Explorations in Conversational User Interface

Part I: Cultural Probe Research

Collaborators: Ashley Anderson, Matthew Norton

Contents of the probe distributed to gather information on fears and perceptions surrounding artificial intelligence.

Selected probe responses from 3 participants.

Synthesizing the qualitative research collected from our probe with other groups, we created a matrix of overarching themes and patterns that emerged across a wide range of responses. The themes collected formed the basis for the following exploration of CUI visualizations. 

Part II: Speculative CUIs

Early sketches of CUI states of being. 

Medium-Fi Digital Sketches developing the idea of a holographic CUI.










The video and gifs above illustrate the culmination of this semester-long investigation surrounding machine learning + design. I created a speculative simulation of a CUI as a mediator between a fighting couple. The movement and opacity of the holographic CUI would fluxuate to allow the couple to see one another more clearly as their problems were resolved. The CUI could be trained on algorithms that allowed it to embody a high-level of phychiatric expertise, increasing accessability to a couple who might not be able to afford therapy.