PROJECT DURATION
Spring 2018
2 Weeks
EXHIBITION
- Nil -
PRESS
CBC, Radio
MY ROLE
JavaScript
Conversational UI Design
Text-to-Speech
IMEDIATE ATTENTION WHEN YOU NEED IT
There are times when we feel like there is nobody to talk to when we need it most, especially when we suffered from a tough break up. Break up aid is a empathetic chatbot made for google home to listen to you

break
UP AID
EMPATHETIC CHAT BOT
OBJECTIVE
Break up aid a an empathetic chat bot that you can speak to when you are suffering from a tough break up. It is not meant to mend your heart, but it was developed with the intention to give the user a listening ear he or she deserves.

"All I needed was a listening ear and
Break Up Aid did just that"
- Kamel, 24
PROCESS
The process for the project includes the following:
RESEARCH
Context Study
User Pain Points
ANALYSIS
Problem Statement
IDEATION
Design Principles
DESIGN
Methods
Use Case
User Persona
RESEARCH
The sudden absence of your partner creates a hole in your life. If the relationship has been going downhill for a while, or even felt emotionally abusive at times, there may be a sense of relief, but after a period of days or weeks, loneliness is likely to set in. There is not another body filling your space, someone to bounce off of even if the other person said little or even nothing at all. The sense of you suddenly being only with you can have a powerful impact.
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Research tells us that loneliness can be a killer, it increases stress, can increase the risk of physical problems such as addiction or heart conditions, as well as psychological problems depression, anxiety, even suicide.
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Demographically, women tend to fare better — they are more social, relationship-focused, have friends — while guys, who tend to be work-focused and tend to lean on their primary relationships rather than a cadre of friends, suffer more.
But that is the stereotype — introverted women can struggle just as much as men, just as outgoing men may handle this transition better.
But loneliness — whether it comes in spurts on a long weekend, or whether it is a chronic undertow dragging down your life — is a natural consequence of any ending. It comes with grief; and grief, that sense of loss, comes regardless of the quality of any relationship. It's about psychological attachments that are suddenly cut off.
Research shows that if you have a close friend, a parent or sibling, a therapist, someone that you feel comfortable and supported by, set up a regular check-in — in person, by phone. Texts are okay for mini state-of-the-state reports, but you want to be able to have conversations, voice-to-voice. This is what creates the comfort and sense of support.
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By checking in, you are mentally forced to assess how you are doing, to notice what has changed over the days and weeks. This is invaluable to counter the emotional blur that you understandably may feel. However, there are times when people are not always present in your life and you need a substitute immediately.
USER PAIN POINTS
The following are the core problems this product aims to solve, largely aligned with those who are going through a tough break up
Loneliness - Most people feel very lonely after breaking up, their minds are clouded and they usually can't think straight right away
Expressing feelings - Some have difficulties expressing what they are going through with others
Embarrased - Their ego might get the best of them and the are too embarrased to talk about their break up
No present people to talk to - Other people might be too busy to talk too
ANALYSIS
PROBLEM STATEMENT
People are too busy in their life, sometimes they don't provide time for others to give their listening ear
PROBLEM STATEMENT
"I have been through a time where I was just talking to my friends over text about my break up, it feels empty"
"It is just lonely when you break up, nobody cares about you"
"I prefer to be in my own bubble but at the same time talk to someone in my bubble, nobody have time for me to do that"
"I like to talk to someone if I go through something emotionally hard"

USER PERSONA
Personal Character
Dimitri is a calm person, who never talks about his problem to anyone, even friends of families. He prefers to keep things on his own, but on the downside, he does want to talk to people about his problems, he just don't feel comfortable
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Problem
Dimitri does not have anyone he can talk to about his problems, because all his friends or families assume he likes to keep things to himself. Therefore he has nobody to turn to when he has an issue.
Dimitri, 22 Years Old
Occupation: Graduate Student
IDEATION
DESIGN PRINCIPLES

IMMEDIATE

EFFECTIVE

RELIABLE
The chatbot must be able to respond immediately, attention to details is paramount
It has to be efficient to a point the user will forget that he/she is talking to a chatbot. It must feel like talking to a human
The chatbot must be able to provide the core essential service which is giving a listening ear to the user and provide empathetic feedback