Indigo Design Awards 2021
one gold, one silver, four bronze
Explore Interests. Expand Friendships
Conversate is a new way for anyone to make friends and form meaningful relationships from the comfort of their own homes. Designed in response to increased social isolation, Conversate uses both a physical hub device and a mobile application to facilitate lighthearted conversations with other users that share common interests.
Conversate also features the dynamic voice UI, Soula, which can offer new ways for users to interact with each other. This includes fresh topics, games, and conversation modes.
Conversate
Context
Interaction Design Studio
IACT 435
spring 2020
Timeline
10 Weeks
MAR 2020 - MAY 2020
Team
Quy Ho
Daniel Pelletier
Anh Tran
My Roles
Product Design Lead
Interaction Design
UX Researcher
Deliverables
UX Problem
Perceived social isolation affects millions of people around the world each year. People suffering from perceived social isolation often feel alone and cut off from others, and believe that they have no close friends or dependable people that they can talk to. Those within the age range of 35-44 years old are especially vulnerable to perceived social isolation. During this time, many people begin to compare themselves to their peers; users can start to compare their relationships, job status, and even social circles to their peers. Due to this many users in this age range begin to feel socially isolated and lonely, entering a so-called "30's-crisis".
The Solution
Conversate looks to reduce feelings of perceived social isolation in adults between the ages of 35-44 by allowing them to quickly and anonymously chat with other users that have shared similar interests. Using Conversate's physical device hub and voice UI "Soula", users can quickly connect with others that have shared interests which serve as a basis for conversation. Soula's friendly voice UI can keep the conversations between users fun and lighthearted, and she can help to form closer bonds between the two anonymous users. With the companion application, users can view their past conversations and add other users that they had great conversations with in the past. Users can also form groups to bring the people they have met on Conversate together to form even more bonds.
of Americans report that they often or always feel alone.
46%
46%
53%
Only
of Americans feel like they have meaningful in-person social interaction daily.
Target User Group
35 - 44
Perceived social isolation represents a mismatch between an individual's social needs and the provisions the social environment offers or is perceived to offer.
Research on isolation showed that:
- When isolated, our brains have a tendency to anthropomorphize and be drawn to anthropomorphic beings.
- Human to human contact is paramount to reduce isolation
The "30's Crisis"
Research shows that people in their 30s are especially vulnerable to the stress that comes with perceived social isolation.
This generation’s dominant focus on a career is leading to a decrease in adult friendships, and an increase in disconnection and social anxiety.
Research on the 30's Crisis showed that:
- Those in their 30's - 40's are more likely to suffer from perceived social isolation
- People navigating the 30's Crisis are more likely to have trouble navigating relationships, have financial concerns, family troubles, and having troubles with aging
Personas
Philip Satomen, 37
Construction Worker
Goals
- Get back in touch with old friends
- Find a long-term partner
- Open up to new experiences
Beth Solito, 41
Line Chef
Goals
- Reinvigorate her career
- Meet new friends
- Explore more
Design Criteria
From our research, we were able to define our users' pain points and needs and how we would design our experience to reduce the perceived social isolation of our users
How might we?
... How might we make it easier for our users to form meaningful connections?
...How might we reduce loneliness by helping users accomplish their goals?
Design Process
As the lead product designer and an interaction designer I was responsible for designing the physical product, and ideating many of the functions and features present within our final design. In addition I worked to flesh out the interactions between users, device, and companion application.
Our team went through a long iterative process when designing both our physical form and the application, complete with several rounds of user testing.
The gallery to the right showcases some of the design process of Conversate
View the complete process book!
