Changes in technology can have surprising influences on visual design trends.
Take the example of Apple’s new Glass UI, which seems to be designed in preparation for augmented reality tools (like the Apple Vision Pro). Transparent components are better suited to these tools, and Apple are willing to rebuild their UI language to reflect this changing user experience.
At Kooba, we’ve already thought a lot about how AI can transform UX design through improved segmentation and content generation. In short, AI will allow highly personalised user experiences to be created, helping provide users with more suitable content across their digital journeys. This in turn should deliver more engagement, more conversions, and more leads. But what will this actually look like from a visual perspective? Here’s my own personal prediction, drawing from my previous explanation of “bento box design”.
Bento box design
Almost two years ago, I wrote a blog about the hottest topic in web design, bento box layouts. To summarise, these are layouts based on self-contained modules which can be moved around freely. These “boxes” reduce visual clutter, provide a clean and modern aesthetic, and (most importantly) allow for a responsive and mobile-friendly experience. It's not a surprise that they’ve become so popular in recent years (see Kooba’s recent work for the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission for a great example).
Given recent developments in AI-powered design, these modular layouts might become even more valuable. By isolating each element of a design in separate boxes, we can reduce the risks and potential downsides of AI tools.
Dealing with AI risk
As some of my clever coworkers have already explained, AI generated digital content runs the risk of presenting inaccurate and unmoderated information to users, potentially damaging their ability to interact with your brand. When different elements of your layout and interface influence and interact with one another, this risk is amplified, as one mistake may create knock-on effects across the entire user experience. Because of this risk, it can feel irresponsible to use generative AI tools, despite their obvious upsides.
Self-contained functionality from bento-box design
Fortunately, bento box design offers us a solution to this problem. Like a real bento box, the appeal of modular design is that each component is delicious in its own right. In other words, the sushi doesn’t need anything else to taste good. When components are designed to function independently of one another, they can be mixed and matched without damaging each other's functionality. This means that generative AI tools can be trusted to rearrange content and modules without risking a dysfunctional user experience.
Likewise, generative tools can rework the contents of an individual module without compromising the entire interface. To return to the example of food: It’s safer to trust an inexperienced cook to prepare one isolated element in the bento box than the gravy for an entire roast dinner.
To summarise, by making each element of a website self-contained, isolated, and independent, we can deploy generative AI tools to personalise the user experience without the risks that might arise from unmoderated content creation. In principle, this is similar to the use of a design system, which allows non-designers to mix and match a library of pre-built components when creating new content.
What to expect
UI designers already need to start thinking about AI-friendly components. By focusing on modular, self-sustaining designs, we can create solutions that generative AI is trusted to use. For a start, that means:
- The increased use of box templates across digital design
- A reduction in visual “layering”, and a return to white space
- The adoption of fully intercompatible colour palettes, fonts, and brand patterns
- More comprehensive design systems that humans and robots can use
These trends might be appealing for purely aesthetic reasons, but the value they offer AI tools will make them even more attractive to designers. And as developers and marketing teams learn how to create more personalised customer pathways, don’t be surprised if they start ordering more bento boxes.
To talk to our team about all things AI personalisation, just get in touch today.
