Insights  /  The Lab

Apps today are one-size-fits-all. That’s about to change with the rise of generated user interfaces, known as Generative UI, or GenUI. This month I’ve written a deep dive into this single topic, since it is likely the next phase of digital experiences, for creators and end users alike. I hope you enjoy.

Digital experiences are shifting from static state interfaces to dynamic layouts that assemble themselves in real-time based on a user’s intent. We’re all familiar with the progression from apps that personalize content, like dashboards built on your data, to apps that adapt to context, like mobile versus desktop. GenUI is the next step: interfaces that respond to your intent.

But what does “intent” really mean? One of the clearest real-world examples can be found in high-service luxury hotels. From the moment a guest enters a Four Seasons, they are treated as a unique individual with a specific reason for being there. One guest is traveling for business, while another is on a family trip. Each has an entirely unique Four Seasons experience, with different amenities, services, and sequences, offering the right subset in the right order.

One guest wakes up, hits the treadmill, grabs a quick coffee and bagel, and heads to the business center before attending a conference on site. Another wakes up, orders room service for the family, lifts weights at the gym, and then everyone spends the morning around the pool while the kids race down the water slides. These experiences share the same spaces, but accommodate completely unique conditions based on each guest’s intent, in this case, productive business vs. a relaxing vacation.

Let’s bring this back to software. Just as a Four Seasons environment is designed to adapt its services around each guest, apps can increasingly deliver concierge-like experiences that respond to intent. Airbnb is already moving in this direction through context-aware, personalized interfaces. Their Intelligent Automation Platform has been built for dynamic workflows that respond to intent that evolves over the course of a conversation.

True to a concierge, a near-future Airbnb app will leverage a combination of known history and precise prompts to understand present-moment intent. This is beyond a custom home page with personalized tiles. We’re talking about entirely unique workflows and presentations custom-fitted to each individual.

Here are two examples of GenUI-powered experiences based on the travelers I mentioned earlier. Instead of taking place at a Four Seasons hotel, these flows demonstrate how mass-market Airbnb might tailor to each traveler’s intent.

Elena Martinez is a senior executive traveling to a three-day leadership conference who has poor eyesight and relies on high-contrast text, clear hierarchy, and likes to stay in calm, predictable environments to stay focused after long days of meetings.

From years of consistent stays, Airbnb understands her as a guest who trusts the brand to minimize friction, surface only what matters, and deliver reliable, work-ready spaces without novelty or surprise.

When she opens Airbnb, the interface immediately presents a high-contrast view that asks a single question, “Is this trip primarily for work or personal time?”, which she confirms as work.

That intent instantly reshapes her workflow into three nearby options displayed in enlarged type, simplified layouts, explicit ambient sound and workspace callouts, and flexible booking defaults, allowing her to choose and confirm in minutes.

On arrival, the well-lit entry, step-by-step check-in instructions, ready-to-use desk, and quiet surroundings reinforce the feeling that Airbnb’s concierge-level app experience recognized her intent early and delivered the right space for her trip.

“Mark” (OK, I’ll be honest, this one’s me) is a trip-planning dad organizing a family vacation who enjoys exploring lots of options, relies on map-based browsing, and prioritizes excursions everyone can enjoy, flexibility in scheduling, and predictable transfers between each experience.

When he opens Airbnb, the default experience centers on a full-screen map with clustered listings, activity overlays, and a prompt asking, “What kind of vacation are you planning?”, which he selects as active and family-focused.

That intent expands his workflow into map-driven exploration with filters for walkability, nearby activities, family capacity, and flexible dates.

When he and his family arrive, the location near parks and cultural attractions, a comfortable space with personality, and a full slate of activities carry through the promise that Airbnb did not just help book a stay, but also helped create the conditions for everyone to have fun and memorable trip together.

GenUI is the latest pursuit of reducing friction between the consumer and the service, and offers the greatest opportunity for businesses to deliver the kind of experience they’ve always dreamed of: a true 1:1 relationship with each customer. User experience design will graduate beyond a linear progression of screens. Designers will curate the emotional experience by not only designing an array of dynamic interface components, but also expressing the personality of the brand in these concierge experiences, just as real-life concierges do in Four Seasons lobbies around the world.

Every product will be reimagined to deliver a generative interface. As brands begin to deliver personalized experiences that were previously impossible without AI, the apps we use every day, from banking and healthcare to retail and entertainment, will shift from static layouts to living interfaces that respond to us, as unique as each of us. For businesses, this means a chance to connect with real empathy, meaningfully support accessibility, and build deeper relationships with each individual. And for creatives designing and building these products, the conversation finally moves beyond creating the best functional layout and toward shaping the best emotionally engaging experience.

Google: ​​Generative UI: A rich, custom, visual interactive user experience for any prompt

Airbnb: Intelligent Automation Platform: Empowering Conversational AI and Beyond at Airbnb

Vercel: Generative User Interfaces

Nielsen Norman Group: Generative UI and Outcome-Oriented Design

Flutter: GenUI SDK for Flutter

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