PLAIWRIGHT

UX / 2023

UX / RESEARCH / BEHAVIORAL DESIGN / JOURNAL / AI / INTERACTIONS

OVERVIEW

In 2022, all my classroom projects explored mindset through different lenses. This year, I started 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 refreshingly.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

With a focus on the experience, came a new set of experiments and learnings:

The concept of generating fictional stories through personal journaling practice was positively received by the users
Stackable Design System (WIP), is a playful experiment for the app’s visual style. To be scaled out for multiple scenarios
Progressive disclosure proves to be effective in creating bite-sized tasks
The system Usability Scale displayed an improved score after a slight redesign

The project received feedback and is set to explore emotional affordances as the product evolves - Reflect & Reframe.

USER PERSONA

MEET BUTTERCUP

Lazy but thoughtful
Keeps note of spurs of thoughts
Concise but unstructured

Needs help making sense of thoughts
Wants to find meaning
Needs a sense of excitement

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)

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.