ROLE
Product Designer
TIMELINE
2 Days
TEAM
Individual
RESPONSIBILITY
Ideation, Product Design, User Testing
ROLE
Product Designer
TEAM
Individual
TIMELINE
2 Days
RESPONSIBILITY
Ideation, Product Design, User Testing
✶ OVERVIEW
✶ OVERVIEW
Decision Trace is a lightweight Chrome extension that surfaces decision signals directly on top of AI responses. Instead of explaining what the model says, it reveals how much trust a response might deserve.
Decision Trace is a lightweight Chrome extension that surfaces decision signals directly on top of AI responses. Instead of explaining what the model says, it reveals how much trust a response might deserve.
✶ WHY
✶ WHY
I spend a lot of time using AI tools in my everyday life. Over time, I realized that AI answers often sound confident, even when there is uncertainty or real-world risk hidden in the response. Without any clear structure, it is easy to accept these answers as reasonable and move on.
Decision Trace makes those hidden decision signals visible, without getting in the way of how people normally read and think.
I spend a lot of time using AI tools in my everyday life. Over time, I realized that AI answers often sound confident, even when there is uncertainty or real-world risk hidden in the response. Without any clear structure, it is easy to accept these answers as reasonable and move on.
Decision Trace makes those hidden decision signals visible, without getting in the way of how people normally read and think.
✶ IDEA
✶ IDEA
What if AI outputs felt inspectable rather than authoritative?
What if AI outputs felt inspectable rather than authoritative?
Decision Trace introduces a quiet layer that visualizes risk, uncertainty, and evidence gaps at the moment of reading.
Decision Trace introduces a quiet layer that visualizes risk, uncertainty, and evidence gaps at the moment of reading.
✶ WHAT IT DOES
✶ WHAT IT DOES
Decision Trace automatically detects new AI responses and displays
Decision Trace automatically detects new AI responses and displays
Task type
Risk presence
Missing evidence signals
Uncertainty markers
Task type
Risk presence
Missing evidence signals
Uncertainty markers
Details stay hidden unless the user chooses to inspect further.
Details stay hidden unless the user chooses to inspect further.
✶ AI METHODOLOGY
✶ AI METHODOLOGY
01. Conceptual Logic
01. Conceptual Logic
with ChatGPT
Used to structure complex decision scenarios and define the system’s underlying logic.
Abstract intuition was translated into explicit reasoning models, forming the conceptual backbone of the project.
Used to structure complex decision scenarios and define the system’s underlying logic.
Abstract intuition was translated into explicit reasoning models, forming the conceptual backbone of the project.
02. Technical Translation
02. Technical Translation
with Claude
Used to translate the defined logic into a working Chrome extension.
Enabled rapid prototyping of real interactions, shortening the design-to-code cycle.
Used to translate the defined logic into a working Chrome extension.
Enabled rapid prototyping of real interactions, shortening the design-to-code cycle.
03. Conceptual Logic
03. Conceptual Logic
with Human-in-the-loop
While AI handled syntax and structure, creative decisions stayed human-led.
Based on quick user feedback, I adjusted tone, visual balance, and usability to better support real reading.
While AI handled syntax and structure, creative decisions stayed human-led.
Based on quick user feedback, I adjusted tone, visual balance, and usability to better support real reading.
✶ VISUAL APPROACH
✶ VISUAL APPROACH
Ask a question → AI responds → signals update automatically
Ask a question → AI responds → signals update automatically
Signals are passive indicators, not instructions.
Users can open a Details view to explore a minimal decision tree without breaking reading flow.
Signals are passive indicators, not instructions.
Users can open a Details view to explore a minimal decision tree without breaking reading flow.
✶ KEY FEATURES
✶ KEY FEATURES
Ask and read naturally
Ask and read naturally
The interface is signal-first and text-light. Inspired by system indicators and familiar UI patterns,
the UI stays calm, translucent, and non-intrusive.
The interface is signal-first and text-light. Inspired by system indicators and familiar UI patterns,
the UI stays calm, translucent, and non-intrusive.
Signals update automatically
Signals update automatically
As the response appears, key decision signals are detected in real time, advice, risk, evidence, and uncertainty.
As the response appears, key decision signals are detected in real time, advice, risk, evidence, and uncertainty.
Inspect only if needed
Inspect only if needed
Why Details helps?
Why Details helps?
Details doesn’t explain more. It shows what kind of reasoning is happening.
Details doesn’t explain more. It shows what kind of reasoning is happening.
Where advice begins
Which real-world risks are involved
Whether claims imply evidence
Where uncertainty is introduced
This allows users to slow down only when it matters.
This allows users to slow down only when it matters.
Click Details to reveal a minimal decision tree.
See how the response is structured without leaving the reading flow.
Click Details to reveal a minimal decision tree.
See how the response is structured without leaving the reading flow.
✶ ITERATION
✶ ITERATION
Each iteration was tested with 3 users for quick feedback on clarity and reading flow.
Each iteration was tested with 3 users for quick feedback on clarity and reading flow.
Iteration 1
Iteration 1
Buttons invited explicit actions but drew attention away from reading.
Buttons invited explicit actions but drew attention away from reading.
Feedback
Feedback
Too verbose
Required multiple actions to access deeper tracing
Pulled attention away from reading the AI response
Felt intrusive rather than supportive
Too verbose
Required multiple actions to access deeper tracing
Pulled attention away from reading the AI response
Felt intrusive rather than supportive
Iteration 2
Iteration 2
Simplified to signals only, but lacked a path for deeper inspection.
Simplified to signals only, but lacked a path for deeper inspection.
Feedback
Feedback
Lighter and less distracting
However, it felt too minimal
Without a way to explore further, the signals felt incomplete
Overall, the interface felt unfinished
Lighter and less distracting
However, it felt too minimal
Without a way to explore further, the signals felt incomplete
Overall, the interface felt unfinished
Final Iteration
Final Iteration
A signal-first, progressive design with scoped detail view that enhances reading without interruption.
A signal-first, progressive design with scoped detail view that enhances reading without interruption.
Key changes
Key changes
Removed all action buttons
Reduced language to core decision signals
Introduced a structured decision tree behind a single “Details” control
Enabled scrollable inspection without expanding the panel itself
Removed all action buttons
Reduced language to core decision signals
Introduced a structured decision tree behind a single “Details” control
Enabled scrollable inspection without expanding the panel itself