Designing for Humans, Not Just Machines

Engineers build things that make sense to other engineers. "Just edit the JSON config." "Just run this CLI command." "The error message is clearly a StackOverflowException."

Normal humans don't think like this.

The Gap of Empathy

The biggest product failures happen when engineers design the UI. They optimize for Efficiency of Implementation (what's easiest to code) instead of Efficiency of Use (what's easiest for the human).

Human-Centric Principles

1. Speak their Language

Don't say "Record Updated in DB." Say "Saved."

Don't say "403 Forbidden." Say "You don't have permission to view this page. Ask your manager."

2. Forgive Mistakes

Humans click the wrong button. If clicking "Delete" instantly nukes data forever, your design is hostile.

• Good Design: "Undo" buttons. Soft deletes. "Are you sure?" confirmations for destructive actions.

3. Orient the User

Software handles invisible states. Humans live in a visible world. Always answer: "Where am I? What can I do here? How do I go back?"

AI and Human Interaction

With AI, this is even more critical. AI is probabilistic. It makes mistakes. Designing for humans means building Guardrails.

• Don't let the AI auto-send emails without a "Review" period.
• Clearly mark AI-generated content.
• Give the human a "Stop" button.

We build tools for humans, not to replace them. The interface must respect the human operator.