Skip to content
← LibraryCollection

The prompt surface

How the box asks for intent.

Everything on the page before the user presses enter. The affordances, the suggestions, the silence, the weight of the cursor. This is where most AI products give themselves away.

9 patterns
  1. The composer at rest
    What your input box says when no one is typing into it.
    9 min
  2. The suggestion chip
    A pre-written prompt the user can tap instead of type.
    7 min
  3. The context pill
    How attached sources sit next to the cursor.
    8 min
  4. The slash command menu
    Discoverable power, triggered by a single character.
    9 min
  5. The mention trigger
    Using @ to invoke a scope, a person, or a tool.
    7 min
  6. The file drop zone
    What happens the moment a file crosses the threshold.
    7 min
  7. The shortcut overlay
    Teaching the keyboard without a tour.
    8 min
  8. The capability inventory
    A quiet list of what this product can actually do.
    9 min
  9. Keyboard navigation
    The composer a power user can drive without touching the mouse.
    8 min
Other collections