AI waiting states are broken — and users can feel it
Why spinners, skeleton screens, and fake progress bars fail in AI products — and how a readable four-state companion rebuilds trust during latency.
8 min read → ComparisonGlim vs Lottie for AI product UIs
Honest comparison of Glim and Lottie for AI waiting states, chat companions, and ambient presence — when each wins, when to combine them.
9 min read → ComparisonGlim vs Rive for ambient AI companions
Compare Glim and Rive for interactive AI companions: state machines, runtime weight, designer workflow, and when a tiny four-state library is enough.
9 min read → ComparisonChatbot avatar libraries compared: Glim, 3D avatars, and emoji hacks
Compare approaches to chatbot avatars — 3D heads, Ready Player–style avatars, emoji, and Glim’s ambient companions — for product UX, cost, and trust.
10 min read → UX patternsSkeleton screens vs living companions for generative AI
Skeleton screens help layout loading; generative AI needs something else. Learn when to use skeletons, streams, and living companions like Glim.
8 min read → Design patternThe four-state mind design pattern for AI interfaces
A practical design pattern for AI UIs: idle, listening, thinking, talking — how to map model events to a readable public mind users trust.
9 min read → Product designHow to build a thinking indicator that doesn’t feel fake
Practical rules for AI thinking indicators: honesty, timing, motion, copy, and how libraries like Glim avoid the fake-progress trap.
8 min read → PlaybookBuilding presence into Copilot-style UIs
A playbook for IDE and SaaS copilots: where to place presence, how to sync with streams and tools, and how Glim keeps the chrome alive.
9 min read → AgentsAmbient UI design for AI agents
How to design ambient UI for multi-step AI agents: presence, activity, permissions, and calm motion — with Glim as a lightweight presence layer.
10 min read → RoundupOpen-source and free alternatives to heavy AI avatar SDKs
A practical roundup of lighter alternatives to heavy AI avatar SDKs — including Glim, CSS/SVG approaches, and when you should still pay for a full avatar stack.
9 min read → EngineeringWebGL vs CSS vs Canvas for AI companion animations
Engineering tradeoffs for AI companion motion: CSS, Canvas2D, SVG, and WebGL — performance, polish, and how Glim mixes approaches per creature.
9 min read → Competitive UXHow ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity show thinking — and what to copy
A product teardown of thinking/streaming UX in major AI chat apps, and which patterns startups should copy without cloning the brand chrome.
10 min read → TutorialHow to embed Glim in React and Next.js
Step-by-step tutorial: install @axaylabs/glim, mount a companion in React/Next.js, sync AI request states, and clean up on unmount.
7 min read → AccessibilityAccessibility for animated AI status indicators
Make AI thinking animations accessible: reduced motion, ARIA live regions, contrast, and how to pair Glim with screen-reader-friendly status text.
8 min read → Honest guideWhen NOT to use an AI companion in your product
An honest guide to skipping mascots and companions — when spinners, plain status text, or no chrome at all is the better AI UX.
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