Let people steer
The assistant is heading the wrong way. How can a person change course?
Give them Stop, Regenerate, edit and a way to go back, always within reach.
Try it
Assistant:
Here is a three-day plan: day one is the old town, day t
- Current
Add a beach day
2 min ago · 1 change
Plan three days in Lisbon
10 min ago · 1 change
How to design it
- 1
Make Stop obvious
The send button turns into Stop while the assistant works.
- 2
Offer a second try
Put Regenerate and Copy under each reply.
- 3
Let people edit
A person can fix their own message or the assistant's draft.
- 4
Keep save points
Let people go back to an earlier moment and say what that will undo.
Do and avoid
Do
- Keep the Stop button in the same place as Send.
- Say what going back will change before it happens.
- Keep earlier versions so nothing is lost.
- Let people type while the assistant works.
Avoid
- Do not lock the screen during long work.
- Do not make people restart the chat to fix one thing.
- Do not hide controls until the reply ends.
Why it works
People feel at ease with a tool when they know they can take back control at any moment. The ability to stop or undo makes them braver about trying things, which is how they learn what the assistant can do.