An analogue tool for an emerging technology
Dot Dot Bot is a fun, collaborative design method for building valuable, human-centered bots.
For most organizations looking to implement chatbots in their processes the focus is on cost savings and leveraging the data they have. However, the result often misses the bigger question of what the user needs and expects from the bot and, therefore, what the right scope for an effective bot would be.
Dot Dot Bot enables teams to collaboratively consider these critical questions at the outset of the project, so they can have a truer vision for the bot prior to investing development resources.
THE PROCESS
STEP 1: Refining our value proposition
When I joined this project, the 3-person team had been working for several months becoming experts in the landscape of chatbot design and development. However, in the process, they had lost the ability to speak from an objective perspective. I stepped in to help them articulate their expertise and choose a direction of maximum value.
Analysis of existing chatbot-focused tools*
STEP 2: Developing a unique, universal method for chatbot design
Taking cues from Google sprint, IDEO methods, and our own SAP tools Mosaic, we set out to design a solution for teams with or without design expertise. We envisioned a method that is versatile, step-by-step, and easy to execute. With that in mind, we built upon our design-led development process to meet the unique challenges of natural language processing.
DDB Testing
STEP 3:Transforming the method into an experience
Once we finalized the requirements for the method, we focused on the product itself. Using our facilitation experience, we created activities to make our method more like a game instead of filling out a template.
Through user testing and rapid prototyping, we finalized Dot Dot Bot.
