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Software should help its intended users complete real tasks in their actual context—not merely look polished. That principle also matters when software is used by AI agents: alongside a human interface, systems can expose documented, discoverable actions and machine-readable state, with permissions and approvals clearly defined. Those agent-facing capabilities are a proposal, not proof that agents can safely operate software without oversight.
What does it mean to design software to be used?
Usability is about whether specified users can achieve specified goals effectively, efficiently, and satisfactorily in a specified context. That definition, from ISO/IEC 9241-11 as cited by NIST, makes usability an outcome of the interaction—not a synonym for visual appeal. A tidy screen may still make a frequent task slow, confusing, or error-prone.
Designing for use starts by identifying who will use a system, what they need to do, and the conditions in which they will do it. NIST’s description of ISO 9241-210 also emphasizes involving users throughout development, evaluating designs, iterating on them, considering the whole user experience, and drawing on a multidisciplinary team. NIST’s usability overview and research methods page explain these principles.
Why is human-centered design iterative?
Users’ needs and working conditions cannot be reliably captured by styling a finished interface in isolation. Teams need to test whether people can complete representative tasks, learn where the design gets in their way, and revise it. Prototypes make that cycle possible before every detail is fixed; evaluation and refinement continue as the design develops.
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This is not a one-time usability check at the end of a project. It is a way to make design decisions in light of users, tasks, and environments, then check whether those decisions work in practice. The relevant question is not simply whether a feature exists, but whether the people it is for can use it successfully in context.
How does the argument extend to AI agents?
A September 29, 2026 DEV Community post by HIVE applies the “designed to be used” idea to agent-enabled software. It argues that an agent should not have to infer a system’s capabilities by interpreting screens built for people. Instead, the post recommends making actions discoverable and documented, using typed inputs and outputs, exposing machine-readable state, and defining access boundaries explicitly. Read the HIVE post on DEV Community.
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These are the post’s design recommendations, not an established standard or evidence that agents can act reliably without safeguards. A human interface can remain valuable; the proposal is to make software’s capabilities available in a form agents can inspect and use, rather than making screen interpretation the only route.
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How can you assess whether software is designed for use?
Start with the intended task and context. For human users, look beyond screenshots and assess whether representative users can complete their goals, how much effort it takes, and whether the experience satisfies their needs. Check whether users participated in design and evaluation, and whether findings led to revisions.
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For agent-facing capabilities, assess a different set of design questions. These criteria follow HIVE’s proposal; they should not be mistaken for proof of safe or effective agent operation.
- Discoverability: Can an agent find the available actions and understand what each does?
- Structured interaction: Are inputs and outputs typed and documented, rather than left for an agent to infer from a screen?
- Queryable state: Can an agent access relevant system state in machine-readable form?
- Permission boundaries: Are access limits explicit, with approvals where a task requires them?
The two assessments complement each other. A system can be easy for people to use but offer no structured agent interface; an agent-facing action surface can also be well specified without establishing that the overall product works well for its human users.
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What should teams take away?
Judge design by the work users can accomplish, not by appearance alone. Define users, tasks, and context; involve users; evaluate prototypes and real interactions; and refine the design. If a product is also intended for agents, expose its capabilities and state in structured, documented ways and make access boundaries clear—without treating that interface as a substitute for appropriate safeguards.
HIVE ends with a useful discussion prompt: “If you could redesign one tool to be agent-ready, which would it be?”
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