The project goal
The project addresses a fundamental question: is the daily use of GenAI (ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude...) changing how people expect to interact with all digital products, not just AI-based ones?
If a user gets used to receiving immediate and personalized responses from ChatGPT, how will they perceive a traditional search engine? If they delegate complex information synthesis to an AI, what expectations will they have towards a corporate site's information architecture? If they naturally converse with a virtual assistant, how will they evaluate a structured form or menu navigation?
We're not just observing the adoption of new technology, but a potential change in the mental models people use to relate to digital systems in general.
Map the change
This project aims to scientifically document if and how the massive adoption of GenAI is changing:
Users' mental models - How they think a digital system "should" work, which cognitive metaphors they use, what level of agency they expect from technology
Behavioral expectations - Expected response speed, personalization perceived as standard, tolerance for "static" interfaces, preference for conversational vs structured interactions
Emerging needs - New informational or relational necessities, changes in priorities, evolution of the trust/delegation relationship with automatic systems
Guide the evolution of professional practices
Once we understand if and how users are changing, we must help digital professionals adapt their practices accordingly.
The operational goal is to produce a reference framework that allows different professional roles to:
- Update design assumptions: Verify if established principles (e.g., "Don't make me think", Information Scent, Cognitive Load Theory) maintain the same validity or need recalibration
- Evolve methodologies and deliverables: Understand if personas, user journeys, wireframes, and other design artifacts need to incorporate new analysis dimensions
- Anticipate future expectations: Design today considering where user expectations are shifting
Who is this project for
Primary beneficiaries: All professionals involved in designing and developing digital products - UX/UI Designers and Researchers, Product Managers, Information Architects, Service Designers, Content Strategists, Copywriters, Front-end Developers, SEO and Digital Marketing Specialists.
Scope of application: The project analyzes GenAI's impact on ALL digital products and services, with particular attention to those that DO NOT incorporate AI technologies - informational websites, traditional e-commerce, mobile applications, management systems, B2B platforms, digital public services.
If the average user spends hours daily on ChatGPT to study, work, or shop, when they return to a "normal" site they bring new implicit expectations. It's on these "traditional" products where the impact could be most disruptive.
The two project phases
Phase 1: Observing the phenomenon
Goal: Gain a scientifically grounded vision of how GenAI adoption influences people's behavior, expectations, and needs.
Approach: Hybrid methodology integrating three perspectives:
- Psychological-cognitive analysis: Study of evolving user expectations and emerging mental models through scientific literature analysis (neuroscience, cognitive psychology)
- UX-driven analysis: Critical deconstruction of cognitive pillars underlying Information Architecture and UX Design heuristics, to verify how GenAI adoption influences their foundations
- Integrative qualitative research: Collection of structured anecdotes from expert UX Researchers and analysis of documented case studies to validate theoretical insights with empirical evidence
Method:
- Collaborative collection of bibliographic sources and case studies
- Critical analysis, data triangulation, and insight synthesis
Deliverable: Report "New Mental Models" - a document mapping ongoing cognitive changes, UX assumptions under discussion, and emerging patterns observed in the field.
Phase 2: Impact on UX Design
Goal: Translate theoretical insights from Phase 1 into practical design guidelines, understanding how User Centered Design assumptions must evolve.
Approach: Multidisciplinary collective discussion of emerged insights and gathering contributions through: online roundtables and collaborative brainstorming on Figjam/Miro (synchronous and asynchronous).
Stakeholders involved: Information Architects, Service Designers, Interaction Designers, Content Strategists, Copywriters, SEO Specialists, UI Designers, Product Designers, Accessibility Experts, Business & Marketing Managers.
Project guiding principles
When analyzing and proposing design evolutions, the project commits to keeping central the foundational principles of good design:
- Accessibility: Ensure evolutions don't exclude user segments
- Inclusivity: Consider generational, cultural, and digital literacy diversity
- Social responsibility: Evaluate ethical implications of new practices
- Sustainability: Consider environmental impact of proposed solutions
- User-centeredness: Don't chase technological trends but respond to real needs
Bibliography
We're building a collaborative collection of scientific sources, case studies, and relevant articles on the topic.
→ Explore the bibliography on Notion
Join the project
The project is open to all interested professionals. You can contribute by suggesting sources, sharing case studies, participating in roundtables, or simply following updates.