Collage is the New Writing: Exploring the Fragmentation of Text and User Interfaces in AI Tools

TL;DR

This paper introduces the concept of Collage as a design framework for AI writing tools, emphasizing text fragmentation, voice juxtaposition, source integration, and decision-making, to inspire innovative interface designs.

Contribution

It applies literary collage principles to analyze and inspire new AI writing tool interfaces, bridging avant-garde literature with modern AI design.

Findings

Analyzes current AI writing interfaces through the collage lens

Proposes new design directions inspired by collage concepts

Highlights the importance of integrating past literary innovations

Abstract

This essay proposes and explores the concept of Collage for the design of AI writing tools, transferred from avant-garde literature with four facets: 1) fragmenting text in writing interfaces, 2) juxtaposing voices (content vs command), 3) integrating material from multiple sources (e.g. text suggestions), and 4) shifting from manual writing to editorial and compositional decision-making, such as selecting and arranging snippets. The essay then employs Collage as an analytical lens to analyse the user interface design of recent AI writing tools, and as a constructive lens to inspire new design directions. Finally, a critical perspective relates the concerns that writers historically expressed through literary collage to AI writing tools. In a broad view, this essay explores how literary concepts can help advance design theory around AI writing tools. It encourages creators of future writing tools to engage not only with new technological possibilities, but also with past writing innovations.