Case Study: aGen – Designing an AI-Powered Assistant for Smarter Content Operations

aGen is an all-in-one AI-powered assistant designed to streamline and automate content operations — from ideation to publishing. My role was to design a clean, intuitive interface that empowers teams to generate, organize, and deploy content with confidence.

1. Discover – Understanding the Problem

Before diving into design, I needed to understand the landscape of content operations and the role AI plays in simplifying it.

Client Goals:

Build a platform where users can:

• Generate content ideas using AI

• Draft and organize content

• Collaborate with teams

• Automate posting and publishing workflows

User Research:

I conducted surveys and interviews with content managers, marketers, and social media teams to identify pain points in their workflows.

Key Insight:

“Users were switching between too many tools — they wanted everything in one place with automation and smart suggestions built in.”

2. Ideate – Structuring the Solution

With insights gathered, I began crafting a user flow and core experience that centered around simplicity and speed.

Core Features Identified:

• AI content generator (blogs, captions, scripts, etc.)

• Smart content calendar

• Team collaboration and approval flow

• Publishing automation (social, blog, CMS integrations)

Wireframes & Feedback:

Initial wireframes focused on a minimal interface with a sidebar for navigation and modular content blocks. Stakeholders emphasized the importance of AI clarity — users should always know what the AI is doing and why.

Decision:

I kept the workspace clean, modular, and user-guided, placing AI suggestions contextually rather than overwhelming the screen with options.

3. Design – Building an Intuitive AI Experience

With structure and flows in place, I moved on to high-fidelity designs.

Design Tools:

All design work was done in Figma, with a custom component system for scalability and responsiveness.

Visual Language:

• Neutral color palette with smart use of color to highlight AI activity and actions

• Clear icons and labels to distinguish human input from AI-generated content

• Collapsible sidebars for focus mode

Interactive Prototype:

I built a prototype showcasing:

1. Generating blog post ideas

2. Drafting with inline AI suggestions

3. Scheduling via content calendar

4. Collaborating with team members in a shared workspace

4. Test & Refine – Making AI Feel Human

I tested the prototype with content creators and marketers to refine clarity, trust, and usability.

Usability Testing:

Testers loved the idea of having AI integrated, but some were confused by AI suggestions vs. human edits.

Findings:

• Needed clearer labeling for AI-generated sections

• The calendar flow needed drag-and-drop support

• Team permissions were too buried

Final Adjustments:

• Added AI highlight toggles

• Implemented drag-and-drop content rescheduling

• Designed a simplified team role and approval panel

5. Deliver – From Concept to Launch

The final stage was preparing a seamless developer handoff.

• Design system with components and tokens

• Interactive prototypes with motion guidance

• Detailed documentation for AI interaction patterns and empty states

• Ongoing support during build-out and feedback cycles

Conclusion

aGen is now a seamless platform where content teams can ideate, create, and deploy — all in one place.

With AI thoughtfully integrated, the product eliminates manual repetition and enhances creativity.

Early Results:

• +55% reduction in content creation time

• +40% increase in team output

• Positive feedback from beta users on AI-human collaboration flow

Designing with AI means building clarity, control, and confidence into every step.

With aGen, content teams can finally do more — without doing it all.