Zero UI: A thought exercise for UX teams

Did you know:

In the United States, 153.5 million people are expected to use voice assistants. Siri has 86.5 million users in the United States. Approximately 27% of people use voice search on their mobile devices. In the U.S., 38.8 million people (13.6% of the population) use smart speakers for shopping-related activities. -Demandsage.com

"Hey, Google, turn the heat up."

I turn the heat down in winter to a brisk 63° at night for better sleep. In the morning, I ask Google to turn it back up. Yes, I have a Nest, and yes, I could schedule it, but honestly, using my voice to control the temperature makes me feel like a total baller. I feel like the world is my oyster like every possibility and every dream exists at the end of a simple voice prompt. I wonder, "What else could l make happen if I just said it out loud?" Honestly, I hope the novelty never wears off.

I love that the Nest knows when I've arrived home and turns the heat up without me asking, but there is something about the morning warm-up that I like to keep manual. Use cases are fun, aren't they?

Zero UI in SaaS, CRM & Subscription models

Before the thought exercise, let's get the creative juices flowing with some ideas for real-life Zero UI ideas for Saas, CRM, and subscription model sites:

1. Predictive UI (AI-Powered Automation) – Propose emails, forecast drop-offs, and generate insights.

2. Voice & NLP Input – Permit voice commands such as, "Show me all deals over $10K."

3. Swipe Shortcuts – Swipe through CRM pipelines rather than clicking.

4. Passive Data Capture & AI Insights – Detect feelings in emails and adjust pricing automatically.

5. Haptic Feedback & Microinteractions – Gentle vibrations or changing colors to make small indications to users. If a salesperson gets an email from a strong lead, a little haptic feedback can offer some serious dopamine.

6. Integrated Email & Chat UX – Modify CRM records simply by replying to an email.

8. Adaptive Dashboards: Understand your sales rituals; whether you always recap at 4 PM or prefer to tackle emails first thing, your dashboard anticipates and aligns with your workflow.Spot patterns in your success. If shorter emails win, you’ll know. If you close faster with a particular deal structure, it gets surfaced.

A thought exercise for your UX team to try

One of my favorite brainstorming exercises was designing the worst possible version of a user problem, feature, or product. No idea was too bad—like a backup service that prints and mails your website data. It sparks creativity, encourages problem-solving, and exposes hidden assumptions.

I created a similar workshop where UX designers conceptualize zero-UI interfaces, aiming for zero friction, zero learning curve, and zero effort. This challenges traditional design thinking and sparks new problem-solving approaches.

The key is to remember this one prompt: There must be no UI!

Here is the workshop:

1. Pick a Feature or Product

1. Choose an existing feature, product, or experience your team is working on.

2. Define its core purpose—what problem does it solve at its most fundamental level?

   
   

2. Imagine it without UX, interface, onboarding, or tutorials—yet it still works perfectly.

Method: Use Post-it notes and just words. This should be a blue-sky exploration; don't worry about feasibility.

Start with questions:

• What problem(s) does it solve so seamlessly that UI becomes invisible?

• How might it anticipate user needs so well that interaction is unnecessary? (Think automation, ambient computing, voice, predictive actions.)

• How could AI, sensors, automation, or defaults replace manual steps if money, time, and technical restraints were not an issue?

• Dream big and write down big ideas.

  
  

3. Refining and "real-worlding"

Method: Post-it notes, just words.

1. What behavioral insights make some interactions unnecessary in this UI today? Could timing, context, or behavioral insights make some interactions unnecessary?

2. What’s the simplest, most natural way for users to get their desired outcomes?

3. What immediate changes could reduce the cognitive load or manual effort?

4. What’s left of UX when there’s no UI?

5. Is true Zero UX achievable? Where does intentional friction still add value?

   
   

4. Map the New Experience

Method: Low-fi sketches

1. Sketch a user's journey not interacting with your product but still getting value.

2. Define the touchpoints that remain and whether they are passive or active.

   
   

5. Next Steps

Method: Prototyping tool of your choice

Test a low-effort prototype of your "Zero UI" concept and get user feedback. You can simulate the zero UI triggers manually by responding to the gesture, voice command or behavioral clue manually.

Zero UI: Not Removing UI, but easing things out

This exercise forces the team to examine UX in its simplest form: What needs to exist for users to succeed? Zero UI isn't about eliminating interfaces but about simplifying them. AI, automation, and natural interfaces will make human experiences easy and natural, not requiring them to work with constant UI.

More reading

• The Rise of Gesture-Based Interaction in Automotive Design. MIT Technology Review (2023).

• Zero UI: Designing for Screenless Interactions – Adobe Blog

• Contextual UX: Building Relevant and Customized Experiences – UX Collective

• Zero UI — The Future of Interfaces – WebFX Blog