Designing a Conversational AI Experience for Cloud Infrastructure

Overview

AI is transforming how users interact with technology—and cloud infrastructure is no exception. In 2023, Pulumi launched Pulumi AI, a generative AI tool designed to help developers solve complex cloud problems using Infrastructure-as-Code.

Building on that success, Pulumi introduced Pulumi Copilot, a conversational chat interface integrated into Pulumi Cloud. Copilot empowers users to manage infrastructure, troubleshoot issues, and gain insights using natural language—making cloud workflows faster and more accessible.

Challenge

I joined the Copilot project as a UI designer after UX research had wrapped and a basic UI had been implemented by engineering. The challenge was to refine and elevate the design without a complete overhaul—balancing aesthetic polish with usability improvements.

Key design challenges included:

• Enhancing visual appeal without disrupting existing user flows
• Designing within technical constraints of an active dev cycle
• Creating new components for an emerging AI interface paradigm
• Giving Copilot its own identity, while keeping it cohesive with Pulumi Cloud

Solution

To begin, I conducted competitive research into chat UIs and best practices—analyzing modern patterns from both dev tools and consumer platforms.

Then, I created a first-pass redesign, which I iterated on weekly with the team. This included:

• Designing new UI components: chat messages, code blocks, prompt cards, menus
• Contributing to a design system tailored for conversational UI
• Creating five custom logo concepts using Pulumi’s gradient brand palette
• Collaborating closely with PMs and engineers to ensure feasibility and alignment

Throughout the process, I focused on creating a design that was both visually clean and functionally intuitive—supporting everything from prompt interactions to embedded code outputs.