The End of the Static Screen: Architecting Intent-Driven UX — Gus Iwanaga, commercetools
The presentation outlines a shift from static, complex SaaS UIs to dynamic, intent-driven experiences using generative UI protocols. The core architecture involves an orchestrator that classifies user intent and calls tools, which then map results onto eligible components defined in a component catalog. This process generates a structured UI specification (UI spec) that ensures the final output adheres strictly to the design system, mitigating the unpredictability inherent in pure LLM-generated markup.
Key takeaways
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The Failure of Pure Generative Output
11:40
Relying solely on an LLM to compose an entire experience (e.g., generating a sales report) leads to inconsistency, such as varying date ranges or KPI card layouts for the same query (7:00). The speaker asserts that this non-deterministic output is unsuitable for production.
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The Declarative Middle Ground
18:55
A robust approach requires an orchestrator to classify intent, invoke tools (first or third party), and then generate a UI spec. This spec dictates the placement of components from a catalog, ensuring the final output is compliant with the design system every time.
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The Importance of Hierarchy (Atomic Design)
To maintain control over layout and arrangement—a critical aspect of UX—the architecture must invert the traditional hierarchy: components map to sub-slots, which map to slots, which finally map to templates. This codifies UX knowledge into the agent.