Designing intent-aware interfaces
by Gábor Balogh on May 23, 2025
I believe AI is about to fundamentally change how we interact with our devices. What we now think of as apps will become capabilities: things we can still choose to open, but that no longer require us to find, learn, or repeat them manually. Instead of tapping through screens, we’ll expect the system to recognize intent. To notice patterns, respond to context, and offer the right thing at the right time.
Not by taking control, but by quietly working in the background—supporting what we want to do, when we want to do it. This is the shift I’m exploring through intent-aware interfaces.
The first chapter in this work is the intent screen—a small, focused step toward a more responsive, more human operating system.
I’m using Apple’s iOS as a foundation to explore how a familiar, matured system could evolve over time. That’s why the goal isn’t to reinvent the UI, but to rethink the interaction itself.
Principles behind it
Three beliefs that shaped the intent screen.
Designing for intent
Not for clicks. Not for features. The goal was to support what someone means to do—without needing them to spell it out.
Predictability over novelty
People don’t want surprises. They want to know what will happen when they unlock their phone—and trust it to help, not distract.
Keeping what’s familiar
The grid stays. The gestures stay. Because habits matter. If something new asks for your attention, it should feel like it belongs.
Why it looks the way it does
The UI wasn’t meant to impress. It was meant to stay out of the way.
Doesn’t take over
The intent screen doesn’t replace your home screen. It just sits quietly to the side, showing up when it helps and fading out when it doesn’t.
It stays familiar
Nothing moved. The app grid stays the same. You can still swipe, tap, and scroll as you always did. No new rules to learn, no habits to break.
It’s just enough
No full-screen takeovers. No flashy cards. Just a small space, focused on one thing—what you probably meant to do next.
Final thoughts
Just the first step. This isn’t a full OS redesign. Not yet.
The intent screen is one small step toward something bigger—a system that sees the person first, not the interface. "Designing for intent" isn’t a standard practice. Not yet. But it could be. Because when we stop designing around features, and start designing around intent, things get simpler.
Want to take a visual with you?
You can download one here. Feel free to use or share the content—just credit the source:
Gábor Balogh • www.clearcut.work
