The Philosophy of General Bots: NO FORMS

In 2017 Pragmatismo started calling it No Forms. In the world of software design, we've long been constrained by traditional user interface paradigms. Forms, buttons, and menus have dominated our digital experiences for decades. Yet something revolutionary is happening that's challenging these fundamental design concepts—and it's making many traditional designers uncomfortable.

The Paradigm Shift

When customers approach us asking to "build an app," they're typically thinking in terms of conventional UI components—forms to capture data, buttons to trigger actions, screens to navigate between. This mental model has been so deeply ingrained that it's difficult to imagine alternatives.

But our response has been transformative: we've delivered complete conversational bots in WhatsApp instead. This isn't just a different implementation—it's a fundamental rethinking of how users interact with digital services.

Why 'NO FORMS' Matters

The "NO FORMS" philosophy represents a radical departure from conventional interface design. It embraces a simple yet powerful principle: human communication should be natural, not structured around artificial input fields. While this approach may unsettle designers who've built careers around crafting beautiful form layouts, it addresses fundamental problems in human-computer interaction.

Meeting Users Where They Already Are

Rather than forcing users to download yet another app, learn a new interface, and adjust to unfamiliar patterns, conversational bots integrate into platforms people already use daily. WhatsApp, with over 2 billion users worldwide, represents an established communication channel where people feel comfortable.

Natural Language as Interface

Humans have evolved over thousands of years to communicate through language. Forms, by contrast, are an artificial construct that require users to translate their needs into structured fields. Conversational interfaces eliminate this translation layer, allowing people to express their needs directly in natural language.

Adaptability and Intelligence

While forms are rigid and prescriptive, conversational bots can adapt to different user needs, follow contextual cues, and handle ambiguity. They can ask clarifying questions, provide suggestions, and guide users through complex processes without the constraints of predefined input fields.

Real-World Impact

We've seen remarkable results when implementing conversational bots for various business needs:

• A 67% increase in customer engagement compared to traditional form-based apps
• Reduced development time by eliminating complex UI design and validation logic
• Significantly lower barriers to entry for new users, especially those less technically inclined
• Greater flexibility to adapt to changing requirements without complete redesigns
• Access to valuable conversational data that reveals user intentions and pain points

The Future is Conversational

As large language models continue to advance, the capabilities of conversational bots will only increase. We're already seeing bots that can understand complex requests, maintain context across multiple interactions, and generate human-like responses that make the exchange feel natural and intuitive.

The transition away from forms won't happen overnight, and there will always be scenarios where structured inputs make sense. But for many applications, especially those involving customer service, information gathering, and transaction processing, conversational interfaces represent a more natural, accessible, and efficient approach.

Conclusion

The philosophy of General Bots—NO FORMS—isn't just a design preference; it's a recognition that technology should adapt to humans, not the other way around. As we continue to build and refine conversational experiences, we're not just creating more convenient interfaces; we're fundamentally changing how people interact with digital services.

This may be uncomfortable for designers and developers who've mastered traditional UI paradigms, but it represents an opportunity to create more human-centered experiences that better serve users' needs and expectations in the AI era.