PLAIWRIGHT
UX / 2023
UX / RESEARCH / BEHAVIORAL DESIGN / JOURNAL / AI / INTERACTIONS
AT A GLANCE
In 2022, all my classroom projects explored mindset through different lenses. This year, I started out with the intent to find the viability of non-linear narratives to reframe our mindset in different contexts.
This project combined lessons from the last term to address well-being through storytelling in a completely unexpected manner.
Plaiwright intensively focused on reframing thoughts/journal entries as they give birth to a fictional narrative that evolves with the user’s journey. Providing tools to form habits of self-reflection in a refreshing way.
THE USER
MEET BUTTERCUP
- Lazy but thoughtful
- Moody
- Keeps note of spurs of thoughts
- Inexplicable lingering feelings
- Concise but unstructured
- Help me make sense of my thoughts
- Find meanings
- Add a sense of excitement
- “Let me be the author of my own stories”
PHASE 1 - STORYTELLING THROUGH REFLECTION
SYSTEMS & BEHAVIORAL DESIGN
This phase of Plaiwright really honed into the aspect of systems and behavioral design. Most of the effort went into optimizing the flow and structure of the solution to reduce disengagement.
FEATURE PRIORITIZATION
It was also essential to identify what aspects of self-reflection and journaling were more important to the users (Pain points, expectations, motivation) aka prioritization.
KEY CONSIDERATIONS
- Let’s you take the first step
- Curates based on inputs
- Passively identifies mindset
- Element of surprise
OUTCOMES
The flow and structure of the system turned out well based on testing but were missing a thought-out interface. But the path was laid out for the next phase.
PHASE 2 - INTERACTIONS
PRIMARY GOALS
Focusing on the primary elements of Plaiwright’s larger system came with rigorous testing and iteration:
- Identify the preferred nature and mode for nudging, prompting and communicating
- Effectiveness of prompts (understandability, desirability, thought provocation factor)
- Interface ease of use (Design system, gestures, accessibility, effort, etc.)
METHODS OF ANALYSIS
- A/B Testing (Visual style, feature nuances, product structure)
- Red Route Analysis (Previously conducted task priority based on frequency)
- Rapid Prototyping (Quick response to breakdowns in A/B Testing)
- Heuristic Evaluation (Quick checklist pass, compared with user feedback)
- System Usability Scale (Before and After)
ITERATIONS, ITERATIONS, ITER...
EMBARK & ENGAGE
After diving into the rabbit hole of systems and frameworks, focusing on design and interactions turned out to be refreshing. It also gave birth to an exciting side exploration of the "Stackable Design System" for the prototype.
NUDGE
- Nudge = assistive prompts based on input text analyzed by AI
- Nudge = helps look at the context from different angles
- Nudge = earned through usage
- Swipe as a seamless feedback loop to curate assistive prompts
SYSTEM USABILITY SCALE
Evaluated based on the following factors:
- Effectiveness (the ability of users to complete tasks using the system, and the quality of the output of those tasks)
- Efficiency (the level of resource consumed in performing tasks)
- Satisfaction (users’ subjective reactions to using the system)
HINDSIGHT
With a focus on the experience, came a new set of experiments and learnings:
- Leveraging progressive disclosure by breaking down tasks and information
- Experimenting with visual styles by creating Stackable DS (WIP)
- Revisiting a usability evaluation method from the user’s POV - System Usability Scale (improved score)
- Peer feedback on padding and UI stacking/layering guidelines
The project received significant feedback & is set to blend emotional affordances as it scales towards other pieces - Reflect & Reframe
GAMES FOR SOCIAL IMPACT
All the discussions, probes and learnings led to validate my research query for the rest of the year with respect to cultivating socially conscious behavior through interactive narratives.
Plaiwright raised a lot of intriguing discussions around habits, behavioral psychology and the impact of AI amidst evolving systems around us. These insights will transition into new mediums and contexts or bring whole new ideas to life, to be explored and tested.
