A good agent makes clear what it is doing, can be kept under control, and behaves consistently before and after use. This matters more than showing off.
Remember These Points First
- An agent should help people, not replace them: connect people and knowledge, appear when needed, and don't disturb.
- In terms of time: it draws on the past, nudges in the moment instead of constantly pushing notifications, and gradually adapts to you over time.
- Core: accept that agents are uncertain, so build trust and stay transparent.
- Three guidelines: transparent, controllable, consistent.
Going Deeper
Space. An agent is best like a reliable assistant: easy to find at any time, but in the background most of the time. Its action paths should be transparent to users, and users can take control at any moment.
Time. In the past, it referred to history rather than looking only at the one thing in front of it. Now, instead of pushing notifications indiscriminately, it gently reminds you at the right moment. In the future, it adapts to your devices and habits and becomes smoother to use the more you use it.
How the three guidelines apply. Take a travel agent as an example:
| Guideline | Practice |
|---|---|
| Transparent | State clearly that it is AI; provide onboarding guidance and sample prompts; show past questions; leave a feedback entry point; explain which topics it covers and its usage limits |
| Controllable | Let users edit the system prompt; choose the answer style and level of detail; view and delete their own data and conversations |
| Consistent | Reuse icons and interactions people already know, such as the paperclip for attaching files, to reduce learning cost |
The image comes from the course repository.
Try It Yourself
Take an AI product you have used and score it on transparent, controllable, and consistent. See which one is weakest.
Let Your Agent Teach You
Give the following to your agent (Claude Code, ChatGPT, and Gemini all work), and it will guide you step by step like a mentor.
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References
- Content adapted from Lesson 3 (
03-agentic-design-patterns) of microsoft/ai-agents-for-beginners, whose original project is under the MIT license. - For the original and full code: 03-agentic-design-patterns
- For all courses, see the Agent course roadmap
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