Six named rewrite modes instead of one blunt AI button
Enterprise writers needed to rephrase without losing meaning or brand voice, and a single “rewrite” action was too blunt.
I designed ReWrite as a flow that starts from selected text and offers six named modes.
It shipped in April 2021 across 4 surfaces: the editor, desktop apps, browser extensions, and Figma.
“Rewrite” was one button trying to do six different jobs.
The same word covered shortening a sentence, fixing non-native phrasing, adding detail to thin copy, and changing tone for a new audience.
Three constraints shaped ReWrite: first, brand voice and governance; second, many host apps; and third, early generative AI quality.
Enterprise teams needed AI edits that stayed on brand.
Writers had to rephrase without losing meaning, tone, or brand voice. An open prompt box made that harder to control, so it was a governance risk as well as a usability problem.
Writers pick the kind of edit, so the model has less to guess.
Named modes instead of a prompt box
Rephrase, Simplify, Polish, Shorten, Enrich, and Modify tone each match a real writing task. Users pick the result they want instead of writing instructions.
Instead of A blank prompt box where users describe the change they want.
Trade-off Less flexibility for power users who wanted a custom instruction.
Start from the selection and insert in place
ReWrite opens from highlighted text and inserts the chosen version in the same spot, so writers stay in the sentence they are editing.
Instead of A side panel that rewrites whole paragraphs.
Trade-off Less room to compare several versions side by side.
The same flow in every app
Highlight, open the W menu, pick a mode, insert. The same four steps ship in the editor, browser extensions, desktop apps, and Figma.
Instead of Native UI tuned to each host app.
Trade-off The flow had to fit the most cramped host, which ruled out richer controls in the others.
In the WRITER editor, ReWrite sits next to the brand and style checks teams already used.
Nothing changes until the writer inserts a version.
- SelectHighlight text and open the W menu.
- GeneratingShows versions for the chosen mode.
- ReviewCopy or insert one. The text stays as it was until the writer picks.
- Not good enoughTry another mode or regenerate. The original stays intact.
Shipped in four places in April 2021.
ReWrite launched on the Starter, Team, and Enterprise plans. At WRITER I also designed Snippets, for storing and reusing content, and a Figma plugin for content approvals.
Named modes held up better than I expected.
Chat later became the default for writing tools. I still think named modes suit quick edits better, because the writer states the intent up front.