Working thesis
Agent interfaces are converging on three archetypes: the copilot (inline suggestions), the commander (explicit delegation via palette), and the ambient (background agent with status surface). Most products pick one; the good ones layer two.
Pattern catalogue (draft)
| Pattern | Example | Failure mode |
|---|---|---|
| Command palette | ⌘K delegation | discoverability |
| Inline diff | code review agents | trust calibration |
| Ambient ticker | monitoring agents | notification fatigue |
| Approval queue | autonomous actions | queue abandonment |
Open questions
- How much autonomy before users feel loss of control? Early data suggests an “approval budget” of ~5 interruptions per session.
- Does showing the agent’s reasoning increase trust, or just increase reading?
This is a living document — patterns are added as I ship and observe.