PROBLEM STATEMENT

With AI Chatbots gaining traction in cities, the County of SLO partnered with iter8 to conduct foundational research on what the people of SLO want. So that where our team came in — what do the people of SLO want from a chatbot? Do they want a chatbot? What information can we give the DX Hub team to construct a useful chatbot for the city?

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EMPATHIZE

The team came up with concise research goals and a research plan to conduct a field study. As this product is meant to be for SLO residents, talking to a wide range of the target audience was an important part of our design process. Our team members ventured out into the city to engage with a diverse cross-section of the community.

Using actual quotes from user interviews, we categorized unique statements into 7 different personas, which we then used to create 7 unique user personas.

IDEATE

Before diving into design, we focused on defining the copy and identity of the AI chatbot. Our primary goal was to establish a welcoming and approachable voice and tone, ensuring users felt at ease when conversing and inquiring AI about sensitive topics. To achieve this, we explored potential interactions for each user persona and developed responses that aligned with the desired voice and tone of the chatbot.

For the design aspect, we pushed ourselves in creating designs that are both user friendly and intuitive.

LESSONS

This was my first time working on a design that would be implemented with AI, which I'm sure I have to get used to! However, as this was an unknown territory for me and my team, it was exciting to learn about the capabilities of AI but also to listen to people's reservations with trusting AI with their information.

If I were to do this project differently, I would explore different cities in the County of SLO to get a wider representation of people's thoughts and opinions.