Concept Project
Trace — Designing an AI Workflow System That Turns Creative Chaos Into Structured Output
AI tools have fundamentally changed how designers and product teams work. Ideas are generated faster than ever, yet creative workflows have become fragmented, disorganized, and difficult to manage. Trace is a conceptual AI-powered workspace designed to help creatives organize prompts, track idea evolution, and transform AI-generated outputs into structured project outcomes.
Role
Product Designer
Timeline
8 weeks (concept project)
Scope
Product strategy, UX research, interaction design, UI design
Platform
Desktop web application
The Problem
AI accelerates ideation but breaks workflow clarity. Creative professionals today rely on multiple AI tools:
ChatGPT
For ideation
Midjourney
For visuals
Notion AI
For writing
Figma Plugins
For design
Outputs are scattered across platforms with no system to:
Track how ideas evolve
Reuse effective prompts
Connect AI outputs to real project stages
Maintain direction across iterations
The Result
  • Lost ideas
  • Repeated work
  • Cognitive overload
  • No traceability
According to McKinsey, generative AI can increase productivity by up to 40%, yet knowledge workers spend nearly 20% of their time searching for internal information.
Design Goal
Design a system that helps creatives move from:
This flow represents the core design goal of Trace — giving creatives full visibility and control at every stage of their workflow.
Target Users
Primary Users
  • Product designers
  • Product managers
  • Creative students
  • AI-heavy content creators
Core Needs
  • Organize prompts and outputs
  • Understand idea progression
  • Reduce tool fragmentation
  • Turn exploration into execution
Research Methods
Interviews
With designers and PM students
Workflow Observation
Watching real creative sessions
Competitive Analysis
Mapping the existing tool landscape
Key Insights
1. Strong prompts get lost
Users rarely reuse high-performing prompts because they're buried in conversations.
2. Idea evolution is invisible
Teams can't explain how a concept developed.
3. Tool switching breaks flow
Constant context switching kills momentum. Microsoft research shows workers switch digital contexts every 47 seconds, significantly hurting productivity.
Product Concept: Trace
A system that tracks, organizes, and structures the entire lifecycle of an idea. Trace connects:
Prompts
Outputs
Project Stages
…into one continuous, navigable flow.
Core Features
Trace is built around four core features that address the key pain points identified in research. Each feature targets a specific breakdown in the creative AI workflow.
Core Feature 4
Prompt Library
A structured space to store and reuse prompts.
Tagging and categorization
Organize prompts by project, type, or outcome so they're always findable.
Performance tracking
See which prompts generated the best outputs over time.
Reusable prompt systems
Build a personal library of high-performing prompt templates.
Impact
Reduces redundant work and improves consistency.
Instead of losing your best prompts in a chat history, the Prompt Library makes them a reusable creative asset.
Core Feature 5
Idea Evolution Timeline
A visual timeline showing how ideas develop over time.
1
Compare Iterations
See how outputs changed from one prompt to the next.
2
Restore Previous Versions
Roll back to any earlier state of an idea without losing progress.
3
Understand Decision History
Know why a concept evolved the way it did.
Impact: Makes creative thinking traceable. Teams can finally explain how a concept developed — and prove the thinking behind every decision.
Core Feature 6
Output Mapping
AI outputs are assigned to specific workflow stages:
Impact: Turns scattered outputs into structured progress. Every AI-generated asset has a home in the project — nothing gets lost between stages.
Core Feature 7
Smart Structuring
AI converts raw outputs into usable formats:
Design Briefs
Structured creative direction from raw ideation outputs.
Case Study Drafts
Narrative-ready documents built from project history.
Product Requirement Docs
Structured specs derived from concept-stage outputs.
Impact
Bridges the gap between ideation and execution.
Smart Structuring is the final step that transforms creative exploration into professional deliverables — without starting from scratch.
Core Feature 8
Workflow Insights Dashboard
Tracks creative performance:
40%
Idea Retrieval
Estimated reduction in idea retrieval time
↑
Prompt Reuse Rate
Track how often high-performing prompts are reused
↓
Iteration Cycles
Fewer redundant loops through the same ideas
Impact: Helps users optimize how they work. Based on productivity benchmarks from AI adoption studies.
Product Strategy
MVP Focus
Trace prioritizes:
  • Organization
  • Traceability
  • Workflow clarity
Instead of competing with AI generation tools, it complements them.
Competitive Positioning
UX Design
Information Architecture
Three core entities:
  • Prompts
  • Outputs
  • Projects
Everything connects across these layers.
User Flow
Create Prompt → Generate Output → Save → Assign Stage → Track Evolution → Export
Goal: Minimize friction between thinking and doing.
Visual Design Principles
  • Minimal cognitive load
  • Clear hierarchy
  • Calm, focused workspace
  • AI-native feel without visual noise
Influences: Linear, Notion, Apple productivity systems. Dark mode supports long sessions.
Reflection
This project shifted my focus from designing interfaces to designing systems. The real challenge wasn't generating better ideas, it was managing the complexity AI introduces into creative work. Trace explores how design can bring structure, clarity, and continuity to AI-driven workflows.
Future Directions
Real-time team collaboration
Cross-tool integrations
Personalized AI learning user behavior
Predictive workflow suggestions
Skills Demonstrated
Product thinking
AI interaction design
Systems design
UX research
Information architecture
Strategic design