Empty box is not enough
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A critique of the growing trend of replacing enterprise software homepages with AI prompt/chat boxes. The argument is that empty text inputs don't simplify software — they displace complexity from product teams onto users. Structured UIs provide affordances and enable muscle memory; blank boxes provide no guidance. Suggested prompts bolted onto these interfaces are a tacit admission that the blank box alone is insufficient. Chat interfaces work well for exploratory queries, one-off actions, and onboarding, but shouldn't be the primary interface. The best enterprise software succeeds by making a strong opinion about the user's primary job and building the default experience around it. The real challenge is understanding users deeply enough to surface the right interface at the right moment — intent-first design rather than chat-first or dashboard-first.
Table of contents
The appeal is obviousDisplacement, not simplificationThe muscle memory problemThe suggested prompts tell on themselvesWhere chat actually worksThe “For You” page precedentWhat actually worksThe real challengeA better path forwardSort: