The scenario
Power Up (a fictional company in the fitness space) set themselves the goal of helping average people get healthy. They decided they needed a chatbot to help them do this. They wanted the bot to help customers design a custom workout routine, then offer to sell them protein powder at the end of their workout.
What I did
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Established the bot's goals in line with Power Up's set goal, and decided on key intents
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Created the bot's personality with the target audience in mind, and chose a name
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Used the flow map and chatbot writing best practices to write a script
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Used the script to design an interactive chatbot prototype to hand off to the dev/engineering team
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Tested and edited, tested and edited, tested and edited. Oh, and tested and edited some more
Chatbot goals and key intents
After spending time doing research and brainstorming, I came up with the following goals for the bot to achieve:
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Qualify leads
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Help with brand awareness
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Develop an engaged relationship
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Self-serve issue resolution
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After some more brainstorming, I came up with the following key intents for the user to accomplish within the experience:
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Create a custom workout
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Get protein
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Get information
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Subscribe for nutrition tips
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Resolve issues
Chatbot personality and name
I enjoyed this part of the project. I realised that I relish creating brand personalities. After careful brainstorming, I created one for Power Up and the bot with the target audience, the business, and psychology (the Big Five) all in mind. I also chose a name for the bot (Armstrong). Here's what I came up with along with the reasoning behind my choices.
Dialog flow map
This was my first real flow map, so it took me a fair bit of time to get this deliverable right. I don't back down from a challenge, though, and I enjoyed this one. The tool (draw.io) was simple enough to learn and use, but I needed to do research to ensure I incorporated the necessary information and steps to make the experience as realistic and effective as possible. This research included spending time on fitness websites and apps.
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In the end, I was able to get a good enough understanding of the information and steps I needed to map. So with the key intents in mind, this is what I drew.
Script
With the flow map drawn, I needed to create a script for Armstrong. I played around with the custom template during the UX Writers Collective course. But this was the first time I was writing a complete script for a chatbot experience. It was time-consuming, and I did a fair bit of editing to make sure I got it right. But I found the process to be a fun learning experience. And I relished being able to utilise my creative thinking ability.
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With the personality guidelines in mind, this is what I came up with.
Chatbot prototype
Using a tool called Botsociety, I used my script to design an interactive prototype to hand off to the dev/engineering team.
I had to learn how to use this tool, which wasn't hard to do. But it took a bit of time to get through the tutorials and articles to ensure I learnt what I needed to create as realistic and complete an experience as possible. I didn't mind, because I enjoy learning new things.
I really enjoyed using the tool. The Armstrong prototype took quite a bit of time to design as well as test and edit. The entire project took roughly two weeks. But the time spent was hugely enjoyable. And I was pleased with the end result!
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💡 Please note:​ Due to Botsociety discontinuing their product, my interactive prototype is no longer available. Below is a video of the experience.
