iBot is a powerful and clever chatbot that creates premium customer experience for mobile Apple Store application with conversational and unique user interface. This design practice by Toptal shows the vision, scope and personality of Apple Store app chatbot iBot also known as Siri 2.0.

Techniques

Lean UX, high-fidelity prototyping, and usability testing

Roles

UX Researcher, Interviewer, UX Designer, UI Designer, Visual Designer, Interaction Designer, UX Strategist

Tools

Pen and paper: Process Flow, Wireframe
Sketch App: UX / UI Design
Principle App: Rapid Prototyping

Insights & Discovery

Problem Statement

Sometimes mobile apps and e-commerce websites can be time consuming with so many information and low performances.

Goal

The goal of the this project create delightful and interactive solution for the current existing tool e-commerce tool of Apple, Apple Store App. This project shows the vision, scope and personality of Apple Store app chatbot iBot which aims to give more personal as well as conversational and premium shopping experience to the Apple customers.

User Persona

Apple consumer that prefers personal, interactive and premium shopping experience.

Research & Evolution

Application Personality

I went to the Apple stores to observe Apple’s brand identity to create unique brand experience to the potential Apple customers with a chatbot. From my observations and conversations with Apple customer, I end up with three unique statements:

Three unique statements of application personality.

User Research & Interview Results

After I did my research on existing platform Apple Store App and interview on consumers, I realized that Potential Apple customers have three intentions: Shop, Get Help and Locate Store. That’s because I designed iBot in a way that it can serve for these three functions.

Task Map of Genius Bot

I listed the tasks that potential customer can perform with genius iBot aka Siri 2.0.

Shopping Experience

Since this project’s focuses on shopping, I created the customer journey that shows user experience flow of customer who intends to select and buy an Apple product.

Personality & Story

Application Personality

When I did my research on Apple applications, I realized that Apple uses pop ups to create awareness to the user. Since this projects aims to Apple users I intend to use same pop up technique to create awareness for the brand new iBot feature on the landing page. After user acknowledges the new feature, it is time to discover all Apple products.

Notification Logo of iBot

Colors

For colors, I tried to give almost the same feeling when an Apple customer enters the store. When a customer needs a support from the staff, he / she just comes to a support desk and waits for an assistance. That’s because I choose Apple support desk color for iBot conversation bubbles and store silver for the background.

Apple support desk color for iBot conversation bubbles and store silver for the background.

Onboarding

Application allows them to users to choose their favourite teams to access exclusive content.

Consumer Journey

Apple has structured product profiles that helps user to find the best product that suits the interests. When I check both mobile app and the websites, it was clear that Apple uses filtering option to narrowing down the user interest to find the best product. That’s because, iBot’s logic should be finding customer needs by asking simple to higher level questions.

Like Siri, iBot needs to gather information from user with simple words by using speech recognition engine. For example, if user simply says “shop, iphone 8”, iBot should able to go directly to the customization step by skipping the first simple filtering questions.

Shopping Flow

Every product has its own categories and options, depends on the product iBot asks special questions to the user.

iPhone 8 has seven attributes model, size, carrier, color, capacity, Apple Care, accessories. By answering questions, user can able to customize the desired products easily without getting lost in information.

Product, Color & Carrier Selection

After selecting the product type, users can continue their shopping experience by narrowing down the product options.

iBot provides carrier and color options for users with simple questions and slide functionality.

Customization & Getting Help with Clever Questions

iBot asks clever and to the point questions in order to navigate users to the correct path

iBot provides information in case of any help needed.

Gift & Delivery Options

Before finalizing the order, iBot delivers gift and delivery options to the users.

User can change his or her mind instantly before the check out process, because of that iBot continuously delivers Shop More option to the user before the check out procedure begins.

Check Out & Payment

To ensure reliability, iBot repeatedly shows the current status of the order and offers the shipment and payment options.

Apple Account information in mobile application is selected as default payment option. Therefore, iBot asks to user if he or she want to change the payment method, or shipping address if the order is selected as delivery just like in the webpage.

Pay with Touch ID used as a payment method to create smooth and simple user experience. Even though user did not change address with iBot, this options ensures realibility for these informations.

Post Check Out & Order Info

After the payment, iBot informs user about the successful payment and shares order details that will sent user’s email address later on.

Just like Apple orders, order number, shipping address and as well as order summary shared with user. After the information, iBot asks user about if user needs more assistance.

Challenges & Consensus

Prototyping via Principle App

Because of the limited time, prototyping with Invision App was a convenient solution; but I knew that with Principle App, I could create prototypes with animations to explain interaction between pages easily. Therefore, I created rapid Principle prototype in 2-3 days for submission along with design files.

Time

Since this was a design practice interview, my biggest challenge was the limited amount of time. In just 2 weeks, I had to do both interviews and surveys while researching, designing and prototyping. With a structured working plan, everything went smoothly.

Consensus

The project was considered as highly successful; especially smooth and Apple like interaction between pages via Principle App prototype created wow factor which helped me to be a Toptal designer at the end. Please feel free to check my Toptal profile:

https://www.toptal.com/designers/resume/alp-turgut