AI tools ICX uses and recommends.
This page lists the AI tools, courses, and frameworks ICX uses, tests, or follows. It is for teams studying conversational AI, prompt engineering, or CX (customer experience) strategy tools. Being on this list means the tool is useful to that work. It does not mean ICX has a vendor partnership or a client deployment on every platform. See how ICX applies this work in consulting services.
Some links are affiliate links. Affiliate revenue helps support ICX's free content at no extra cost to you. Tool advice is never influenced by affiliate fees.
Free tools from ICX
Prompt Field Guide
A free teaching tool. Paste a practice prompt. Get a scored review with concrete fixes in about a minute. It uses the same rubric ICX uses in client work. Use fictional content only. No sign-up needed.
Try the Prompt Field Guide →Frameworks and methods
ICX Conversation Behavior Framework
ICX's own method for designing conversational and agentic AI. It uses four lenses. The Determinism Map sets the approach: rule-based, large language model (LLM), or hybrid. The Behavior Decision Set covers seven core moves. The State Ledger tracks what the system keeps, updates, expires, and clears. Turn Rhythm covers pacing. The premise: the flow is not the work. The judgment behind it is.
Read the framework →Agentic UX & Conversation Design
Writing by Dr. Carmen Martinez on agentic UX (user experience) and conversation design. It covers behavior design, conversation state, and the shift from UX writing to designing system behavior. It informs how ICX thinks about this work. ICX's framework credits it as an influence.
AI platforms
Anthropic (Claude)
ICX uses Claude for research, writing, and development, with human review at each step. ICX also tests Claude for conversation design, prompt behavior, and agent use cases.
Try Anthropic →Perplexity
A search and research tool. ICX uses it to study markets, compare products, and follow trends in conversational AI.
Try Perplexity →Google Dialogflow CX
Dialogflow CX supports complex, multi-turn conversations across languages and channels. Christi used it in enterprise work before founding ICX. That work included systems serving more than 20 million users.
Try Dialogflow CX →Azure AI Studio
Microsoft's platform for building and testing generative AI applications. It fits teams that already use Azure. They can get prompt, orchestration, evaluation, and governance tools in one place.
Try Azure AI →AWS Bedrock
A managed service from Amazon Web Services (AWS) for building with multiple foundation-model providers. ICX tests it for teams that need model choice, retrieval workflows, and AWS-native security and operations.
Try AWS Bedrock →OpenAI
A widely used platform for GPT-based products. It has clear API (application programming interface) guides. It works well for early prototypes and for production tools.
Try OpenAI →Design and productivity tools
Figma
ICX uses Figma to map conversation flows, organize interface concepts, and prepare prototypes for review.
Try Figma →Notion
ICX uses Notion for project documentation, prompt libraries, research notes, and knowledge bases.
Try Notion →Obsidian
ICX uses Obsidian for private, linked notes. It helps with knowledge management, research, and long-running projects.
Try Obsidian →Gamma
A presentation and document tool ICX uses to turn project findings into clear decks and reports.
Try Gamma →Lucidchart
ICX uses Lucidchart for architecture diagrams, conversation-flow maps, and system-design documentation.
Try Lucidchart →Excalidraw
A lightweight, open-source whiteboard tool with a hand-drawn look. It's good for quick brainstorming and rapid wireframing of conversational flows. It also works well for group work when you want something faster and more informal than Miro.
Try Excalidraw →Courses and certifications
Conversation Design Institute
Conversation Design Institute offers training and certification covering conversation-design basics and multimodal systems.
View Courses →Coursera: AI & ML Specializations
Courses from Google, DeepLearning.AI, Stanford, and other providers. ICX recommends structured NLP (natural language processing) coursework for people moving into conversational AI from another field.
Browse Coursera →Udemy: Prompt Engineering
Affordable, practical courses on prompt engineering and LLM application development. Good for teams that need to build prompt-writing skills fast.
Browse Udemy →Google Cloud Skills Boost
Free and paid labs for Dialogflow CX, Vertex AI, and generative AI on Google Cloud. It gives hands-on practice with tools used in enterprise deployments across the industry.
Start Learning →DataCamp
Hands-on data science and AI courses with practice coding exercises. Good for teams building data skills alongside conversational AI skills.
Try DataCamp →Anthropic Academy
Learn to build with Claude and the Anthropic API. Useful training for teams building Claude-powered conversational tools and prompt engineering skills.
Start Learning →