured, and hard to translate into actionable insights.

The solution: A journaling app powered by an AI agent that:

• Turns text or voice input into structured entries.

• Tracks moods and patterns.

• Provides context-aware suggestions.

• Learns from user feedback to adapt over time.

This is AX in action: designing a flow where human + AI co-create the experience.

Core AX Principles in Practice

1. Intent Recognition: The agent understands the user’s goals.

2. Human-in-the-Loop Control: The user confirms, edits, or discards outputs.

3. Feedback & Learning: The system adapts based on corrections.

4. Transparency: Users can see what the system knows and how it makes suggestions.

5. Context Awareness: Agents act based on environment, time, and prior behavior.

These principles ensure AX apps feel intuitive, trustworthy, and genuinely helpful.

To dive deeper, check out this article i wrote on AX Design Principles

Beyond Journaling: Agentic App Ideas

AX design isn’t limited to journaling. Nearly every category of app can be reimagined:

• Travel Planners: Auto-fill itineraries, suggest context-based activities.

• Fitness Trackers: Provide adaptive coaching, recovery nudges, motivational framing.

• Budgeting Tools: Reframe financial insights depending on time of month and goals.

• Nutrition Assistants: Adapt recipes to dietary needs, available ingredients, and time of day.

• Learning Companions: Personalize lessons and motivational style.

• To-Do Lists: Detect goals behind vague tasks, auto-split into subtasks.

The common thread? Apps stop being static tools and become active, adaptive partners.

What Employers Want

Companies are actively seeking:

• Designers fluent in AI workflows.

• Ability to test agent reliability and usability.

• Expertise in orchestrating adaptive, agentic interfaces.

Just as the early 2000s marked the rise of UX designers, the mid-2020s are ushering in the demand for AX designers.

How to Position Yourself

• Start small: create an AX flowchart for a simple app.

• Use automation tools (n8n, Zapier, Make) to build agent behaviors.

• Generate dynamic UI designs with AI-assisted tools like UX Pilot.

• Build an agentic app with AI Coding tools like Lovable, Replit, or Emergent.

• Build a case study to showcase in your portfolio.

With even one working prototype, you can confidently present yourself as an AX designer, a career path that is both future-proof and financially rewarding.

Final Take

AX Design is not a buzzword. It’s the next design discipline, built for an AI-first world.

If you want to stay ahead of the curve and prepare for the roles reshaping our industry, start building agentic apps today.

I’m sharing more in-depth guides, resources, and mentorship inside the AI Tooltip Community for designers ready to lead this shift.

The future of design isn’t just about pixels. It’s about partnership with AI.