A case study in Conversational User Experience Design by Vivek Menon

Degree project Digital Ecosystems in Telecom Sponsor : IBM India Pvt Ltd, Bangalore

Volume : 1 of 1 student : vivek menon muralidhar programme : Bachelors of Design (B. Des)

guide : chakradhar saswade

2017 communication design faculty (graphic dESIGN)

National Institute of Design Ahmedabad

Vivek Menon • UG Graphic Design • Graduation Project 2017

National iNSTITUTE OF dESIGN

The Evaluation Jury recommends VIVEK MENON MURALIDHAR for the

Degree of the National Institute of Design IN COMMUNICATION DESIGN (GRAPHIC DESIGN)

herewith, for the project titled "DIGITAL ECOSYSTEMS IN TELECOM" on fulfilling the further requirements by*

Chairman Members :

Jury Grade : *Subsequent remarks regarding fulfilling the requirements :

Activity Chairperson, Education 3

Vivek Menon • UG Graphic Design • Graduation Project 2017

Copyright © 2017-2018 Student document publication meant for private circulation only. All rights reserved. Bachelor of Design, Graphic Design 2013-17 National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad, India. No part of this document will be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means including photocopying, xerography, photography and videography recording without written permission from the publisher, Vivek Menon Muralidhar and National Institute of Design. All illustrations and photographs in this document are Copyright © 2017-2018 by respective people/ organizations. Typeset in IBM Plex Sans, and IBM Plex Mono Font Families Edited and designed by Name: Vivek Menon Muralidhar Email: vivek_m@nid.edu, vivekmenon795@gmail.com under the guidance of Mr. Chakradhar Saswade Processed at National Institute of Design (NID) Paldi, Ahmedabad - 380007 Gujarat, India www.nid.edu Printed digitally in Ahmedabad, India September, 2017

National Institute of Design

National iNSTITUTE OF dESIGN

Originality Statement

I hereby declare that this submission is my own work and it contains no full or substantial copy of previously published material, or it does not even contain substantial proportions of material which have been accepted for the award of any other degree or diploma of any other educational institution, except where due acknowledgement is made in this diploma project. Moreover I also declare that none of the concepts are borrowed or copied without due acknowledgement. I further declare that the intellectual content of this Diploma Project is the product of my own work, except to the extent that assistance from others in this projectâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s design and conception or in style, presentation and linguistic expression is acknowledged. This diploma project(or part of it), was not and will not be submitted as assessed work in any other academic course.

I hereby grant the National Institute of Design the right to archive and make available my diploma project/thesis/dissertation in whole or in part in the Institutesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Knowledge Management Centre in all forms of media, now or hereafter known, subject to the provisions of the Copyright Act. I have either used no substantial portions of copyright material in my document or I have obtained permission to use copyright material.

Vivek Menon Muralidhar

Signature _____________________

Date _________________________

Vivek Menon • UG Graphic Design • Graduation Project 2017

acknowledgement I am humbly grateful to my University, the National Institute of Design, my home for the past four years, for giving me the support and environment to develop the curiosity and attitude to not just accept things the way they are, and to question everything, as a way to evaluate the design of everyday life around me. And also for the skillset that I was able to develop, in order to develop my own creative confidence. My mentor, Mr. Chakradhar Saswade who played a pivotal role in guiding me through my design process, and has always been available whenever I’ve needed his mentorship and finely articulated wisdom. Friends and family for bearing all my needs, and giving me enough love, freedom and resources to pursue the opportunities that I chose. Philip, Azmina, Sriram and the enormous IBM IxM Team for accepting me as one of their own, and giving me the guidance and exposure that I needed to become an IBMer.

National iNSTITUTE OF dESIGN

A day at the IBM Design Studio _

Vivek Menon â&#x20AC;˘ UG Graphic Design â&#x20AC;˘ Graduation Project 2017

page

the national Institute of Design

3 tier data collection

my guide

introduction

my design sensibility

the indian telecom consumer & user segmentation

non disclosure agreement

consumer ecosystem map

synopsis

engaging consumer experiences

the ibm design thinking framework

4 step ideation process

wordcloud

cluster & organise

make connections

discover connections

idea generation

prioritisation grid

background

shortlisting ideas

framing the Project brief

fulfilling themes

Project proposal and Timeline

the chatbot

PrOLOGUE

Phase 1

Phase 2

Research

Ideation

National iNSTITUTE OF dESIGN

6 step design sprint process

sprint 1

conclusion

151

the rise of Conversational Commerce and a single messenger application

sprint 2

references

153

sprint 3

arrangement of messages

development of visual language

103

botâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s physical appearance

127

phatic expression

129

19 20

hybrid interfaces as the future of chat interfaces

the familiarity of texting

Human-centered design to Humanizing Design

breaking the stigma

anticipatory design

Phase 3 Execution

Vivek Menon • UG Graphic Design • Graduation Project 2017

the national Institute of Design

The National Institute of Design is internationally acclaimed as one of the foremost multi-disciplinary institutions in the field of Design Education and Research.

The strongest thing NID has is it’s community. A community of eccentric, evolving individualists. Some of the best moments of my life have happened in the past four years, and they were all a part of my ongoing NID journey, even if not within the walls of the campus. I say ongoing, because the greatest privilege about being an NIDian is being able to carry that tag with you forever and getting to be a part of such an elite community that one learns his way into. NID is often a different journey for different people. My NID journey was incubative, arduous, and most importantly valuable. What NID has been for me, over the past four years was primarily an environment in which I could mould into the best version of myself, and learn to thrive, an experience most people never have the fortune of enjoying in an entire lifetime.

And as I have spent many courses uncovering some of the world’s greatest truths and design’s vital skills, NID teaches us to be humble, and to use our craft to benefit others and never self-indulge, as we go about living a life staying constantly curious. A tumultuous ebb and flow of realisation and knowledge. I will miss every inch of this campus and every minute of this journey. I will miss introspective morning walks to class as sunlight beams through the trees; unfailingly having likeminded people to discuss ideas with over chai; being stuffed into a rickshaw with a group of friends; the basketball court that has seen decades of one too many stories; and Garba and the brick walls and the rains - The Culture, the depths of intellect, and the time tested Creative Breeding ground that is NID ~

National iNSTITUTE OF dESIGN

A day at NID _

Vivek Menon • UG Graphic Design • Graduation Project 2017

my guide

Chakradhar Saswade teaches theory and practice of Visual Semiotics and Design Fundamentals at NID.

Every design project done by students in NID, requires the guidance of a faculty member. The guide could generally be a subject expert or someone with an area of specialization in the selected topic. In most cases, the guide’s job is to primarily put the student back on track when he is lost, and the guide in conjunction with the student will work out a schedule for periodic reviews during the course of the project. Chakradhar Saswade was one of the first faculties I met during my NID journey who handled two of my courses in my first year: Elements of Composition and Space, Form, Structure. He leads the Information Design discipline at NID, and operates out of the Bangalore Campus. When I decided to do my project based out of Bangalore, I immediately jumped at the idea of taking Chakradhar as my guide with whom I had not interacted with since my First year at NID. His highly regarded oversight,

having shaped the start of my NID journey and strengthened my Design Fundamentals, it was only fitting that my NID journey would end under his guidance as well. Chakradhar is highly proficient in the field of visual semantics and symbolism; and his greatest superpower is his articulation abilities, with which he provides the most valuable insight and knowledge on any given topic. Every single session with him gave me a chance to fill out pages, with wisdom that he poured out so effortlessly, which always put me back on track. Design is often is a very subjective field, but Chakradhar is able to beautifully make abstract concepts tangible with words, and occasionally there is nothing that a design student needs, more than clarity. I am highly grateful that I got this final opportunity to be under his guidance.

National iNSTITUTE OF dESIGN

Chakradhar Saswade - Guide _

Vivek Menon • UG Graphic Design • Graduation Project 2017

my design sensibility

My favourite thing about being a designer is that I get to feel the satisfaction of producing something out to nothing, while attempting to make a difference in somebody’s life. “My love for the design process manifests itself in my need to create Informative, Interactive and Illustrative experiences that positively impact and visually engage people.” Being a designer is fulfilling because it is an ever-evolving industry with new demands each day. To keep up-to-date with the everevolving nature of the industry, one must keep himself informed and sensitized to the world. In doing so, one differentiates oneself from the general consumer and thereby identifies as a creator instead. Design to me is primarily about a systematic process of understanding a group’s intent and requirements and trying to fulfil them by creating a justifiable experience.

An important aspect of Design in my opinion which most people overlook, is that the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. How efficiently time is managed, how profitable and viable the design solution is, the ability to follow a process from research to finally producing a visually aesthetic and engaging product. Every bit of it contributes to the overall impact and effectiveness of the design. And it is possible to achieve high quality in every aspect individually. It personally bothers me when I hear designers say things like “This was the best that could be achieved in the given time”, or “The Client was being too rigid”; because everything that a designer has to deal with, from the timeline, to the budget, to the nature of the client, are all Design constraints. The ability to handle each aspect of it speaks volumes about the designer itself, and they are not individual restrictions by themselves. The Design Process must take into account these very constraints and treat them as Design constraints within which, a good designer must still be able to produce excellent work.

A designer’s job is not restricted to just producing visuals, but holistically contextualising and presenting those visuals, based on the client’s and consumer’s needs and receptiveness as well.

National iNSTITUTE OF dESIGN

IBM Workspace _

drawings, notebooks, reports, and any other hard copy or electronic documents or records. No employee is prohibited from reporting possible violations of law or regulation to a government agency, as protected by law.

Vivek Menon • UG Graphic Design • Graduation Project 2017

Confidential information or material of IBM is any information or material: (a) generated or collected by or utilized in the operations of IBM;

received from any third party; obtained from an entity IBM acquired or in which IBM purchased a controlling interest (including information or

material received by that entity from a third party); or suggested by or resulting from any task assigned to me or work performed by me for or

on behalf of IBM; and (b) which has not been made available generally to the public, whether or not expressed in a document or other medium and whether or not marked "IBM Confidential" or with any similar legend of IBM or any third party. Confidential information or material may

include, but is not limited to, information and material related to past, present and future development, manufacturing activities, or personnel matters; marketing and business plans; pricing information; customer lists; technical specifications, drawings, and designs; prototypes;

non disclosure agreement

computer programs; and databases.

2. (a) During my employment with IBM and for two years following the termination of my employment from IBM for any reason, I will not

directly or indirectly within the Restricted Area solicit, or attempt to or participate or assist in any effort to solicit, any employee of IBM to be employed or perform services outside of IBM. For purposes of this Paragraph 2(a), “Restricted Area” shall mean any geographic area in the

world in which I worked or for which I had job responsibilities, including supervisory responsibilities, during the last twelve (12) months of my employment with IBM. Also, for purposes of this Paragraph 2(a), “employee of IBM” shall mean any employee of IBM who worked within the Restricted Area at any time in the 12-month period immediately preceding any actual or attempted solicitation.

(b) I agree that during my employment with IBM and for one year following the termination of my employment for any reason, I will not directly or indirectly solicit for competitive business purposes any customer with which I was directly or indirectly involved as part of my job

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Agreement Regarding Confidential Information, Intellectual Property, and Other Matters

IBM employee whose work location as reflected in IBM records is within the state of California.

I acknowledge that IBM would suffer irreparable harm if I fail to comply with Paragraph 2(a) or (b), and that IBM would be entitled to any appropriate relief, including money damages, equitable relief and attorneys’ fees.

3. I will not disclose to IBM, use in its business, or cause it to use, any information or material which is confidential to any third party unless Serial # :________________ Date Of Hire : __ __ / __ __ / __ __ __ __

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In consideration of my employment or my continued employment by International Business Machines Corporation or one of its subsidiaries or

4. I will comply, and do all things necessary for IBM to comply, with (a) the laws and regulations of all governments under which IBM does

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safeguarding of information, and (c) IBM's corporate directives, including, without limitation, policies and information technology security

affiliates (collectively, “IBM”), which I acknowledge is employment at will, and the payment to me of a salary or other compensation during my

1. I will not, without IBM's prior written permission, disclose to anyone outside of IBM or use in other than IBM's business, either during or after

business, (b) the provisions of contracts between any such government or its contractors and IBM that relate to intellectual property or to the standards issued from time to time as well as the IBM Business Conduct Guidelines as amended from time to time.

my employment, any confidential information or material of IBM, or any information or material received by IBM in confidence from third

5. I hereby assign to IBM my entire right, title, and interest in any idea, concept, technique, invention, design (whether the design is

belonging to IBM or received by IBM from any third party, whether or not containing confidential information and whether stored on an IBM

called "Developments"), hereafter made, conceived, written, or otherwise created solely or jointly by me, whether or not such Developments are

drawings, notebooks, reports, and any other hard copy or electronic documents or records. No employee is prohibited from reporting possible

anticipated business or research or development of IBM or its subsidiaries or (b) are suggested by or result from any task assigned to me or

parties, such as suppliers or customers. If I leave the employ of IBM or at the request of IBM, I will return to IBM all property in my possession

ornamental or otherwise), computer programs and related documentation, other works of authorship, mask works, and the like (all hereinafter

owned asset or a personally owned asset, including, but not limited to, electronic data, electronic files, diskettes and other storage media,

patentable, subject to copyright or trademark protection or susceptible to any other form of protection which: (a) relate to the actual or

violations of law or regulation to a government agency, as protected by law.

work performed by me for or on behalf of IBM or its subsidiaries.

Confidential information or material of IBM is any information or material: (a) generated or collected by or utilized in the operations of IBM;

If, by operation of law such right, title, and interest in Developments vest in IBM upon creation, I acknowledge that such right, title, and

received from any third party; obtained from an entity IBM acquired or in which IBM purchased a controlling interest (including information or

interest belong to IBM. Also, I hereby assign to IBM my entire right, title and interest in any such Developments that were or are suggested by

on behalf of IBM; and (b) which has not been made available generally to the public, whether or not expressed in a document or other medium

controlling interest to the extent that any such right, title and interest is not already owned by said entity.

In the case of any "other works of authorship", such assignment or ownership shall be limited to those works of authorship which meet both controlling interest to above. the extent that any such right, title and interest is not already owned by said entity. conditions (a) and (b)

2. (a) During my employment with IBM and for two years following the termination of my employment from IBM for any reason, I will not

In the caseNotice: of any For "other works of authorship", assignment or ownership shall be limited works ofI understand authorship which meet both California Developments subject to such California law, notwithstanding anything aboveto tothose the contrary, that this conditions andnot (b) apply above.to a Development which qualifies fully under the provisions of Section 2870 of the California Labor Code. assignment(a) does

material received by that entity from a third party); or suggested by or resulting from any task assigned to me or work performed by me for or and whether or not marked "IBM Confidential" or with any similar legend of IBM or any third party. Confidential information or material may

computer programs; and databases.

responsibilities during the twelve (12) months prior to the termination of my employment with IBM. This paragraph 2(b) does not apply to any IBM employee whose work location as reflected in IBM records is within the state of California.

3. I will not disclose to IBM, use in its business, or cause it to use, any information or material which is confidential to any third party unless authorized by IBM. In addition, I will not incorporate into any product used and/or sold by IBM, any copyrighted materials or patented inventions of any third party, unless authorized by IBM pursuant to Paragraph 5.

4. I will comply, and do all things necessary for IBM to comply, with (a) the laws and regulations of all governments under which IBM does

business, (b) the provisions of contracts between any such government or its contractors and IBM that relate to intellectual property or to the safeguarding of information, and (c) IBM's corporate directives, including, without limitation, policies and information technology security

16 standards issued from time to time as well as the IBM Business Conduct Guidelines as amended from time to time.

5. I hereby assign to IBM my entire right, title, and interest in any idea, concept, technique, invention, design (whether the design is

ornamental or otherwise), computer programs and related documentation, other works of authorship, mask works, and the like (all hereinafter

or a result of any task assigned to me or work performed by me for or on behalf of any entity that IBM acquired or in which IBM purchased a

The above provisions concerning assignment or ownership of Developments apply to Developments created while employed by IBM in an California For Developments law, notwithstanding anythingprogramming, above to the contrary, I understand that this executive, Notice: managerial, professional, subject productto orCalifornia technical planning, technical, research, or engineering capacity (including assignment does not apply to a Development which qualifies fullyand under the provisions of 2870 of the California Labor Code. development, product, manufacturing, systems, applied science, field engineering) or Section otherwise. The above provisions concerning assignment or ownership of Developments apply to Developments created while employed by IBM in an

executive, managerial, professional, product or technical technical, research,inprogramming, engineering capacityand (including The assignment of Developments in this Paragraph 5 shallplanning, exclude any Developments which I have aorright, title, or interest that were, development, product, manufacturing, systems, and/or appliedmade science, andor field engineering) otherwise. prior to my employment with IBM, (1) conceived solely jointly by me; (2)or written wholly or in part by me; or (3) expressly stated in an agreement that I executed with another party which precludes an assignment to IBM (collectively, these exceptions to assigned The assignmenthereunder of Developments this Paragraph 5 shall exclude any Developments in which that I have a right, title, interest and thatany were, Developments shall be in known as “Excluded Developments”). Further, I acknowledge I will not use oror cause to be used,

prior to my employment in with IBM,business, (1) conceived and/or made solely without or jointlya by me; (2) wholly or in part or both (3) expressly stated Excluded Developments IBM’s research or development written or written email authorization to dobysome; from my first and in an agreement that IFor executed with another partyExcluded which precludes an assignment IBM (collectively, these exceptions toor assigned second line manager. the avoidance of doubt, Developments shall not to comprise any Developments that were are suggested by Developments hereunder be known Developments”). Further, I acknowledge that I will use or or cause to beIBM used, any or resulted from any task shall assigned to me as or “Excluded work performed by me for or on behalf of any entity that IBMnot acquired in which purchased Excluded Developments in IBM’s business,ofresearch development without written or email authorization do so from both myprior first to and a controlling interest, unless assignment my right,ortitle, and interest in thea Development is governed by antoagreement executed my

second line manager. For the avoidance of doubt, Excluded Developments shall not comprise any Developments that were or are suggested by IBM employment. resulted from any any and task all assigned to Developments me or work performed bynot mepublished for or on behalf of any entity that IBM acquired or in which purchased Iorhereby identify Excluded which are in a searchable public database (e.g. United StatesIBM Patent & a controlling interest, unless assignment my right, title, in the Development is that governed by an identifies agreement executed prior to my Trademark Office). In the following table Iofhave provided a and briefinterest non-confidential description sufficiently the Excluded IBM employment. Development (e.g. title of publication), the creation date of the Excluded Development, and to the extent my rights to the Excluded I hereby identify and allby Excluded Developments which are party not published in a searchable database (e.g. terminates. United States Patent & Development areany governed an agreement, the other named to the agreement and thepublic date the obligation Trademark Office). the following table I have provided a brief description identifies the Excluded or a any In Excluded Developments to declare I have leftnon-confidential the following table blank or that havesufficiently written “None,” “Non/Applicable,” If I do not have Development (e.g. title of publication), the creation date of the Excluded Development, and to the extent my rights to the Excluded similar designation. Development are governed by an agreement, the other named party to the agreement and the date the obligation terminates. Description of Excluded Development Date Created Named Party/Termination Date If I do not have any Excluded Developments to declare I have left the following table blank or have written “None,” “Non/Applicable,” or a similar designation.

Description of Excluded Development

Date Created

Named Party/Termination Date

Additional pages may be attached, as appropriate to identify other Excluded Developments, if any.IBM requires you to disclose Excluded

Developments in this Paragraph 5. If you wish to interest IBM in any Excluded Development, you may contact the Intellectual Property and National iNSTITUTE OF dESIGN Licensing Department at Corporate Headquarters, which will provide you with instructions for submitting it to IBM.

6. In connection with any of the Developments assigned by Paragraph 5: (a) I will promptly disclose them in writing to the IBM Intellectual Property Law Department; and (b) I will, on IBM's request, promptly execute a specific assignment of title to IBM or its designee, and do controlling interest to the extent that any such right, title and interest is not already owned by said entity. In the case of any "other works of authorship", such assignment or ownership shall be limited to those works of authorship which meet both conditions (a) and (b) above.

United States and in other countries. In addition, I agree to promptly notify the IBM Intellectual Property Law Department in writing of any patent or patent application in which I am an inventor but which is not assigned by Paragraph 5 and which discloses or claims any

Development made, conceived, or written while I am employed by IBM.I also agree to promptly notify the IBM Intellectual Property Law

Department if, after I leave the employ of IBM, I am contacted by anyone or any entity outside of IBM regarding any transaction, legal or

California Notice: For Developments subject to California law, notwithstanding anything above to the contrary, I understand that this

assignment does not apply to a Development which qualifies fully under the provisions of Section 2870 of the California Labor Code.

The above provisions concerning assignment or ownership of Developments apply to Developments created while employed by IBM in an executive, managerial, professional, product or technical planning, technical, research, programming, or engineering capacity (including development, product, manufacturing, systems, applied science, and field engineering) or otherwise.

The assignment of Developments in this Paragraph 5 shall exclude any Developments in which I have a right, title, or interest and that were,

prior to my employment with IBM, (1) conceived and/or made solely or jointly by me; (2) written wholly or in part by me; or (3) expressly stated in an agreement that I executed with another party which precludes an assignment to IBM (collectively, these exceptions to assigned

Developments hereunder shall be known as “Excluded Developments”). Further, I acknowledge that I will not use or cause to be used, any

Excluded Developments in IBM’s business, research or development without a written or email authorization to do so from both my first and

second line manager. For the avoidance of doubt, Excluded Developments shall not comprise any Developments that were or are suggested by or resulted from any task assigned to me or work performed by me for or on behalf of any entity that IBM acquired or in which IBM purchased

a controlling interest, unless assignment of my right, title, and interest in the Development is governed by an agreement executed prior to my IBM employment.

I hereby identify any and all Excluded Developments which are not published in a searchable public database (e.g. United States Patent & Trademark Office). In the following table I have provided a brief non-confidential description that sufficiently identifies the Excluded Development (e.g. title of publication), the creation date of the Excluded Development, and to the extent my rights to the Excluded Development are governed by an agreement, the other named party to the agreement and the date the obligation terminates.

If I do not have any Excluded Developments to declare I have left the following table blank or have written “None,” “Non/Applicable,” or a similar designation.

Description of Excluded Development

anything else reasonably necessary to enable IBM or such designee to secure a patent, copyright or other form of protection therefore in the

governmental proceeding, litigation or other legal dispute concerning or relating to any of the Developments assigned by Paragraph 5.

7. IBM and its licensees, successors, or assigns (direct or indirect) are not required to designate me as an author of any Development which is subject to Paragraph 5, when it is distributed, publicly or otherwise, or to secure my permission to change or otherwise alter its integrity. I hereby waive and release, to the extent permitted by law, all rights in and to such designation and any rights I may have concerning modifications of such Developments.

I understand that any rights, waivers, releases, and assignments herein granted and made by me are freely assignable by IBM and are for the benefit of IBM and its subsidiaries, licensees, successors, and assigns.

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need-to-know, and otherwise process my personal information to establish, maintain and terminate my employment relationship with IBM and for other legitimate business purposes, anywhere in the world. Such personal information, whether provided to IBM, its service providers, or

third parties directly by me or otherwise gathered, includes my name, photo, contact information, skills, compensation, performance, usage of IBM assets, background check results, bank account information, and disability or medical information.

I will not use for unauthorized purposes nor share with any unauthorized parties, either during or after my employment, any personal information about others to which I may have access during my employment at IBM.

IBM provides numerous opportunities for social computing through blogs, wikis, social networks, virtual worlds and other social media. I agree to comply with all IBM policies and practices regarding use of social computing tools and I understand that I am personally responsible for the content I post on any social computing tools (whether on IBM’s internal platforms or on third party sites) and that any information I post,

Date Created

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including any of my personal information, may be made broadly available to others, potentially inside or outside IBM, who have access to these tools.

9. The term “subsidiaries,” as used in this Agreement, includes any entity owned or controlled, directly or indirectly, by International Business Machines Corporation.

Additional pages may be attached, as appropriate to identify other Excluded Developments, if any.IBM requires you to disclose Excluded

Developments in this Paragraph 5. If you wish to interest IBM in any Excluded Development, you may contact the Intellectual Property and Licensing Department at Corporate Headquarters, which will provide you with instructions for submitting it to IBM.

anything else reasonably necessary to enable IBM or such designee to secure a patent, copyright or other form of protection therefore in the United States and in other countries. In addition, I agree to promptly notify the IBM Intellectual Property Law Department in writing of any patent or patent application in which I am an inventor but which is not assigned by Paragraph 5 and which discloses or claims any

Development made, conceived, or written while I am employed by IBM.I also agree to promptly notify the IBM Intellectual Property Law

Department if, after I leave the employ of IBM, I am contacted by anyone or any entity outside of IBM regarding any transaction, legal or governmental proceeding, litigation or other legal dispute concerning or relating to any of the Developments assigned by Paragraph 5.

10. The term "employment at will," as used in this Agreement, means the employment at the mutual consent of both me and IBM. Accordingly, either IBM or I can terminate the employment relationship at will, at any time, with or without cause or advance notice.However, this clause

does not relieve me of my responsibility to serve the notice period in accordance with my terms of employment, in the event of my resignation from the services of IBM.

11. This Agreement supersedes all previous oral or written communications, representations, understandings, undertakings, or agreements

relating to the subject matter hereof, except as expressly agreed otherwise by IBM in writing upon my hire or transfer of employment to IBM. Any waiver of a term in this Agreement and any amendment to this Agreement may only be made in a writing signed by the Senior Vice President of Human Resources for International Business Machines Corporation and myself.

12. This Agreement shall be governed by the laws of India. If any provision of this Agreement is unenforceable at law, the remainder shall

remain in effect.I recognize that any violation of my obligations described herein would cause IBM to suffer irreparable harm and can result in disciplinary action, including dismissal from IBM, and any other appropriate relief for IBM including money damages, equitable relief and attorneys fees.

13. This Agreement shall constitute a part of my terms of employment with IBM, and is executed contemporaneously with my offer of employment/ employment contract with IBM.

My agreement, and my acknowledgment of receipt of a copy of this Agreement, are indicated by my signature below.

8. I agree that IBM, its services providers and other third parties authorized by IBM will collect, use, store, make available to those who have a

Employee's Full Name

Employee's Signature

Employee Serial No.

Date Updated December 2015

IBM provides numerous opportunities for social computing through blogs, wikis, social networks, virtual worlds and other social media. I agree

Vivek Menon â&#x20AC;˘ UG Graphic Design â&#x20AC;˘ Graduation Project 2017

05 _

synopsis Upon accepting the opportunity to intern with the IBM IX Team out of Bengaluru, India, from the months of February to August, it was almost expected that my project would result in a digital design intervention; a conscious decision that I intended for my career trajectory. Technology today is at a cusp of being highly saturated versus terribly untapped; Extremely dangerous versus tremendously resourceful. It is upto designers and visionaries of today to create safe and engaging experiences for users that tap into technological resources.

My Graduation Project topic explores the potential to design new and engaging consumer experiences within the Indian Telcom Market sector. The process I followed was largely an organic one that developed as I went along the project, nonetheless a highly structured one. Dealing with a scope of work that I had not designed for before, I got to explore newer design processes that were appropriate, and the lack of a fixed methodology to go about designing the experience was probably my favourite part of this project.

National iNSTITUTE OF dESIGN

The IBM Think Wall _

Vivek Menon • UG Graphic Design • Graduation Project 2017

06 _

the IBM design thinking framework IBM, traditionally brings to mind thoughts of hardware, software and a whole host of other assorted products. It has built its reputation over a century, through its numerous contributions to the world from the ATM and magnetic stripe card, to the Floppy Disk and the hard disk drive. Best known for its supercomputer Watson, IBM is making software for enterprise applications in analytics, security, and increasingly the cloud. Much of the technological experiences we have in our day-to-day interactions happen to be powered by IBM Technology, even though we rarely see the big blue logo. In 2012, IBM wanted to shift to a culture that focused on users’ outcomes. But IBM is not a design company, and of its 400,000 employees, few could rightly be described as creatives. Yet today IBM is investing in more than a $100-million effort to become one of the world’s leading design-centered corporations.

This plan junctures in a company-wide implementation of design thinking- a framework for conducting business that puts users’ needs first, and also the establishment of IBM as a leader in the growing ecosystem of design-conscious companies. To accomplish this, IBM has opened around 30 Design studio spaces around the world, called IBM IX or IBM Interactive Experience. At the heart of IBM’s human-centered mission is IBM Design Thinking: a framework to solve users’ problems at the speed and scale of the modern digital enterprise. It is a selection of the best design practices the company hopes other big businesses will look to, as they seek to remain relevant and profitable in a rapidly evolving corporate landscape. Whether they’re re-envisioning the customer experience for a multinational bank or just planning your product’s next release, IBM Design Thinking keeps the problem focused on what matters to users as they lead their team from ideas to outcomes. It is a powerful approach to innovation and brand differentiation, focused on creating experiences that delight customers.

IBM Design Thinking combines traditional techniques with new core practices. IBM Design Thinking starts by bringing together a series of traditional design techniques, such as personas, empathy maps, as-is scenarios, design ideation, to-be scenarios, wireframe sketches, hypothesisdriven design, and minimum viable product (MVP) definition. To these traditional design approaches, IBM adds three core practices: Hills, Playbacks, and Sponsor users.

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IBM Design Thinking Loop _

Hills are user-centric statements that define the mission and scope of a release and focus the work on desired market outcomes. Each individual Hill articulates a clear and containable scope defined to be achieved in one release or in a finite set of releases.

Playbacks are both project milestones and informal delivery check-ins that align teams, stakeholders, and clients around scenarios that show the value of your offering.

Sponsor Users are actual users that products are built for. They help to surface many aspects of the problem that are trying to be solved in a Hill. They are also critical in validating the solutions that are envisioned, designed or implemented.

Vivek Menon • UG Graphic Design • Graduation Project 2017

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background With access to a whole host of possibilities in the IBM IX Environment, there were two main things I wanted to take advantage of â&#x20AC;˘

The prospect of being able to actually incorporate and interpret the IBM Design thinking methodologies into my own Design process.

â&#x20AC;˘

The opportunity to become familiar with IBM Technology, such as BlockChain, Cognitive (IBM Watson) or IOT. Access to a world of learning materials on the internal IBM academic portals.

Vivek Menon • UG Graphic Design • Graduation Project 2017

08 _

framing the Project brief IBM Design Thinking is a framework for teams to understand and deliver great user outcomes at the speed and scale of the enterprise. Using IBM Design Thinking begins with a focus on user outcomes, a multidisciplinary team, and a spirit of restless reinvention. IBM Digital works on various industry domains such as Banking, Insurance, Retail, CPG, Telecom etc. My Graduation Project involves working on one of the projects, and addressing a problem statement from start to finish for a chosen industry. At the time of my joining IBM, a specific team was at the initial stages of a certain Telecom sector project which I got to view firsthand. It was fascinating to see how the team went about their process incorporated with the IBM Design Thinking Framework, and the team thought it would be interesting to see how I could contribute to this project using my own design process.

Considering the prospects I could take advantage of at IBM, along with what I hoped to learn in the IBM environment, my brief was framed as such, with the help of my colleagues and mentors. This project deals with exploring new opportunities to grow and maximize the digital ecosystem for a Cellular Brand, keeping in mind the future of consumer engagement and opportunities for revenue generation through the Ecosystem.

The project followed a different process from what I was used to. As opposed to investigating a problem area to solve, or a need to fulfil, my brief was framed in such a way that posed no existing experience to make better. On the contrary, my brief gave me the opportunity to explore a digital market and create new experiences, a need that was already identified for me by IBM for the Telecom Brand. The need here was to discover new ways in which an Indian Telecom Company could engage with it’s consumers.

In other words,

“To create a product or service, using a leveraging platform such as IoT/AI/Cloud, to deliver engaging consumer experiences which can be monetised by an Indian Telecom Brand (therefore increasing revenue and the user base).” Design Brief -

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Vivek Menon â&#x20AC;˘ UG Graphic Design â&#x20AC;˘ Graduation Project 2017

09 _

Project proposal and Timeline A tentative Project Proposal was drafted and approved as per the required guidelines. My Timeline lasted about 16 weeks for the actual execution of the project, while the process was divided into 3 broad phases each with respective objectives1. A research and data collection phase; 2. Analysis of the Research and Ideation; and 3. An executional phase with a series of 6-step Design Sprints. Red areas indicated allotted time for Registration processes and Guide Visits.

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Vivek Menon â&#x20AC;˘ UG Graphic Design â&#x20AC;˘ Graduation Project 2017

Phase 1 _

research My Brief laid the foundation for deciding what kind of Research was necessary. With an emphasis on Engaging Consumer Experiences, it was decided to go about abundantly collecting examples as a starting point for my project.

reflections

Extensive Primary and Secondary Research had already done an external Research agency, for the Team that was working on the Telecom website project. On my own, it could not have been possible to collect Research of the scale that the Team had already done, owing to the scale of the Client and the nation-wide Consumer Base. It was upto me to decide what parts of that research would benefit me, as well as collect other kinds of data that I needed on my own.

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3 tier data collection Research for my project largely consisted of the collecting examples of Engaging Consumer Experiences in various Sectors and Businesses. I classified Engaging consumer experiences in terms of three things: 1. Micro-moments_ Businesses which are able to anticipate the critical touch points within todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s consumer journey, and fulfil the consumerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s needs in those moments.

Micro-moments

Leveraging Platforms

2. Leveraging Platforms_ Businesses which are using various examples of Technology to create engaging consumer Experiences. 3. Innovations in Telecom_ Examples of Breakthrough innovations and disruptive Technology specifically in the Telecom Sector.

Innovations in Telecom

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Vivek Menon • UG Graphic Design • Graduation Project 2017

10a _

introduction

telecom in India

The changing future of the telecommunication industry comprises a detailed analysis of its changing landscape and solutions to address these changes. IP converged networks have brought about drastic changes to the telecom scenario globally.

India’s telephone subscriber base reached 1058.86 million. The wireless segment which was 97.62% of total telephone subscriptions dominated the market, with the wireline segment accounting for an overall share of 2.4%.

Similarly, changing consumer behavior (and needs) has led to increased competition within the IP infrastructure landscape. In the competitive market of Telecom providers in India, a major Indian Telecom service provider requires a redesign of its digital touchpoints and interactions, thereby looking into the future of digital Telecom experiences.

Urban regions accounted for 57.29% share in the overall telecom subscriptions. Source Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, TechSci Research

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Growth of the rural Sector As of 2016, over 62,443 uncovered villages would be provided with village telephone facility with subsidy support from the governmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Universal Service Obligation Fund (thereby increasing rural tele-density). In March 2016, the rural subscriber base accounted for 42.42% of the total subscriber base, thereby fuelling growth across the sector. The emergence of an affluent middle class is triggering demand for the mobile and internet segments. Source Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, TechSci Research Disclaimer: this data is for year 2016, not accounting for Jio. For idea the user base has increased but their market has decreased

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Vivek Menon • UG Graphic Design • Graduation Project 2017

10b _

the Indian telecom consumer and user segmentation Todays telecom consumer can broadly be divided according to the usage of their Mobile Data Consumption Heavy (>3.8 GB), Medium (1-3.8 GB) and Light (<1 GB) An increased individualisation and a strong sense of identity, smartphones have become an extension of ourselves, flowing into everyday activities and a key enabler for information, entertainment and payments. This creates a huge opportunity for the telecom industry to understand with the users page patterns of the their smartphone and how we can create meaningful interactions with the growing Telecom Super Consumer. Source http://www.nielsen.com/in/en/insights/ reports/2015/dialing-in-to-the-telecomsuper-consumer.html

By the year 2020 around 315 million Indians living in rural areas will be connected to the internet as compared to the 120 million connected today. Thereby enabling a future where creating a physical connect is no longer a challenge or bringing the online sector to places which were devoid of it.

There are essentially three types of Telecom Consumers: •

Believers who are Technologically competent. They are Brand Loyal and expect loyalty benefits.

•

Upgraders are simply looking for the best deals and offers, and are not necessarily faithful to any one Brand. They use smartphones, but may not be as Technologically comfortable as Believers.

•

First Timers are low income groups who are Technologically inept and it is this user segment which Telecom Companies in India are trying to reach out to more.

Source BCG CCI Digital Rural Influence 2015-16

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online vs. offline smartphone usage

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Vivek Menon • UG Graphic Design • Graduation Project 2017

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consumer ecosystem map All of the Telecom Brand’s Products, Services and Channels were documented in the form of a Consumer Ecosystem Map, showcasing all physical and digital touchpoints.

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Products & Services

Personal App

My Idea App

Wallet Idea money App App

Live TV App

Idea Live TV

Movie Idea Movie App Club

Music Idea Music App Hub

Trade Dhruv App

eKYC ECafe App

Prod

Game Idea Game Spark Portal

Telecom Brand

Website Digital

Physical

Channels

Chan

Cutomer Care

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Social Media

SMS

Recharge Stall

Vendor Store

Vivek Menon • UG Graphic Design • Graduation Project 2017

10d _

engaging consumer experiences Consumer engagement is the direct route to every important business objective. It’s the pathway to everything good that a business could want: 1. Customer loyalty 2. Customer purchases 3. Customer-based profits 4. Customer ambassadorship for your brand

When customers are engaged, businesses draw them closer to their brand and the organization. While engagement is a popular buzzword today, it is often misunderstood in commerce as an event rather than a state of being. This traditional way of thinking about engagement is driven by lack of insight about what’s happening across a company’s consumer base regardless of time, channel or segment. The only way an organization could define engagement in the past was though transactions. With new technologies like consumer-management platforms, options are unlimited for marketers who want to understand, predict and monitor engagement levels – not just transactions – and marry those disparate data points together to create a real-time picture of the way various types of engagement affect the brand.

Here are four ways brands can define engagement:

Contextual Engagement Without context, “engagement” is just noise. Contextual engagement uses Technology that enables marketers to understand an individual consumer’s behaviour, and therefore help them accomplish their goals in context to the brand to create a more successful individual experience. For example, brands and retailers can send coupons or push notifications to consumers based on previous purchase history.

Engagement of Convenience Amazon’s Dash Button is the perfect example of this type of engagement. Consumers can attach this button to wherever they store or us particular household products, and they can press it whenever they want Amazon to deliver the items that they running low on. Eliminating the need for consumers to leave their homes makes their lives more convenient by enabling them to simply say yes (to a new order of a particular product). Consumers will engage with any type of interaction that increases convenience, while allowing the brand or retailer’s systems to gain a better understanding of each consumer’s individual needs, buying cycles, triggers and price points, which can in turn be used in order to maximize value of that transaction (emotionally, financially, contextually) to reinforce the desire to buy. Social Engagement

Emotional Engagement Emotions are often overlooked as the key driver behind engagement and loyalty. Humans are emotional creatures, so delivering contextual relevance and convenience to consumers goes a long way in reinforcing the emotional value they unconsciously invest a brand. With the exception of aspirational brands, 99 percent of brand buying decisions consumers make stem from some other unconscious emotional space.

Social engagement is the litmus test of success. If all of the above are aligned with an individual, the real-time output is social advocacy. One has more influence over the buying decisions of their network than any marketer, by sharing their experience on social media—or what is now known as influencer marketing. It’s clear that engagement has little to do with the actual transaction and more to do with interactions before and after an actual purchase. For brands, having the technology in place to make sense of the onslaught of data points to create a more 1:1 engagement experience is critical to creating and nurturing those crucial customer relationships.

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Getting back to the Brief,

Engaging consumer experiences were classified in terms of three things:

Engaging consumer experiences in terms of Micro-moments

Engaging consumer experiences in terms of Leveraging Platforms

Engaging consumer experiences in terms of Innovations in Telecom

"Micro-moments are critical touch points within today’s consumer journey, during which consumers expect brands to address their needs with real-time relevance."

The global telecom industry is one of the fastest developing that the world had seen before, and there can be little doubt that technology has played a huge role in its ever-changing face.

1. Be There Anticipating the right moments. 2. Be Useful Providing the right content in those moments. 3. Be Quick Making those moments fast and frictionless by eliminating steps.

Examples of such technological leveraging platforms include:

Innovative telecom companies are changing how we connect to the world around us. Wired and wireless carriers confront a rapidly shifting technology landscape in which small steps toward digitization are no longer enough.

Internet of Things Cognitive/Artificial Intelligence Augmented/Virtual Reality Cloud NFC

Google Micro-Moments: Your Guide to Winning the Shift to Mobile phase 1 OF 3

Vivek Menon • UG Graphic Design • Graduation Project 2017

collecting examples The understanding of Engaging Consumer Experiences in terms of a three fold classification, allowed me to decide what kind of Research was necessary. It was decided to go about abundantly collecting examples of how various businesses are designing engaging consumer experiences, as a starting point for my project.

Engaging consumer experiences in terms of Micro-moments

Engaging consumer experiences in terms of Leveraging Platforms

Engaging consumer experiences in terms of Innovations in Telecom

Internet of Things AT&T Drive Amazon Echo Algo Engines Spensa Tech Rain Machines DHL’s IoT Tracking and Monitoring Komatsu Smart Construction Amazon Go

E-Sim Twilio Live U Google ProjectFi lightRadio API Interface Intucell Ting Hutchinson 3 Telefonica O2

Examples included: Be There Fiat’s use of SEO to appeal to small car searchers Target’s Interactive Black Friday Map Sephora‘s In-store App Starbucks ‘Order & Pay’ Service Be Useful Pager Mobile Healthcare Service Nike’s Instagram Shop Ikea’s AR Interior Design App Tesco’s Face Scanning Technology Be Quick Netflix personalisation of content Uber’s Frictionless payment system Zillow using GPS to compare Home Prices Virgin America’s decluttered Call to Action on the website

Cognitive/Artificial Intelligence Under Armour WayBlazer Knorr Flavour Profiler Staples’ Cognitive Easy Button DBS AI Powered Chat Bot Banglalink Tutorial Video Augmented/Virtual Reality Pepsi 2014 World Cup AR Campaign Google Cardboard The wow factor Samsung 837 Cloud Amazon MYHabit Website NFC Google Play Billboard

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TRENDING EXAMPLES After making an exhaustive list of other such examples of Engaging Consumer Experiences, I now had to discover a method to convert this Research into Ideas.

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Vivek Menon â&#x20AC;˘ UG Graphic Design â&#x20AC;˘ Graduation Project 2017

Phase 2 _

ideation A structured process was developed organically based on inputs from my Guide and onsite Mentor respectively. This process worked beautifully as a tool to convert Research into Ideas.

reflections

As a new way to Ideate, a system was created that randomly displayed a combination of three words, one from each of the identified groups. Thereby allowing connections to be forced between the three words, and generate an exhaustive list of new ideas. From the exhaustive list of ideas, it was hoped that at least a couple of solid ideas would emerge.

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4 step ideation process 1. Wordcloud_ Create a wordcloud around certain chosen words. 2. Cluster & Organise_ Find a way to cluster the words and organise them into categories. 3. Make Connections_ Make connections between certain words, which may either be factual connections, or connections from the examples obtained through Research.

Word Cloud

Cluster & Organise

Make Connections

Discover Connections

4. Discover Connections_ Force or discover newer connections, thereby generating new ideas.

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Vivek Menon â&#x20AC;˘ UG Graphic Design â&#x20AC;˘ Graduation Project 2017

11a _

wordcloud An exhaustive word cloud was generated around the words Consumer, Engagement and Telecom. Words like IoT & Cognitive indicating technological leveraging platforms were also included.

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phase 2 OF 3

Vivek Menon â&#x20AC;˘ UG Graphic Design â&#x20AC;˘ Graduation Project 2017

11b _

cluster & organise It was then realised that all of the words from the word cloud could be grouped under three broad categories, thereby creating a structure to further make connections between Service or Channel, Activity or Action, & Physical or Digital Media.

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phase 2 OF 3

Vivek Menon â&#x20AC;˘ UG Graphic Design â&#x20AC;˘ Graduation Project 2017

Taking all the examples I had gathered, of Trends across Consumer Engagement on Digital Platforms, the examples were then broken down into words from the 3 categories.

For Example - Sephora created a mobile app that assisted its subscribers to browse through reviews of products and shades of makeup, while shopping in store aisles.

Example Sephora

Service or Channel Information

Subscribers

Activity or Action Assist

Browse

Physical or Digital Media App

Mobile

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phase 2 OF 3

Service or Channel

Activity or Action

Media - Physical or Digital

E-Sim

Network

Detect

Centralize

SimCard

Twilio

Video

Messaging

Develop

Communicate

App

LiveU

Network

Information

Distribute

Google ProjectFi

Network

Wiﬁ

Speed

lightRadio

Network

Cloud

Centralize

Grid

Intucell

Network

Optimize

Grid

Ting

Subscribers

Optimize

Mobile

Hutchinson 3

Account

Visualize

Telefonica

Internet

Develop

Wiﬁ

Communicate

AT&T Drive

IoT

Amazon Echo

Voice

Interact

Cloud

Algo Engines

IoT

Manage

IoT

Manage

Rain Machines

IoT

DHL

IoT

Track

Komatsu Smart Construction

IoT

Track

Mobile

Computer

Mobile

Computer

App Distribute

Mobile Mobile

Entertain

Spensa Tech

Wiﬁ

Connect

Interface Assist

Bot Interface

Monitor

Manage

Mobile Interface

Monitor

Interface

Amazon Go

IoT

Simplify

Shop

Mobile

Pepsi

Interact

Entertain

Mobile

Google Cardboard

Interact

Immerse

Mobile

Samsung 837

Interact

Immerse

Interface

Under Armour

Cognitive

Integrate

Personalise

App

Way Blazer

Cognitive

Recommend

Personalise

App

Knorr

Cognitive

Integrate

Personalise

Interface

Staples Cognitive Button

Cognitive

Order

DBS AI Powered

Cognitive

Banglalink Tutorial Video

Video

Amazon

Subscribers

Google Billboard

NFC

Fiat

Sales

Sephora

Information

Target

Account

Information

Button Transact

Guide Cloud

Server

Interface

App

Bot

Interface

Browse

Personalise

Interface

Interact

Download

Mobile

Internet

Promote

Mobile

Computer

Subscribers

Assist

Browse

App

Mobile

Sales

Assist

Simplify

App

Mobile

Starbucks

Sales

Pay

Speed

App

Mobile

Pager

Information

Inform

Order

App

Mobile

Ikea

Visualise

Browse

App

Mobile

Nike

Social Media

Recommend

Browse

Mobile

Tesco

Images

Cognitive

Advertise

Personalise

Screen

Netﬂix

Account

Cognitive

Personalise

Optimise

Interface

Zillow

GPS

Inform

Assist

App

Mobile

Uber

Account

Autonomize

Pay

App

Mobile

Virgin America

Information

Speed

Promote

Interface

Vivek Menon • UG Graphic Design • Graduation Project 2017

IoT

Cognitive

Personalise

Interact

Browse

Account Centralise

Integrate

Order

Monitor

Speed

IoT

Wifi

Recommend

Internet

Promote

Pay

Cognitive

Mobile Bot

Cloud Visualize

Communicate

Advertise

Information

Images

GPS

Inform

Download

Simplify

Social Media

Sales

Cloud

Video

Shop

Voice

NFC

Guide

Connect

Fig. b _

Network

Computer

Subscribers Button

Messaging

Track

Distribute

Interface Server

Internet

Entertain

Develop

Transact

Optimize

Subscribers

Messaging

Simcard

Wifi

Manage

Video

App

Account Grid

Sales

Fig. a _

Network

Assist

Immerse

Detect

Information

Images

Screen

GPS

Social Media

Voice

NFC

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11c _

make connections “A designer must evaluate himself as quickly and as inclusively as possible so as to not lose himself in the pile of parts.” Chakradhar Saswade_Guide -

Connections were then made between words from the different categories, while factually establishing which actions are commonly associated with which Services and Channels (Fig. a as can be seen in red). Words which appeared more frequently were made larger, and connections which appeared more frequently were made with thicker lines.

Connections were also made between words from the different categories, while factually establishing which Physical or Digital Media are commonly associated with which Services and Channels (Fig. b as can be seen in green). Therefore it became easy to observe where connections are currently being made in digital ecosystems, or what services and platforms are currently being used for what activities, and where connections are not being made frequently.

“This process therefore becomes a system of self-generating possibilities, because of the visibility of the ecosystem.” Chakradhar Saswade_Guide -

phase 2 OF 3

Vivek Menon • UG Graphic Design • Graduation Project 2017

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11d _

discover connections All of the words from the word cloud were then inputed onto a digital spreadsheet in the form of a matrix. The matrix allows for lateral as well as diagonal connections to be made. New ways to define certain terms can be created based on the connections made. As a new way to Ideate, an application was created that randomly displayed a combination of three words, one from each of the identified groups, and changed every time the page refreshed.

phase 2 OF 3

Vivek Menon â&#x20AC;˘ UG Graphic Design â&#x20AC;˘ Graduation Project 2017

12 _

idea generation The random word generator allowed for new connections to be forced between the three words, and an exhaustive list of new ideas could be generated. From the exhaustive list of ideas, it was hoped that a couple of solid ideas would emerge.

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grouping ideas Certain ideas were grouped together to further create a better idea.

phase 2 OF 3

Vivek Menon â&#x20AC;˘ UG Graphic Design â&#x20AC;˘ Graduation Project 2017

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prioritization grid This activity helps evaluate and prioritize ideas by focusing discussions on impact to the end user, and feasibility. With these two terms on two axes of a graph, each idea was evaluated quickly, and roughly plotted on the grid where they made most sense. Once many items were on the grid, discussions with teammates took place, and ideas were repositioned in relation to each other. It also became important to not get possessive about any specific idea and get back to generating more ideas if required, because the system enables that.

The Feasibility vs Impact Graph _

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Ideas that are highly feasible and highly impactful are in the zone of No-Brainers. Ideas that have high feasibility but low impact for the business are termed Utilities. Ideas that have low feasibility but high impact for the business are in the zone of Big Bets. Typically it is advised to invest more time attempting to convert Utilities into more impactful ideas, and Big Bets into more feasible ones, instead of spending too much time on No-Brainers.

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Vivek Menon • UG Graphic Design • Graduation Project 2017

14 _

shortlisting ideas At the end of the ideation process, I shortlisted five solid directions I could take forward, based on which ideas fulfilled the Brief the best… 1_ Smart Dispenser

2_ Data Wallet

3_ Wearable Router

“Brand Upgraders can get easily get sim cards from a dispenser on scanning their documents or Aadhar Card, in the form of smart machines which are installed in easily accessible locations, and can be controlled through an interface on their smartphones.”

“Brand Customers can manage and distribute mobile-data among multiple devices the same way one manages finances on a mobile wallet app, possibly using Blockchain Technology that allows for Data transparency and decentralisation.”

“Brand Customers can get internet access and data on the go through a wearable router device (around the wrist), that is connected to and controlled using a mobile app.”

Impact

-OTPs can be sent to the mobile to sign into the account, and money is automatically deducted using Mobile Wallets or NFC Technology.

-All data usage can be tracked, on connected mobile devices with full transparency.

-A smart-wrist device that acts like a router, with an interface that shows you data usage.

-Sim Cards can be dispensed from these kiosks on scanning an Aadhar Card or scanning fingerprints. -Easily allows for the growth of the consumer base. -Can be installed in remote locations, and hassle-free.

-Money is paid on the app, and the paid amount is then converted to data, with which a customer can make transactions or distribute the data among other devices. -A sharing economy business model could be followed where users crowd-source and access data on a shared hotspot platform. -Smart Contracts makes the automation of remote systems possible, thereby facilitating the Internet of Things.

Impact

-Can be connected to a mobile app, on which a user can control the payment, subscription packages, speed, and number of connected devices. -On making certain other requests through the mobile app, the wearable may also act like an audio device that provides entertainment. (Like HUL’s Kan khajura tesan, but with other VAS possibilities) -Uses hand and facial gestures to interact with, and download content to smartphones.

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4_ Immersive In-Store Experience

5_ Conversational Chatbot

“Brand First-time users or Upgraders can subscribe or interact with Products and services, that feature content from all of the Brand’s entertainment platforms (eg. LiveTV, Movie Club, Music Hub, GameSpark etc.) through an in-store Virtual Reality Experience.”

“Brand Upgraders and Believers can converse & transact with the Brand through a onestop solution, a hybrid conversational Interface, backed up by cognitive technology that provides data-driven personalisation, while increasing discoverability of the brand Ecosystem.”

Impact

possibilities

Impact

-An immersive experience, which can be monetised by the Brand, and customers will want to visit the store to experience.

-Combines with Local Startups & Businesses, to send the user personalised location-specific push notifications and customised offers.

-Increases Discoverability of other Brand apps and services, through recommendations.

-Ability to feature Brand-sponsored content. (eg. IPL, Filmfare Awards)

-Preinstalled app with all Brand sim-cards.

-Possibility to branch out into production of Headsets, from which customers can purchase and consume such VR content on their own. -Uses hand and facial gestures to interact with, and download content to smartphones.

-Combines the existing Personal Transaction App and Wallet App, while being able to manage expenses, and perform transactions. -Can become the Siri or Google Assist of future Brand-produced mobile products. -Possibility of citing locally relevant content for rural telecom, in a more visual and auditory manner, in local language. -In rural areas, an extension of the bot that helps first time users get online.

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-Reduces number of calls in the call centre. -Increases Brand Equity. -Increases Customer Level Satisfaction through a personalised 24X7 Idea Assistant, which can be measured through Data Analytics. -Allows easy upselling of other products and services. -Information is coming to the customer, in the form of notifications through this interface, instead of waiting for the user to click on a button on a regular interface.

Vivek Menon • UG Graphic Design • Graduation Project 2017

15 _

fulfilling themes A set of themes had previously emerged from the research done by the telecom team, from the primary and secondary research about consumer behaviour. I decided to go ahead with Direction #5, as I validated each idea against all the themes and this idea fulfilled the most amount of themes.

True Blue

Affluent Data

Socially embraced

Research showed that consumers feel satisfied when they have an emotional connect with their Brand, that is transparent and impartial.

Consumers today are using data as a bond for physical meet-ups, creating a feeling of nurturing and connectedness.

•

Physical presence of the brand and vendor network instills trust amongst users.

•

Data as a bond for physical meet-ups.

Consumers make decisions based on opinions of social groups, which encourage feelings of community acceptance and create aspirations to be better informed and up-to-date with technology.

•

They are okay with minor glitches as long as their loyalty is rewarded with assuring communication and instant gratification.

•

Social media being used as a platform for business opportunities.

•

SIM and handset a part of legacy Experience at recharge mobile shops is important.

•

Tech evangelists take pride in enabling others.

•

The need to belong to a social group like family, friends, community influences decisions like device purchase, picking a service provider, installing apps.

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Gratification

Productivity

Consumers expect Brands to give them personalised incentives, which should become more exclusive over time.

For the average Indian consumer, prioritizing actions based on utility is of utmost importance.

•

Incentives such as attractive offers and novel deals on daily basis, are a pull factor. e.g. Amazon, Flipkart

•

Apps help search information quickly. e.g. UC Browser’s speed dial & app like layout suits well for task based behaviour.

•

New customers are given better incentives.

•

App retention is based on frequency of use. e.g. Mobile bill payment is once a month activity, it doesn’t need a dedicated app.

•

One-stop-shop save time and seems convenient. e.g. Paytm.

phase 2 OF 3

Vivek Menon • UG Graphic Design • Graduation Project 2017

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the chatbot Media and marketers are still relying on social networks sites for advertising and consumer engagement, but as the messaging systems continue to improve, there will be even more ways to connect businesses to consumers. While data is so plentiful within our lives that we must have some sort of computer working with us in order to efficiently parse needed information at the correct times. Chatbots will take on the role of personal assistants in user’s personal lives, with the bot identifying the user’s unique needs. Preferences of the user will be set based on geo location, profiles will be developed as the bot begins to understand what the user likes and dislikes, recommendations will begin to populate based on a users interests, and above all, our life as we know it will begin to achieve far greater utility due to our tasks being seamlessly automated. Source https://medium.com/chatbotglobalnews/ hold-tight-the-chatbot-era-has-begun1fbd10e7660d#.gil59dnpx

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Advantages of Chatbots

72%

of consumers said they stopped doing business with a company because of a bad customer service experience.

96%

of consumers said they are more likely to do business with a company that has strong customer service,

Source 2014 Aspect Consumer Experience Index.

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Lower telephony costs in call centres

Improved employee productivity, decreased error rates, and improved customer experience

Reduction in labor expense

Quicker response time and convenience

Speeding up the buying cycle

No changing personalities

Information Recall

Stimulated brand conversational commerce

Vivek Menon • UG Graphic Design • Graduation Project 2017

What’s in it for the Brand Content • • • •

Refashioned, personalised VAS Services for everyone Easy Discoverability of other services in the Idea Ecosystem Data Driven Personalisation A platform for easy Up-selling of other products, offers and sponsored content

What’s in it for Users Features •

• •

All transactional features - One Stop Solution. Easiest, quickest space to perform all tasks Subscribe to numerous media-rich VAS in-app Customised exclusive push notifications and offers

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Omni-Channel Scalability • • •

Brand Identity

What’s in store?

Brand Recall

The future of Chatbots

• • •

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Interconnected Device Agnostic platform Easily Scalable - whether customer support on website, or assist to get online in rural areas.

Extension of witty Brand Image Use of Emojis/Avatars/ Visuals Consistency across platforms

•

Potential of Hybrid CUIs where each message is a mini-application Conversational Forms as an easy way to collect data

Vivek Menon â&#x20AC;˘ UG Graphic Design â&#x20AC;˘ Graduation Project 2017

Phase 3 _

execution The phase of execution was broken up into 3 sets of Design Sprints, each made up of 6 steps. The 3 Sprints that were done were to develop1. the Conversation Frame 2. the nature of Verbal Communication 3. the nature of Non-Verbal Communication

reflections

A general UX process of individual phases comprising wireframing, sketching, visual language development, prototyping and then user-testing often amounts to the realisation that the idea does not work in the first place. A more efficient way of going about this, as suggested by my Mentor was through a series of 3 sprints with daily objectives and weekly deliverables instead. A design sprint was employed not due to lack of time, but rather to incorporate the systematic process that validated the idea at every step, preceding execution.

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6 step design sprint process 1. Understand_ • Decide the challenge broadly • Focused Research and data collection • Frame the right HMW question 2. Define_ • Decide the strategy • Create Personas & Journey Maps • Design Principles List

Understand

Define

Diverge

Decide

Prototype

Validate

3. Diverge_ • Crazy 8 in 5- Sketch 8 quick potential UI Solutions in 5 minutes • Generate as many ways of solving the challenge as possible 4. Decide_ • Dot vote for the sketches • Prioritisation Grid 5. Prototype_ • Quickly Prototype with clarity & accuracy 6. Validate_ • Validate the prototype with the personas • User Test the prototype • Realise the complexity of the solution with Technology Team

phase 3 OF 3

Vivek Menon • UG Graphic Design • Graduation Project 2017

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the rise of Conversational Commerce and a single messenger application We are slowly reaching a point in time where we have the technological capabilities to interact and express ourselves on our terms, without having to adjust the way we behave or communicate naturally. If an interface is described as the digital touchpoint enabling a user to communicate with a computer, then it is not restricted to a screen and a Graphical User Interface (GUI). Our preferred way of communicating rather, is spoken and written language, which is our original interface, and we’re now seeing the rise of computers and applications which we can talk to. There are two trends which are primarily fueling this phenomenon- the Exploding popularity of mobile messaging apps and Advances in artificial intelligence.

Businesses are finding innovative touch points with consumers that are contextual, relevant and highly personal, and these happen to be increasingly conversational. Commerce is not only becoming more conversational, but also more ubiquitous and seamlessly integrated into our lives, consequently enabling consumers to interact with Brands in more engaging, convenient and cost-effective ways. This movement can be explained by a number of key trends including the following: • The growing usage of mobile messaging applications, and mobile-native consumers • The increasing accuracy of Artificial Intelligence and natural language processing • Rise of sensors, wearable and data analytics to create unimaginable levels of personalization and predictive assistance capabilities • Integration of seamless payment technology into devices, increasingly accessible to third parties via APIs

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Although the average smartphone owner has 27 apps on their phone, they typically only use 4–6 of those apps every day. And at the end of 30 days, only 3% of all apps retain their new users. Simultaneously, out of the top 10 most popular apps in the world, all are social in nature and 6 are primarily instant messaging apps.

The effort required to download a new app and test out to see if users still retain it, just isn’t worth the investment anymore. Therefore it is only natural that brands begin to build where their users are already active — messaging platforms — instead of trying to create and onboard users to new Graphical UI ecosystems they’ve created.

“Over 2.5 billion people have at least one messaging app installed. Within a couple of years that will reach 3.6 billion, about half of humanity.”

Which is why Social brands like Facebook have invested so much in developing Messenger and Whatsapp, and Google with Allo and the Google Assistant. Facebook has also opened up the Messenger App for developers to create AI Bots, and it is predicted that these Messenger apps will someday replace the App Store, as users will no longer need numerous apps, but will instead have a number of bots within the messenger apps to carry out different tasks, as WeChat is already doing in China.

The Economist -

phase 3 OF 3

Vivek Menon • UG Graphic Design • Graduation Project 2017

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hybrid interfaces as the future of chat interfaces Facebook’s long-term roadmap may involve recreating China’s WeChat so that all services users may need to interact with, are right within Messenger as separate personas. Calling an uber could mean just messaging a bot named Uber, without having to download a separate app. And every message has the potential to be a mini application. Interfaces are seeing a trend of command line and GUI paradigms together, comprising notifications and quick input from the conversational side, along with a rich and intuitive experience from the GUI side.

A message that would usually display text, could also be replaced by a photo, a media player, a mini-game, in-messaging payment cards or any other media element in the otherwise constrained environment of a message cell. Since developers can focus on the experience and not just infrastructure building, leveraging mini applications that are part of the messaging experience will become standard.

Examples of different mini-applications within chat interfaces _

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However what Facebook, and other companies like Slack and Google are already doing is following another model, slightly different from the app-as-a-persona model. It involves a significantly more fluid and conversational approach where messages are embedded with data that is currently locked in files or apps. Users essentially drive their interaction with services according to their needs and context.

For example, on Slack you can just type / appear and youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve launched an appear.in video chat. Services like iMessage already recognizes calendar- and contact-related keywords, as does Facebook Messenger. Such keywords then prompt other apps to open up outside or within the chat interface.

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Another case in which this is taken to the next level is how in Slack, the Slackbot could just be summoned into a chat to say, fill out a profile; or the Google Assistant within the Google Allo Interface that could fetch helpful information to benefit the two people that are having a conversation.

Vivek Menon • UG Graphic Design • Graduation Project 2017

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the familiarity of texting Unlike Graphical User Interfaces (GUI) that define a new set of rules for each interaction, and change from app to app, text-based, conversational interactions are far more liberating in their familiarity. The most commonplace way users interact with textbased interfaces is with the text they type displayed on the right, another person’s text displayed on the left and an input field on the bottom for the user to compose a message. While voice based interactions are probably quicker to use to resolve a task, text is often more comfortable even if it’s less convenient. Text-based interactions are fast, fun, flexible, intimate, descriptive and even consistent in ways that voice and GUIs are often not. However it must be understood that well-designed products are the ones that allow us to communicate and not simply text. In the Indian context, a big obstacle that must be overcome is language. Most phones sold in India come with an English operating system software. Despite India’s reputation as an Anglophone nation, only a tenth of its 1.2 billion people count English as their first, second or third language. In any case, one out of four Indians cannot read or write. But unlike linguistically homogeneous Russia or China, India’s 22 official languages (and several hundred unofficial ones) in 11 different scripts make it a difficult market to crack.

“Text is the most socially useful communication technology. It works well in 1:1, 1:N, and M:N modes. It can be indexed and searched efficiently, even by hand. It can be translated. It can be produced and consumed at variable speeds. It is asynchronous. It can be compared, diffed, clustered, corrected, summarized and filtered algorithmically. It permits multiparty editing. It permits branching conversations, lurking, annotation, quoting, reviewing, summarizing, structured responses, exegesis, even fan fic. The breadth, scale and depth of ways people use text is unmatched by anything.” Jonathan Libove _ Product Manager at Union Sqare Ventures -

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Human-centered design to Humanizing Design “Computers should allow us to compose, study and modify complex information structures by understanding the relationships between the content and human thought process.” Douglas Engelbart _ American engineer and inventor -

Building natural human to computer conversations is hard. The ways in which we communicate with machines in still largely very structured and instructional based. But that’s because human to human conversations are only deceptively easy. People are not going to change how they converse any time soon. So the key to closing that gap between modern interfaces and thousands of years of evolution is to use what we know to be true about human to human conversation, to teach our computers to talk to humans and not the other way round. Established design principles that focus on making interfaces ‘user-friendly’ would eventually be redefined to focus on designing more human, and more meaningful interactions with machines. While human-centered design takes for granted the limitation of computers, and focuses on making the computer output easy to understand for users; conversational interfaces which are examples of humanizing design, call for computers to adapt to humans without humans having to change their behaviour.

phase 3 OF 3

Vivek Menon • UG Graphic Design • Graduation Project 2017

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breaking the stigma Bots until recent years, were taught to mimic human conversation by matching user prompts to scripted responses, and most bots that existed or that people were familiar with, were only created for the sake of entertainment or to push marketable content and services to users, thus giving bots the reputation of being pointless, inefficient and unsolicited. Bots largely existed in primordial forms such as calling a company’s customer service number and having to punch a number to pick a menu option; or primitive forms of AI ChatterBots such as Jabberwacky and Cleverbot which one could have endless, meaningless conversations about anything. Bots today have the potential to be much more constructive than they used to be, but they need to be designed in such a way that amplifies their efficiency. IBM Watson is one example of Artificial Intelligence that uses Natural Language Processing and Machine Learning to reveal insights from large amounts of data. Watson can be used to create a more engaging, profitable and productive bot experience. Bots have evolved to the likes of intelligent personal assistants with natural language UI such as Siri, Google Now, Amazon’s Alexa, Microsoft’s Cortana, but the negative stigma of chatbots being inefficient and unprofitable still prevails.

When I first settled in on the idea to go ahead with, a lot of people disengaged at the mention of the word chatbot, and I struggled with how else to describe the proposed service. As interaction designers, our job is to make existing technologies more accessible. With this general angst and negative stigma at the mention of the word chatbot, I wanted to take a shot at the process of making a chatbot experience more user-friendly, and useful- at a time when the technology behind chatbots have evolved and bots are being utilized in many more industries than ever before. Designers today are pushing the boundaries of what bots are utilised for, from extremes such as replacing one’s boss with a bot to immortalising a deceased relative as a bot.

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ANTICIPATORY DESIGN The best conversational interfaces will be the ones that offer a new experience every time a user comes back, whether that’s through sharper chit-chat, a progressively simplified UI, or a streamlined checkout process built on previous ordering preferences. That’s when function gives way to delight—the ingredient that transforms a digital product from one that’s tolerated into one that’s loved. This kind of anticipatory system based on the user’s past and probably future choices, gives way for a new kind of Design known as Anticipatory design. With access to user data (browsing, purchase, search, etc.), the system can make informed decisions on the user’s behalf. At its core, the function of anticipatory design is to gather the data necessary and move from the era of personalization to automated decision-making.

phase 3 OF 3

Netflix suggests content based on your viewing habits and ratings. Amazon suggests items based on your past purchase history. They narrow the spectrum of choice by directing user attention, but they also present new opportunities to make decisions— increasing steps, decisions, and cognitive load in the process. Ideally, an anticipatory system aims to do just the opposite: limit options and streamline activity. Anticipatory design is fundamentally different: decisions are made and executed on behalf of the user. In order to achieve the level of convenience promised by anticipatory design, data must be collected, analyzed, and then repackaged in the form of predetermined selections. The ubiquity of the Internet is increasing our ability to collect extraordinary amounts of data from virtually everyone, dramatically reshaping not only how we interact with our devices but how they interact with us.

Vivek Menon â&#x20AC;˘ UG Graphic Design â&#x20AC;˘ Graduation Project 2017

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sprint 1 Challenge -

To Develop the Conversation Frame (Information Architecture draft/Tree Diagram)

Expected Output -

User Journey/Storyboard

Time period -

2 Weeks

Going back to review the brief was essential at every stage, as my mentor constantly ensured, especially at this point. In an attempt to sell the idea, establishing the difference between Consumer Engagement and Engaging Consumer Experiences was important. The former being a metric by which one would measure how much time a user spends on the platform, salient to social platforms such as Facebook and Snapchat. However in the case of transactional pipelines such as mobile network carriers, the more time that the user spends doing his tasks, i.e. the more time spent on the service, the less efficient the pipeline is. A user wants to typically get his task done and leave. So there was a need to remember that the way my brief was framed focused on a satisfying experience that engaged consumers, and not Consumer Engagement as a metric.

If the service were to merely engage the consumer on a daily basis, sending the user a joke everyday would suffice. However engaging experiences along with revenue generation was important here, therefore the selling points of the idea were basically the VAS, Discoverability and the Data-driven Personalization. The idea at hand was a onestop shop, prioritizing the potential of the service to be Interconnected, device agnostic and bringing out the Brand Identity. The objective of this sprint was to detail out every aspect of the idea in the form of a storyboard or conversation frame, and to identify the necessary personas and taskflows to do so.

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Understand

The Understand step of the Sprint involves deciding the Challenge for the Sprint broadly, focusing on collecting necessary data and research and then framing an appropriate How Might We Question for the Sprint, through iterative rounds.

Broad Challenge:

Focused Research:

To decide the Conversation frame structure.

• Existing Conversational UI Communication Frames of other Bot Apps.

How might we create a conversation frame structure that allows customers to easily communicate with their Brand?

• Basic capabilities of the Brand’s exiting Personal App and Wallet app.

How might we create a conversational interface that fulfils the Telecom customer’s needs?

phase 3 OF 3

Vivek Menon â&#x20AC;˘ UG Graphic Design â&#x20AC;˘ Graduation Project 2017

top Indian conversational bots

A quick study was done to see what other successful Chat apps existed in India and what tasks they performed. Some bots existed as individual apps, while others integrated into Messenger Apps such as Facebook or Slack.

Niki.AI

Haptik Personal Assistant

MagicX

Yana

ixibaba

Fynd Fify

Recharge Bot by Payjo

Engazify Bot

Lookup

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capabilities of existing apps

phase 3 OF 3

A brief analysis was also done of the two major existing Idea Apps with respect to an understanding of the basic capabilities and achievable tasks of each.

Personal App

Wallet App

On the Personal App, a customer could do the following: • Manage a connection/account. • View- valid subscriptions/dashboard; Recharge History; Call history; Request History • Pay Bills and Recharge. • View Special Offers • Manage Subscriptions, Dialer Tones • Get Customer Feedback; Help & FAQs; Contact Us; Terms of Use • Get information about- 4G, Switching to the Brand, MNP, Locate Idea Stores • Discover- All other apps and websites(Brand Ecosystem)

On the Brand’s very own mobile Wallet App, a customer had the following options: • Pay Bills- Postpaid; Electricity; Gas; Landline; Insurance; Other • Send Money- To Bank; To Mobile • Recharge- Prepaid; DTH; Datacard • Create Favourites • Create Standing Instructions • My Requests • Pay Merchants • Service Request • Contact Us; FAQs

Vivek Menon • UG Graphic Design • Graduation Project 2017

Define

This step involved Defining and outlining the major User Personas, and how each persona should define the product (known as a Design Principles List). It was also important to outline the strategy or the end goals of the product at this stage.

End Goals of the Product A list of end goals was created, that a customer should be able to perform on the product. • • • • • • • • • • • •

Recharge balance Pay Bills Buy Packs/Offers/Favourite Offers Subscribe to VAS Services through notifications or SMS Get Customer Support/Contact the Brand Share Feedback Visit and download other Apps and Services View existing balance/subscriptions View Recharge/Call/Request history Get Information Transfer money Get customised push notifications

As established earlier on, there are essentially three types of Telecom Consumers: •

Believers who are Technologically competent. They are Brand Loyal and expect loyalty benefits.

•

Upgraders are simply looking for the best deals and offers, and are not necessarily faithful to any one Brand. They use smartphones, but may not be as Technologically comfortable as Believers.

•

First Timers are low income groups who are Technologically inept and it is this user segment which Telecom Companies in India are trying to reach out to more.

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Therefore three major personas were created in alignment with this segmentation.

How Manmeet should describe the product

•

Manmeet Singh Believer Male, 30, works as an IT Consultant in Pune and annually earns 15-20 LAKHS, He is a Postpaid Idea User

Easy; Convenient; Personalised; Loyal; All-knowing; Engaging/Spam-less.

•

Deepti Tandon Upgrader Female, 32, works as a Primary School Teacher in Patna and annually earns 4-5 LAKHS, She is a Postpaid Non-Idea User

•

Suraj Tiwari First timer Male, 34, works as an Assistant in a Dental Clinic in Meerut and annually earns 2.7 LAKHS, She is a Postpaid Idea User

How Deepti should describe the product Effortless; Convenient; Helpful; Smart; Trustworthy; Friendly

These personas were created by the team that was working on the website redesign, based on interviews that were conducted previously to understand consumer behaviour.

How Suraj should describe the product Helpful; Resourceful; Always-available(Handy); Witty; Entertaining

phase 3 OF 3

Vivek Menon • UG Graphic Design • Graduation Project 2017

Diverge

I divided the end goals (or tasks) among the three Personas, based on each persona’s requirements and then sketched out rough iterations of conversational journeys for each task. This served as a starting point to create a final Tree Diagram.

Draft Taskflows for Manmeet Singh_

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Taskflows for Deepti Tandon_

phase 3 OF 3

Taskflows for Suraj Tiwari_

Vivek Menon • UG Graphic Design • Graduation Project 2017

Decide

Different parts of conversations were then divided and arranged in functional groups (called Blocks). Patterns could be observed that: Some of the groups were transactional. These were named ‘Cores’. Some of the groups which comprised informal pleasantries were named ‘Chatters’. Groups which provided the user with options and information blocks were named ‘Extras’. Blocks which allowed the user to skip from one part of a conversation to another were named ‘Skips’. Therefore a typical conversation flow roughly went as such:

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A draft tree diagram was conceived out of the different conversation parts of all the individual conversational journeys.

phase 3 OF 3

Vivek Menon â&#x20AC;˘ UG Graphic Design â&#x20AC;˘ Graduation Project 2017

Prototype

Validate

At the end the first sprint, I designed this user journey which explains various experiential aspects of the product, while providing context of the different user groups, their intent and how the experience is influenced over time. At the bottom of the chart, I validated how each persona would benefit from each experience.

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Concept User Journey _ phase 3 OF 3

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Vivek Menon • UG Graphic Design • Graduation Project 2017

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sprint 2 Challenge -

To Develop the Nature of Verbal Communication

Expected Output -

Conversation Draft

Time period -

3 Weeks

This was a particularly exciting sprint to work on, since it involved writing some amount of copy, and doing the necessary research of understanding on a larger scale, how the flow of a conversation has to be designed; and on a smaller scale, how to phrase precise sentences to empower a user and create the impression that he is talking to his Brand. While my project remained a concept thus far, it was fairly easy to merely design the copy for a set number of taskflows. However if such a project is to go live into production, writing content I suspect, may require significantly more time than designing or programming such an experience.

“The CUI has another huge advantage over a GUI: It can allow people to talk about hypothetical objects or future events that have no graphical representation.” Wired Magazine_2013 -

This sprint involved developing specific parts of the conversation in blocks, and dealing with nuances of the script such as the syntax of the Bot and user messages, in alignment to the Brand’s personality.

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Understand

Broad Challenge:

Focused Research:

To develop the nature of Verbal Communication

• Complexity of Conversation Loops

How might we personify the Brand’s presence to create a language that users understand?

• The nature of copy used across Idea’s existing channels- e.g. Print/Digital Ads; Social Media pages

How might we convert the Brand’s spirit into a conversational language? How might we expect the Brand to talk to a customer?

phase 3 OF 3

Vivek Menon • UG Graphic Design • Graduation Project 2017

the complexity of conversation loops

Conversations, while familiar to our daily lives and easy to participate in, are deviously difficult to design. They are made up of intangible loops of infinitely complex organic systems. Such loops can be made easier to understand using examples from UI Design.

The Infinite Scroll

Conversational Infinite Scroll

Facebook is probably the most popular product to employ the infinite scroll technique. The Infinite Scroll works when majority of the content a user is fed with, is based on their interest, and they have no control over the content. Infinite scrolls are however too linear, and lack the ability to go in any direction the way a conversation can.

Conversations that replicate infinite scrolls tend to be made of one card followed by another card, followed by another card, and so on. An example of this is the Swelly survey bot, where a user only gives a binary response and moves on. However, while this experience works for a survey bot, it is not a compelling form of engagement otherwise.

The Infinite Loop

Conversational Infinite Loop

The Relevant Content Loop is one alternate where users can scroll on a page, find what they want and then find another topic to scroll through at the end of the page, thus creating an infinite loop of content. A good example of this type of loop would be the New York Times App or other such curated news links. The loop cannot be broken unless one starts over.

Instead of bouncing from single piece of content to single piece of content as on Pinterest, a conversation as an infinite loop would imply users bouncing from topic to topic in a conversation. And within each topic users will dive into tracks made up of multiple cards that may then link to other, similar tracks.

A better alternate of the infinite loop is Pinterest where once a piece of content in chosen, discovering more content is much more organic and serendipitous. The Pinterest experience is a lot like a choose-your-own-adventure story, but with millions of options, therefore creating an addictive interaction that takes a conscious effort to cut off.

Therefore the challenge with designing conversations lie in creating a seamless conversational loop that allows users to bounce from topic to topic, anticipating the user’s needs; determining the major points of navigation to complete the loop and allowing for an unbreakable engaging conversation.

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basic study of brand copy A moodboard was made with examples of the nature of copy used by the Brand across existing channels such as Print & Digital Advertisements and Social Media Pages.

phase 3 OF 3

Some of the keywords that could be identified to describe the nature of the language were: Informal, Hinglish/Colloquial, Humorous/ Witty, Positive and Relevant/Young. Messages frequently had themes of Innovation, Diversity/Inclusivity and were directed at a viewer, with use of words like You/Your.

Vivek Menon • UG Graphic Design • Graduation Project 2017

Define

For this step, the bot itself was imagined as a new persona, who’s personality needed to be defined. And thereafter the kind of language the bot would use. At this stage, the name of the bot was still a work in progress.

BOT — *Name WIP* | PERSONALISED PANDIT

OVERVIEW

Genderless, 20-25 Clever, Multi-lingual and Witty, Bold

PERSONALITY IMAGE (SOMEONE IT RESEMBLES)

Almost like a Birbal or a Tenali Raman

PERSONALITY TRAITS

Relevant (Young but Mature), Trustworthy/Loveable, Resourceful, Witty/Quirky, Righteous (Politically Correct but Unrefined/Informal), Positive puts a smile on your face

PERSONALITY TRAITS TO AVOID

Presumptuous/Cocky/Arrogant/Sarcastic, Redundant/Useless, Intrusive

COPY EXAMPLES IN DIFFERENT SITUATIONS

Success Message: “Awesome! That was easy!” Error Message: “Oh no! Unfortunately I couldn’t process your request.” Critical Failure: “Looks like one of our servers are down right now. Be back soon, don’t worry!”

ENGAGEMENT METHODS

Personalised Idea Bot Emojis; Animations; Bot wearing different outfits based on location/VAS Eg. Cricket Bot, Bollywood Bot etc.

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Core attribute of the Brand were also listed down: Integrity Honesty, Professionalism, financial and intellectual integrity. Commitment On the foundation of Integrity, doing whatever it takes to deliver value to all stakeholders. Passion Relentless pursuit of goals and objectives with the highest level of energy and enthusiasm, that is voluntary and spontaneous. Seamlessness Thinking and working together across functional silos, hierarchy, business and geographies. Speed Responding to internal and external customer with a sense of urgency.

phase 3 OF 3

Vivek Menon • UG Graphic Design • Graduation Project 2017

Diverge

Decide

Iterations were then explored of how the bot would verbally communicate what it needed to. I did this again by taking examples of the various tasks it would perform. A draft script was written out, using a syntax that clearly specifies the different scenarios of the conversation using different kinds of brackets. It was important to keep in mind whether single statements would be displayed as single statements or divided into blocks. It was also decided as far as possible, that the bot would be able to ask only close-ended questions, and define the answers that the user could provide- by providing options to respond with. As a matter of perception, a user tends to find a bot more efficient when a question has defined options and is phrased as: Would you like to me to recharge a balance or pay a bill? as opposed to What can I do for you today?

Syntax Single Statements vs Complete paragraphs Combining single statements into blocks Fading out vs Scrolling User messages (answers)- de ned(controlled, close-ended) vs non de ned(non-controlled, open-ended), Close-ended question with options Interjections, llers, non-lexical conversation sounds Here’s a sample set of symbols and their functions: { } curly brackets: de ne a set of options | pipes: separates the options in a set ( ) parentheses: specify the condition-related options in a set [ ] brackets: indicate user input ________________________________________________________________ Opening - Divide into (3) Phases (Each phase swipes to right and colours change and icon) {Namaste Sir! | (Good Morning!) | (Hello!)}. {My name is | I’m} IdeaBot. I’m here to make your life a little easier. Why don’t we start by you telling me your name? :) My name is [_______] Nice to meet you [_______]! Have we met before by any chance? [Yes | No] {(Ha! I thought so. You seemed familiar.) | (Err, well I must have confused you with someone else)} ___________ What is your favourite food [_______]? :P [_______] Well mine is Cookies. They always cheer me up. :) I hope you don’t mind that I use them. They’re good for my memory. [Sure No problem | What are cookies?] (Oh, Cookies are the data about you stored in your browser.) [Oh I understand | That sound’s creepy] ___________ So [_______], I’d like to know more about you! I work in [Healthcare | IT | Finance | Education | Entertainment | Other ] Nice! {(I know a lot about [_______]. If you like, I can keep you updated on all the latest news. It’s free of cost ;) )} [Subscribe to daily updates | No, I’m not interested]

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I can also do a whole bunch of other things by the way. Here are all the things I can do for you.

Sure thing! Mobile number. Amount.

[Con rm Payment] Awesome! That was a success! Here is your dashboard.*Receives SMS* Get Information If you have any questions about your Idea account, I will try and answer them for you.

Which bill would you like to pay [_______]? :) [Postpaid | Electricity | Gas | Insurance] Do you want to pay the bill for this postpaid number?

[_________________] ...Answer... Someone will also contact you if you leave your email address here.

Recharge Which balance would you like to recharge [_______]? :) [Prepaid | DTH | Datacard] Do you want to recharge for this prepaid number?

| Culinary | Games | ] Awesome! I have just the thing for you [_______]. You currently have {(no) | (n number)} active VAS Subscriptions. I think you would love these subscriptions {(Option 1) | (Option 2) | (Option 3) | (Option 4)} {(How would you like to pay?)} [Idea Money | PayTM | Credit/Debt Card | Netbanking]

[Con rm Payment]

Send Money Here is your current Idea Money balance. I am here to manage this balance for you. [Make a payment | Send Money to Bank] Who would you like to send money to, [_______]? +91 [___________] How much would you like to send? Rs. [_______]

Awesome! That was a success! Here is your dashboard.*Receives SMS* Manage Account Here is your dashboard [_______]. Anytime you want to view your active subscriptions and account balances, just say “Show dashboard”. I can manage your Idea Money balance, {(Prepaid balance | Postpaid bill)} and all your subscriptions. [Look’s good | Edit a subscription]

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Prototype

Validate

On June 9th, a presentation was made compiling all the work that had been done for this project so far, and was shared with the Watson AI & Data Platform Lead of IBM for India. A call was setup with her, to discuss the validity and feasibility of the idea, and what technological and contextual shortcomings she found with the concept, if any.

The feedback largely received was very positive, with a few specific topics of discussions regarding specific issues such as •

•

Incorporating a voice and tone analyser, to make user interaction more relevant based on the context Having a capability of using voice as input rather than providing it as a speech-totext translation for system As the chat services would be available to a large Indian audience, the ability to support regional languages, colloquial terms or a mix of hindi-english terms to help the user The possibility of having image processing technology to help verify any documents or screenshots of issues being faced by the user The ability to multitask and have the chat feature available to the user, while simultaneously being able to view video and audio content A seamless transfer from AI to Telecom personnel if and when the bot is incapable of fulfilling a customer’s needs.

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Validating the concept for the presentation _

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sprint 3 Challenge -

To Develop the Nature of Non-Verbal Communication

Expected Output -

Proof of Concept Interactive Screens & Explanatory Video Time period -

4+ Weeks

The entire project came down to this final and most important phase , the crux of my jobcreating an amazing visual experience. As per my intentions, I was hoping to strengthen my prototying and animation skills, by exploring interactions as much as possible. Projects done by me in the past while at NID, were usually exhaustive in designing the UX, but not as extensive in UI design. Therefore during this project, I allowed myself to devote a much larger amount of time to purely immersing myself in the UI Design process.

This sprint, being the most important and elaborate, was divided into four sub-sections. 1. Arrangement of Messages 2. Development of Visual Language: Various UI Elements, Cards 3. Persona & Physical Appearance of Bot, Customised Emojis and Avatars, 4. Phatic Expression, Microinteractions Each section was an iterative process, that allowed me to move a step closer to the final produced outcome.

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arrangement of messages “ The way bot’s & user’s avatars and their messages are arranged shouldn’t be incidental.” Leszek Zawadzki _ Co-founder of The Rectangles — UX design agency -

Various possible alternatives were explored for how the messages could be arranged trying to push the familiar boundaries of an ordinary CUI - bot message appearing on the left, user message appearing on the right and the input text field at the bottom. An important factor that played into deciding which direction to take forward, depended on whether previous messages should be retained or if they should disappear because they are no longer important in this context. Alternate 1 explores an alternating system of bot vs user responses on the left and right sides of the screen, the way a natural conversation happens with participants facing each other. Alternate 2 divides the bot and user responses into left and right sides of the screen. Alternate 3 looks at all messages aligned to the left. And Alternate 4 explores the bottom section of the screen being a locked input area for the user, which makes for a better user experience since the user will know where to expect the input options, and the area is within reach of the thumb.

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I then detailed out a few of the alternatives, using the task flow of recharging a Prepaid balance as an example, without the overlay of an actual Visual Language.

Alternate 1

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Alternate 2

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Alternate 4

Alternate 4 proved to be the cleanest and most appealing visual style, with primary focus on the question. However this was only decided after further explorations. _

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Combination of Alternate 1 and 4

The highlight of the app would be access to various personalised VAS Subscriptions, in a new modern way within the chat interface directly.

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development of visual language While debates regarding how messages should be arranged remained ongoing, the next phase ensued. A clean and unique visual language needed to be created to distinguish this app, while still remaining true to the brand. I was advised to conceptually formulate an entirely new visual language to explore what was possible for the telecom Brand. This process was creatively challenging but nonetheless I took advantage of the freedom given to me, to have fun with the process.

“...Freedom being a corporate gift, with discipline you have to freak out.” Chakradhar Saswade_Guide -

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The Visual Language process was largely inspired using the keywords: -Inspiring, progressive and empowering -Aspiration, Growth and Witt The interface also had to bring out attributes of the bot such as: -Friendly, Positive, Young/Fresh, Approachable, informal -Helpful, Playful, Witty, Informed

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Concept sketches for UI Screens _

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Visual Explorations The final style of the interface still needed work, and explorations were made to explore how the bot’s question could stand out the most.

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Direction 1 An interface simultaneously had to be created for a pitch, using the visual language that had already been pre-decided by the Idea Team. The following are explorations that were made to finally fixate on a style that used angled forms, derived from the exclamation mark in the brand logo. A set of mockup screens were then made using the selected style.

Explorations for Direction 1 _

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UI Screens for Direction 1 _

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Direction 2 A second visual language that was tried was to completely experiment with a brand new colour palette, unused by anyone else in the Telecom Industry. The shade of purple was tried as complimentary to yellow, with a gradient effect as per the Brand’s aspiration to showcase themselves as inspiring, progressive and empowering.

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UI Screens for Direction 2 _

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Visual Explorations The final style of the interface still needed work, and explorations were made to explore how the bot’s question could stand out the most on every screen.

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Once the basic layout for the screen was selected, numerous alternatives were explored strictly for how the input options should look.

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material design grid Google Material Design Grid and UI guidelines or Fixed Grid system was used to create the layout for the mobile app interface. The fixed grid system allows for the text formatting and alignment to remain fixed, and this was important for such a text-driven interface. The screen designed for is a 480 X 800 px android screen, with a 4 column grid of 100 px each, and 16 px Gutter space.

Do you want to recharge for this prepaid number?

800 px

MOBILE NUMBER +91 9898989898 6:23 PM

280 px

Change number

30 px

Yes 16 px

Chat with Pooch

100 px

16 px 480 px

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VAS Dashboard Icon

The final visual style fulfilled the predecided keywords:

Animated Bot

-Inspiring, progressive and empowering To bring out these words, white is used in the top half while yellow with a gradient, being the visually heavier half is used in the bottom half. -Aspiration, Growth and Witt The yellow represents the original witty nature of the brand.

Bot Message appears here

Options to -Read aloud message -Bookmark message User Message appears here

Input options Text input Field

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Semantics of Brand Layout Semantics of layouts is a study of visual elements as signs and their meanings in Layouts. For a brand to clearly sell what it wants, there must be a clear understanding of the distinction between elements belonging to form and elements of space. Elements of form are engaging, positive and contrasting enough to standout from elements of space, which are negative and must seamlessly blend into the background so that the audience is drawn only to the elements of form which are intentionally designed to stand out. It is the duty of a designer to create a coherent relationship (a semantic relationship) between all the elements of space and form, while they do the job of being semantically loaded, knowing in the full capacity that choices and relationships of chosen elements in layouts, evoke specific experiences and meanings. Semantic relationships in a layout show integration of the messages, meanings and experiences embedded in the visual identity. A brand therefore has the choice of either aligning the intent and themes of it’s visual experience with the brand-layout objectives through a scalable visual identity or through an extricated mascot in case the existing logo is not capable of scalability.

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A good brand language is an abstraction of the Brand, abstraction being a form of simplification that represents the essence - to exaggerate attributes that are unseen, intangible, experiential and essential, and to subtract what is apparent, physical or material. While a concrete experience is elaborate, descriptive and can render a presentation as “literal”, abstraction can evoke experiences and the “lateral”. Abstraction is never a stand alone activity and is only understood in the context of a reference.

“A static graphic is never static. Every image is a snippet in a narration, and has a past and future embedded within, i.e. every image is suggestive of a past and future.” Chakradhar Saswade_Guide -

Once a good semantic relationship is achieved, the layout almost prompts for the birth of a narrative. This happens because when the mind recognises a form, which is configurable and interacting with another form or with the space around it, is not in isolation and can be connected to the elements around it. The media today is no longer static, and audiences demand that things be in motion. Therefore as modern designers, we cannot remain ignorant of all the motion based possibilities of Visual Design.

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Final Direction A strong concept finally emerged after dozens of deliberate and purposeful rounds of back and forth. The final proposed system was a visual language made up of lines and dots, inspired by morse code, a nod at one of the earliest forms of telecommunication. The dots and lines came with a whole set of potential visual attributes that expressed Telecommunication and specifically the brand, quite beautifully. A single line and dot above indicates the name of the Brand and is indicative from the Brand logo as well.

Frames from one of many animated interactions _

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The dots and lines could also had tremendous other potential to be used in an interactive visual system. For example, in an image carousel, as a user swipes between images what is usually depicted with three dots could be shown with a dot and lines instead. To indicate the question is loading, dots could oscillate from side to side. Buttons for the userâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s input options could be drawn from the same language as well.

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Typography The technical criteria for selecting an appropriate typeface was that -it had to be a google font, optimised for onscreen usage -it had to have a large enough family of weights & fonts to play around with Shortlisted typefaces were all tested out on mobile screens to ensure readability and a strong personality.

a j r

b k s

c l t

The final set of chose typefaces were -Quicksand designed by Andrew Paglinawan, for its contemporary and rounded personality to bring out the friendly, playful nature of the visuals. -Roboto Mono designed by Christian Robertson, a monospaces and narrow alternative that beautifully contrasts Quicksand, and characterizes a sense of Telecom.

d e f g h i m n o p q u v w x y z

a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

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Colour Palette I tried to explore many variations of colour palette choices, all including yellow since yellow was the most identifiable colour associated with the brand. Just as the typography, the colours as well had to fulfil the technical criteria of being websafe, and simultaneously relecting the chosen keywords of the bot persona, primarily friendly and fresh.

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bot’s physical appearance “For the majority of us, our bots are going to be visualized by a small 35px by 35px circular image. That’s a small amount of space, but a big opportunity for your brand.”

1. An Owl - represents traditional Wisdom 2. An Elephant - respected/warm/known for it’s Excellent Memory/Indian Animal/Friendly 3. Friendly Crow - represents Janta/Common Man/Relatable/Crafty/Quirky

Joe Toscano _ Experience Designer—R/GA at Google -

5. An Abstract dynamic shape - that changes form and colour based on sentiment or sound - maybe an abstracted exclamation mark -a chat bubble -a sim card -a Hindi alphabet

Initially I had ideated around how the bot’s persona could translate into a physical character with a face. Some of the initial ideas were as follows.

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4. Funny Indian Uncle & Aunty - “Mr & Mrs. Chat-terjee”, The Indian USP being Hospitality / “Welcome to the Brand Family”

6. A friendly cat named Pooch/Poonch(?)Clever/Quirky/Crafty/Sharp “Ask me anything”

But it was later on decided to show the personality of the bot in a more abstract, scalable way through the interface itself. The concept that came about for the visual language automatically inspired a charactar to be born, utilizing dots and lines, and this face had potential to come to life and show expression. There were two alternatives tried for the face, but the first one was the implicitly better option.

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The final visual style for the bot therefore fulfilled the predecided bot attributes: -Friendly, Positive, Young/Fresh, Approachable, informal -Helpful, Playful, Witty, Informed

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phatic expression Phatic Expression includes all non-verbal communication that has more of a social or informative function. eg. Typing Indicators, Delivery Status of messages, Incomprehension etc. These could be expressed through the interface or a physical character for the bot. Animation has the potential to change the way the user feels about the conversation experience. Without animation, the conversation feels scripted, and the user feels uninvolved. Explorations were made to show how the interface itself could be made expressive, and thereby make the bot more human and friendly. The system of lines and dots again had potential for inherent phatic expression.

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The use of motion and expression to bring out a brand identity in a digital experience. That is the innovation, and distinctiveness of this application, which has greater value than the novelty of the talking app itself. Azmina Poddar_Mentor -

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Frames from one of many animated interactions, showing the face coming to life and expressing happiness after a successful transaction. In itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s inactive state the face exists as dots and lines, as in the first frame which is the depiction of a question mark in morse code. _

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Screens showing a quick recharge Taskflow _

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UI Cards are used for the Brand to sell Gift coupons, as well as for different kinds of VAS Services. _

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Examples of different kinds of VAS Services, employing the use of cards. _

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All the VAS Cards can be collapsed into a menu for easily viewing later as well. _

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On pressing the icon on the top right hand corner, a user can access all his purchased VAS Subscriptions in one place, along with featured articles and sponsored content, that are promoted to the user based on personalised data. The User can also edit his interests as and when required. _

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Different Keyboard States 1. Quick Links which can be accessed to instantly perform Transactional Tasks. 2. Attach a file. 3. The Microphone icon which enables converting voice to text, changes to an Enter key when a user is typing using the keyboard. _

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Sketches depicting a taskflow, and Keyboard States _

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Every few weeks there would be general change in opinion regarding the topic of whether or not to showing older conversation messages was important. This would lead to an ultimate redesign of all the screens every few weeks. If older conversations were important for a user to view again, it should be so easy to just be able to ask the bot the same question again instead of having to scroll far back to find an older message. On the other hand, since most tasks were either for the sake of entertainment or transactional, a situation would hardly ever occur where a user would want to refer to older messages. After dozens of conversations and debates about this issue, with different opinions about the subject from different people, it was finally decided that there should be a way to view older messages, to prevent having another Snapchat experience.

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The final solution decided by me was to follow a Siri-like experience where only one question and answer is seen on the screen at a given time, so the screen remains clean at all times. However a user need simply pull the screen down/scroll down, in order for the entire earlier conversation to appear. Options are then provided to share the entire conversation over email or social media, or repeat any particular tasks.

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Proof of Concept Video It became apparent at some point that making an interactive prototype the way UX projects usually amount to, would be redundant in this case. Users would either be able to click on a few screens but not be able to actually have a conversation, or a prototyping tool specifically for conversations could be used had every single conversation been complete. To create a working prototype on which users could have the entire conversation as well as have the visual experience, would be impossible.

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Therefore a comprehensive explanatory video was made instead, as a way to improve my motion graphics skills, as well as document the entire concept for the workplace so that they may be able to understand the project even in my absence. For the video, a script was first drafted, after which visuals for each scene were decided and finally animated and executed. A voiceover and soundtrack were added in the end. The storyboard and script went as such:

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â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Telecom market in India is competitive, with Brands always on the lookout for new ways to engage with their customers. But most brands have too many services that customers arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t aware of, and too many unorganised and inconsistent channels to sell their content.

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Imagine your telecom brand as a single personality, always available in your smartphone to cater to all your needs. Backed up by cognitive Technology to provide you an experience that is personalised to your interests and data usage patterns. And what if it was as easy to talk to your telecom brand as it is to talk to your friend?

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A single place to perform all your transactional tasks- Recharge a balance, Pay a bill, Send and Receive Money, View Transaction History and request customer support at any point of time.

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And stay constantly engaged through revamped media-rich Value Added Services all within the chat interface. All your subscriptions in a single place, and featured articles customised to the your interests. The Brand now has a platform to easily upsell it’s services and products, and the user can now easily discover the whole Brand ecosystem, thereby stimulating Brand Conversation.”

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A conversational application has the potential to be modular, translated and allows the user to discover the ecosystem in a more exciting way - through a conversation. And through a fresh interface that is device-agnostic and scalable; Whether a pre-installed app for the Brandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s smartphone users; a chat assistant window on the website; or a kiosk in rural areas to help first-time users get online.

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No more spam. No more need to remember numerous USSD Codes. Everything happens through a simple conversation, the form of communication that’s most familiar to users. Pooch ke Dekho.

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conclusion This project was an opportunity to explore an area of interest, while creating something useful as well. Having picked a domain like Chatbots which is relatively new, and does not have a tested UX process just yet, I chose to explore a different design process from what I usually do, and it worked well. I remained insistent on executing the particular idea I had in mind, in spite of an initial disapproval from my seniors at IBM. However when I was done with the project, the systematic approach I followed and the visual outcome both received commendation. Design in the corporate world is not just about finding solutions to problems, but finding viable and profitable solutions to real Business problems. That is of utmost importance in order to stay relevant and lucrative. Finding engaging ways to stay profitable in a particular Industry is just as much a business problem as designing a new Brand Identity is, and it is as important to understand the Business of Design, as much as designers try to understand the Design of Businesses.

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IBM IX was an extremely friendly and comfortable work environment, and I felt easily absorbed into the team, as I was excited to go to work everyday to see them. By the end of the internship, I was extremely disappointed to leave the team, but also glad that this project which I had seen through for almost the entire year was slowly coming to an end. The past nine months of professional growth with an organization like IBM have definitely been rewarding beyond words. This phase of my life has been the perfect transition between my education and my career.

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Some of the last few days with the Team _

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references books & documents

websites

IBM Design Thinking Field Guide https://mergeblog1.files.wordpress. com/2015/10/ibm-design-thinking-fieldguide-v3-1.pdf

design process references

Micro-Moments: Your Guide to Winning the Shift to Mobile https://think.storage.googleapis.com/docs/ micromoments-guide-to-winning-shift-tomobile-summary.pdf https://think.storage.googleapis.com/images/ micromoments-guide-to-winning-shift-tomobile-download.pdf

10 Principles For Design In The Age Of AI https://www.fastcodesign.com/3067632/10principles-for-design-in-the-age-of-ai

What can telecom operators do to capture the value of the Internet of Things? by IBM https://ibm.ent.box.com/s/ pupechudgyup1fanj04xkwzy1ekrklyo

videos Future of Interfaces - Part 3: CUIs https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=xngH6NuAAlY Actions on Google: Conversation Design Tips https://www.youtube.com/watch?v= MSUPVbbhIGA&list=PLBnyHEA3ws K4Tp4cJut0eVEB8VzG1fFY&index=3

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IBM Design Practices https://www.ibm.com/design/practices.shtml

IDEO Field Guide to Human-Centered Design https://issuu.com/bepperiva/docs/ideo_field_ guide_to_human_centered_ Circular Design Guide https://www.circulardesignguide.com/methods Creating a Digital Ecosystem Map http://www.kickframe.com/blog/2014/8/11/ creating-a-digital-ecosystem-map Brand to Interface https://www.invisionapp.com/blog/brand-tointerface-product-design/

market research & tech articles Telecommunication Market http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/ telecommunication-industry-market.html

Mobile Apps Benefit Telecom https://www.goodworklabs.com/how-mobileapps-benefits-telecom-industry/ Introduction to IOT & Smart City https://www.slideshare.net/mazlan1/ introduction-to-iot-smart-city/19-BOXLEVEL_ VIEW_OF_IOT_BUILDINGBLOCKS Wearable Technology & Customer Service https://www.clicksoftware.com/blog/wearabletechnology-customer-service-50-innovativeexamples/ How brands are using digital technology to attract customers https://www.cmo.com.au/article/600880/10examples-how-brands-using-digitaltechnology-attract-customers/ Digital Transformation Trends In 2017 https://www.forbes.com/sites/ danielnewman/2016/08/30/top-10trends-for-digital-transformation-in2017/#2e55894847a5 Cognitive technologies: The real opportunities for business https://dupress.deloitte.com/dup-us-en/ deloitte-review/issue-16/cognitivetechnologies-business-applications.html

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Why language is the key to winning Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mobile market https://qz.com/56259/language-is-the-key-towinning-indias-mobile-market/ Say it with Text http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/ todays-paper/tp-eworld/say-it-with-text/ article1112277.ece Introducing DeepText https://code.facebook.com/ posts/181565595577955/introducingdeeptext-facebook-s-text-understandingengine/

consumer engagement articles Technology trends for Customer Engagement https://engagecustomer.com/top-tentechnology-trends-for-customer-engagementrevealed/ The thinker and the shopper https://dupress.deloitte.com/dup-us-en/focus/ cognitive-technologies/artificial-intelligenceconsumer-products.html#endnote-3 Customer Engagement Is Everything In Business

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https://www.forbes.com/sites/ micahsolomon/2015/12/24/customerengagement-is-everything/#4855c01b466b 4 forms of customer engagement http://www.the-future-of-commerce. com/2015/05/21/buzzwords-defined-4forms-of-customer-engagement/ How AI is transforming customer service https://thenextweb.com/ contributors/2017/06/07/ai-transformingcustomer-service/ Chatbots deliver ROI for customer service https://venturebeat.com/2016/10/18/3-wayschatbots-deliver-roi-for-customer-service/

conversational interface articles Examples of Conversational Commerce https://chatbotsmagazine.com/11-examplesof-conversational-commerce-57bb8783d332 Futures of Text http://whoo.ps/2015/02/23/futures-of-text

Conversational Interfaces https://www.technologyreview. com/s/600766/10-breakthroughtechnologies-2016-conversationalinterfaces/?utm_content=buffer504b4&utm_ medium=social&utm_source=pinterest. com&utm_campaign=buffer Technology imitates Art https://www.typeform.com/blog/humanexperience/cui/ Conversational Interfaces are here https://www.hugeinc.com/ideas/perspective/ conversational-interfaces-are-here Future of Conversational UIs are Hybrid https://medium.com/the-layer/the-futureof-conversational-ui-belongs-to-hybridinterfaces-8a228de0bdb5 Human Centered Design to Humanising Computers https://uxdesign.cc/from-human-centereddesign-to-humanising-computers793bc6d3ad13

Design is a conversation https://blog.intercom.com/designingconversational-interfaces/

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conversational ux articles Chatbots: Your Ultimate Prototyping Tool https://medium.com/ideo-stories/chatbotsultimate-prototyping-tool-e4e2831967f3 Design Framework for Chatbots https://chatbotsmagazine.com/designframework-for-chatbots-aa27060c4ea3 Chatbots & Conversational UI https://uxdesign.cc/chatbots-conversationalui/home Conversational UI Principles https://medium.com/swlh/conversational-uiprinciples-complete-process-of-designing-awebsite-chatbot-d0c2a5fee376

Google’s 3 Secrets To Designing Perfect Conversations https://www.fastcodesign.com/90126166/ googles-3-secrets-to-designing-perfectconversations Technical and social challenges of conversational design https://uxdesign.cc/my-website-is-nowconversational-here-is-what-i-learned7e943cc6ace0 Creating input UI Elements for a Chatbot https://www.invisionapp.com/blog/chatbotinput-ui-elements/

Making Chatbots Talk https://uxdesign.cc/making-chatbots-talkwriting-conversational-ui-scripts-step-by-step62622abfb5cf

Problem of testing Conversational UI https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/problemtesting-conversational-user-interfacesmonika-mikowska

Emotional Design for Chatbots https://uxdesign.cc/emotional-design-forchatbots-how-to-make-humans-like-your-botfc4dadb8a214

Why The Rudest Chatbot Is The Best Chatbot https://www.fastcodesign.com/90127019/ why-the-rudest-chatbot-is-the-best-chatbot

The Ultimate Guide to Chatbots https://medium.muz.li/the-ultimate-guide-to-

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DESIGN INSPIRATION Amazing Chat Interface Inspiration https://medium.muz.li/amazing-chat-interfaceinspiration-9ce35222b93a Chatbots in Africa https://uxstudioteam.com/ux-blog/africachatbot/?utm_source=behance.net&utm_ campaign=lab_project&utm_medium=referral Typatone https://typatone.com/ Flipkart triples time-on-site with PWA https://developers.google.com/web/ showcase/2016/flipkart

National iNSTITUTE OF dESIGN

colophon This document has been written and designed by Name: Vivek Menon Muralidhar Email: vivek_m@nid.edu, vivekmenon795@gmail.com under the guidance of Mr. Chakradhar Saswade Typeset in IBM Plex Sans, and IBM Plex Mono Font Families Processed at National Institute of Design (NID) Paldi, Ahmedabad - 380007 Gujarat, India www.nid.edu Printed digitally in Ahmedabad, India September, 2017 National Institute of Design

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