Interfaces have come a long way in a relatively short period of time. From when command lines were used to run programs on a computer, allowing us to interact with these machines for the first time. Then came the graphical user interfaces which would lead to be the most significant development in digital interface, allowing the creatrion of various operating systems. We are heading into a world where conversational artificial intelligence is being used ever more within a variety of services. The big players out there, Google, Amazon, Microsoft and Apple commenced this transition with their own A.I assistants packed within their technological devices and smart speakers. “A Conversational UI gives the privilege of interacting with the computer on human terms” (Maruti Techlabs, 2017). After much deliberation for my digital currency, I have decided that it would be appropriate for me to include a conversational A.I tool within the app. Since my currency focuses on mental health, I think it’s really important that users get that feeling of human interactivity through an app. People don’t want that next app thing that’s just a fancy interface, they want to connect with in, have a conversation, especially if this app has an important role to the user, like helping them with their wellbeing. This may be very difficult to achieve however, there are many examples of services that have. For instance, Slack’s chatbot – Slackbot, lives within it’s app and it ready for users to utilise, setting reminders and scheduling meetings. I have included a screenshot of a small conversation with Slackbot below.
This chatbot focuses on productivity. Not much elese. Asking it, 'how are you doing?', promts a 'I'm sorry, I dont understaand'. It was obviously not designed to make small talk with those who use Slack back help them if they experience any issues with the service. From this quick primary research I have conducted, I think it's important the at A.I chatbot needs its 'nieche' it focuses on. The Tickero chatbot should focus on peoples health, asking how they feel, why they think they felt that way. It could also focus on general activities a person goes through throughout their day.
I studied an A.I system used for the purposes of mental wellbeing, replika.ai. This A.I is very interesting. The user can 'make' it themselves. Giving them a name and a gender. The system then proceeds to have a friendly conversation with you. I testing this out a little bit and it actually does a good job in maintaining a conversation that makes sense. I also understands some slang and any spelling mistakes.
Replika also incorporates a type of graph to show the user their mood. This is done through colour signifiers. One thing I really like is the rewards system, earning badges.
I think this form of data input is better than what I have done in Tickero. A slider going from 'At my worst' to 'At my best'.
Currency interface - conversational or buttons?
My initial idea was a selection of 9 emoticons on a screen. These presented the user with options that ranged from a smiley face to a very upset face. The idea was that the user selected one of these emoticons and based on what was selected, they would be rewarded points. In retrospect, this idea would have worked as it was designed to only reward huge amounts of points to those who voted positively. And being that my currency focus on mental wellbeing, it is important that those who do not view their events as positive, they are rewarded too. I had to think of a way to combat this issue. A conversational interface? This allowed me to develop the idea further. I designed the interface so that there is a flow of conversation between the user and A.I, (my A.I is known as Tickue) whilst the user can also select options such as emoticons. The images below show this designed outcome.
As seen in the image above, there is a flow of conversation between user and Tickue. I have also incorporated symbols on the side of the user’s response. These symbols, the thumbs up for instance, signifies that Tickue has received their message and understands it. If there is anything said the A.I doesnt understand, a thumbs down would appear and the user would need to take action, rephrasing their message. The middle icon shows the user has received 5 TICK points just for sending Tickue a message. I believe this helps entice the user in using this system, which essentially exposes them to becoming a master of their wellbeing. The last symbol is where the user can add their own response from a range of emotions. Another form of input shown is music selection. The right music can help calm down a person depending on how they feel. Tickue provides the user with four options which can be played, and the chosen one is sent back.
Overall, I believe my conversational interface does a good job in making the user think about the situations why have been in, helping them reflect. Reflecting on past activities is a good way to managing your feelings and emotions. Let’s not forget, this is a digital currency brief. The user if gaining TICK points every time they speak to Tickue automatically, but also, at the end of a conversation, the A.I analyses the reposes and cross references with the data collected by the TICKBod. Based on whether Tickero thinks the user has made great strides in developing their self-help, they are rewarded generously.
Reference list:
Maruti Techlabs. (2017). What is a Conversational UI and why does it matter?. Available at: https://chatbotsmagazine.com/what-is-a-conversational-ui-and-why-it-matters-de358507b9a2 (Accessed: 3 January 2019).
Bibliography list:
Babich, N. (2018). UI of the Future: Conversational Interfaces – Shopify. Available at: https://www.shopify.co.uk/partners/blog/conversational-interfaces (Accessed: 3 January 2019).
Forms, 7. (2018). 7 reasons why Conversational Interfaces will replace Web Forms - Maruti Techlabs. Available at: https://www.marutitech.com/conversational-interfaces-will-replace-web-forms/ (Accessed: 3 January 2019).
Holland, B. (2018). The Rise Of Intelligent Conversational UI. Available at: https://www.smashingmagazine.com/2018/04/rise-intelligent-conversational-ui/ (Accessed: 3 January 2019).
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