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Design exercises · AI product design

AI product design challenges

14 short design challenges built around problems AI products really have: an agent that isn't sure, a model that's slow today, a mistake already sent. Use them to practice, or to prepare for a design exercise in an interview.

By Sarit Elisha, founder of Irreplaceable · Updated October 10, 2026

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Design it in the app, then compare with a senior approach. Free.

How to judge your answer

Four things a reviewer looks for in any AI design challenge.

Look forWhat good looks like
ControlThe person stays in charge of what matters.
UncertaintyDoubt is visible and resolvable at the right moment.
RecoveryMistakes can be seen and undone.
CraftClear hierarchy, real copy, works at the target size.

The challenges

Give yourself 10 minutes for each. Sketch on paper, then open the approach.

01

The agent isn't sure which Tuesday

It's Monday. A user tells a booking agent “Book the team dinner for Tuesday”. Design how the agent resolves the ambiguity without slowing the user down.

Sketch yours first, then see how a senior would approach it
  • Ask with the two dates as tappable answers: “Tomorrow, Oct 13” and “Oct 20”. Never a free-text question.
  • Default to the likely one, but make the choice visible before booking.
  • Remember how this user means “Tuesday” next time, and say so.

02

Empty state for an AI that knows your calendar

First open of a workspace assistant that can read the user's calendar and email. Design the empty state so the first message is useful.

Sketch yours first, then see how a senior would approach it
  • Three starters built from today's real meetings, not generic prompts.
  • Show what it can read, with a link to change it.
  • One starter that does something, not only answers.

03

The AI already sent the wrong email

An assistant sent a follow-up email with the wrong date. The user notices 20 seconds later. Design the recovery.

Sketch yours first, then see how a senior would approach it
  • An undo-send window visible right after sending would have prevented most of it.
  • After the window: draft the correction for the user, don't send it silently.
  • Show exactly what was wrong, highlighted, next to the fix.

04

Where did that answer come from? On mobile.

A policy assistant answers on a 390px screen. Design sources that people actually check.

Sketch yours first, then see how a senior would approach it
  • Numbered inline markers on the exact claims, not a list at the end.
  • Tap a marker to see the quote from the source, not just a title.
  • Mark claims that have no source.

05

Undo for an AI that reorganized 300 files

An agent moved and renamed 300 files into folders. The user hates two of the new folders. Design undo that isn't all-or-nothing.

Sketch yours first, then see how a senior would approach it
  • A change log grouped by folder, each group undoable on its own.
  • Preview the result of an undo before applying it.
  • Keep the full undo available for a fixed, stated time.

06

A generated dashboard that's different every time

An AI generates a dashboard per question. Users complain they can't find things. Make it learnable.

Sketch yours first, then see how a senior would approach it
  • Fixed layout regions; only the content inside them is generated.
  • Pin a generated chart to make it permanent.
  • Same question, same structure: consistency is a feature.

08

Hand-off from AI to a human, without repeating yourself

A support bot can't solve a billing issue. Design the hand-off to a human agent.

Sketch yours first, then see how a senior would approach it
  • Tell the customer why they're being handed off and how long the wait is.
  • The human sees a summary and the steps already tried.
  • The customer never has to repeat their account details.

09

Pricing for an AI feature billed per use

A design tool charges $0.04 per AI image. Design how people see cost before, during and after use.

Sketch yours first, then see how a senior would approach it
  • Show the cost of an action before it runs, next to the button.
  • A running monthly total in the place people already look.
  • A cap they set themselves, with a warning before reaching it.

10

The model is slow today: design a 40-second wait

Your AI usually answers in 5 seconds. Today it takes 40. Design the wait.

Sketch yours first, then see how a senior would approach it
  • Say it's slower than usual, and why if you know.
  • Show real progress steps; let people leave and get notified.
  • Offer a faster, smaller answer now and the full one later.

11

Let users correct the AI so it learns, visibly

Users keep fixing the same categorization mistake. Design correction that teaches the system and shows it learned.

Sketch yours first, then see how a senior would approach it
  • Correct in place with one tap, not in a settings page.
  • Ask once whether to apply the correction to similar items.
  • Show “Learned from your fix” next time it gets it right.

12

Onboarding for an AI that needs 3 permissions

An assistant needs calendar, email and files. Design onboarding that earns each permission.

Sketch yours first, then see how a senior would approach it
  • Ask for each permission at the moment it's needed, with what it unlocks.
  • Let people start with one and add more later.
  • Show a working example before asking for the next one.

13

Explain a credit decision made with AI

A loan app declined an application partly based on an AI model. Design the decision screen.

Sketch yours first, then see how a senior would approach it
  • The top two reasons in plain language, each tied to something the person can change.
  • What a human reviewed, and how to request a human review.
  • No percentages without meaning; say what would change the outcome.

14

Stop an agent mid-task

An agent is halfway through updating 40 product listings. The user wants it to stop. Design stop.

Sketch yours first, then see how a senior would approach it
  • Stop finishes the current item safely, then halts. Say which items changed.
  • Offer: keep changes, undo changes, or resume later.
  • The stop control is visible the whole time the agent works.

One a day

Practice is a habit, not a cram.

The daily challenge gives you one of these every day, a place to sketch your answer, and a rubric to check it against.

Take today's challenge Free.
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