WhatnotEXAMPLE 01
Ask about needs, then configure accordingly
Whatnot asks about interests before shaping the home feed. The user expresses preferences rather than constructing the entire navigation.
Delegated Decisions
Do the design work before asking users to configure it.
01 / UNDERSTAND
The idea
Flexibility is useful when people understand a choice and benefit from making it. Asking users to build their entire experience can transfer unresolved product decisions to them. Offer a coherent starting point with meaningful control.
Giving people unlimited customisation does not resolve an unclear product design. A blank dashboard asks them to decide what matters before they understand the tool. Provide a useful configuration informed by research, then allow meaningful adjustments. Explain the consequences when a decision genuinely belongs to the user.
02 / RECOGNISE
See it in real products.
Examples of how the principle can appear in an interface.
Rise Sleep TrackingEXAMPLE 02
Explain a consequential setting
Rise Sleep Tracking marks a typical range beside a timing slider. The context helps someone make a configuration choice they might otherwise be poorly equipped to judge.
03 / CONNECT
Why it matters.
Too much initial configuration can create anxiety, weak setups or early abandonment. Meaningful choices need context about what they will change.
Possible influences to investigate, rather than guaranteed outcomes for every product.
04 / APPLY
Put it into practice.
- 01
Provide a useful starting state
- 02
Explain the consequences of customisation
- 03
Support reset and undo
05 / EXPLORE WITH UPSLIDE
Apply it with Upslide.
Use a practical guide, read a deeper explanation, or examine a related Upslide project.
The B2B SaaS User Persona Framework
Identify which decisions belong to the system and which need human ownership.
AI Decision UX Design for Trust and Clarity
8 mins readReview recommendation context, disagreement, user control and failure in an AI-assisted decision.
RCAI’s validation and cause-definition steps provide a useful setting for reviewing human oversight.
CONNECT THE IDEAS
Related principles
Keep exploring
