Apple's WWDC conference revealed a transformative iOS and macOS update (sorry Android, they did better), bringing AI capabilities to your device rather than the cloud (yes, it's important for privacy) and APIs that will redefine the way we design and interact with applications on iPhone and MacBook. As a Product/UX designer, I see these developments not only as technological advances, but also as a key opportunity to rethink the user experience more natural, less focused on user flows but rather action flows.
From an action flows perspective, which we will discuss in detail in another article “User flows vs Action flows”, we should think about:
#1 Optimize personalization with Apple Intelligence
Apple Intelligence in iOS and macOS paves the way for deep personalization, adapting user experiences in real time. These tools allow you to create applications that dynamically respond to individual preferences and needs.
Actionable strategies
1. Implement predictive assistance
Use AI to anticipate user needs based on their behavior and context. For example, if your app detects that the user regularly checks email in the morning, it can offer relevant shortcuts or contextual information at those times.
2. Improved recommendations
Integrate AI to refine recommendation engines, providing more relevant and personalized suggestions, whether for content, products or services. By integrating these AI capabilities, you can create more engaging and intuitive applications, thereby increasing user satisfaction and retention. Ready to make your app smarter and more intuitive? Let’s discuss how we can use AI to further personalize user experience.
NB: It still remains to be seen what the APIs relating to AI allow in terms of interaction for facilitate UX navigation.
#2: Improve search methods with Apple Intelligence
With AI, app search becomes more intelligent and contextual. It allows you to perform more complex actions and make search functionality more relevant to users.
Actionable strategies
1. Contextual search
Use AI to make search more intuitive, providing results and suggestions based on context and previous user interactions.
2. Automated actions
Leverage AI to enable users to initiate complex actions directly from search results, like booking services or accessing specific features.
By adopting these improved search methods, your apps can provide more effective and relevant search experiences.
#3 Create widgets and automations with Apple Intelligence
AI allows you to design interactive widgets and implement intelligent automations that enrich the user experience by offering contextual information and actions.
Actionable strategies
1. Smart Widgets
Create widgets using AI to display real-time information and enable direct interactions. For example, a weather widget that automatically offers suggestions based on local weather conditions.
2. Contextual Automations
Use AI to automate frequent tasks based on user habits, like enabling notifications based on location or calendar.
Making your apps more responsive will only improve your app experience.
#4 Contextual Features
AI capabilities enable applications to respond intelligently to context changes and user preferences, delivering relevant actions in real-time.
Actionable strategies
1. Adaptive UI
Design interfaces that dynamically adjust based on user contexts detected by AI; like changing themes depending on lighting conditions or user preferences.
2. Proactive Content
Use AI to provide relevant content or actions based on real-time contextual information, such as offering alternative routes in traffic (this would be useful on a VTC app for example), or suggestions based on action history and usage habits. This is normally done at the OS level, but AI allows it to be done on third-party applications, which is pretty awesome.
AI features have the potential to take your app from reactive to pro-active.
#5 Intelligent assistance
AI makes it easier to simplify complex tasks for users by automating processes and providing intuitive solutions based on past interactions and individual preferences.
Actionable strategies
1. Automation of tasks
Integrate AI to automate complex tasks, like managing calendars or scheduling appointments, based on user preferences and past behaviors.
2. Proactive Suggestions
Use AI to offer proactive suggestions based on user habits, like recommending restaurants based on who you're texting with (because AI is mostly contextual) or offering quick actions for frequent tasks based on timing. daytime.
These features help simplify use and make your applications more effective for users.
Conclusion: Leveraging Apple Intelligence to Reinvent the User Experience
Apple Intelligence capabilities in iOS and macOS provide a wealth of opportunities to improve user experience and drive engagement. Apple released the tool to us, it's up to us to be creative and make the user experience more natural on our apps. Who knows, maybe we will no longer need CTA buttons on our apps, if user flows can be done directly by voice command... Hence the notion of action flows rather than user flows that we cited in very beginning.
No Worries, I will an article to discuss Action Flows in depth and share it with your users 😉
Osama Berrahal, Product/UX Designer at UX-Republic
