Designing a feedback system empowering users to refine Alexa's proactive actions for greater accuracy and trust.
Executed Project Brief
This project was part of an Amazon-Sponsored Externship mentored by Amazon's UX Researcher, Monica Chan. I worked alongside 6 more UX designers under Monica's guidance to successfully execute this project in five months.
Designing a feedback system empowering users to refine Alexa's proactive actions for greater accuracy and trust.
Before we jump in, we need to understand
What are proactive actions?
Proactive Actions
Actions that are triggered without the user’s input are called Proactive actions. Devices with this feature identify patterns in the user’s routine and suggest or perform actions accordingly. In Alexa, these are referred to as HUNCHES.
Today, thanks to predictive and proactive features like Hunches, one in four smart-home interactions is initiated by Alexa — enabling users to enjoy seamless assistance without needing to take action themselves. This number is is only expected to grow as home automation advances.
Confused, you have no idea what happened and why
Suddenly, Alexa turns the light off at 10pm based on daily pattern
Imagine you're pulling a late-night work session
But where does feedback come in?
Importance of User Feedback
More User Feedback
Fewer Incorrect Actions
Improved User Trust
Alexa needs to inform users about the actions and collect feedback to determine if any action was performed incorrectly. This process helps Alexa improve its future actions and build user trust.
What research did we do?
Data Collection
Secondary Research
Digital Ethnography
Literature Review - User Agency and Language
Conversational Feedback and Voice Command
Consumer Insights
Behavioral Psychology
Competitor Analysis
Primary Research
User Interviews - Total 12
Reddit Users - Interviews and Chat (Total 5)
Co-Design Workshop - 4 Participants
Diary Study - 2 Participants over 3 weeks
Important Research Insights for this project
Users are not Aware of Hunches and how to find it in the app
Users generally prefer notifications to be semi-proactive, except for critical situations, where they prefer more intrusive notifications
Users tend to give feedback only when something doesn't work as expected
Users were more likely to give feedback when the impact of feedback was transparent
Data Analysis
Current problems and how we resolved them
Final Solution
Alexa needs to inform users about the actions and collect feedback to determine if any action was performed incorrectly. This process helps Alexa improve its future actions and build user trust.
To provide feedback, users must first be aware of Hunches. However, in the current model, activities are buried within the settings, requiring users to navigate four levels deep in the hierarchy. This makes Hunches difficult to locate.
Problem 1: Lack of awareness
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Navigate Problems
Navigate Solutions
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To know more in detail, check out the Case Study
Amazon externship
The project offered me a unique opportunity to collaborate closely with a seasoned UX Researcher from Amazon, which was both inspiring and educational. Additionally, observing how Amazon professionals approach problem-solving gave me invaluable insights into their methods and frameworks. I learned how they systematically address challenges, ensuring user-centric solutions while maintaining efficiency and innovation.
Impact
How did it help our Users?
Working on Virtual Assistant devices and diving into conversation design was an exciting and eye-opening experience, especially since it was entirely new to me. This opportunity allowed me to gain a deeper understanding of how IoT devices operate, their interconnectedness, and the strengths and limitations that come with such technology. While certain features and ideas couldn't be incorporated due to project scope constraints, that didn’t stop me from brainstorming innovative and futuristic design concepts for these devices, pushing the boundaries of what’s possible
Smart Devices
Amazon externship
The project offered me a unique opportunity to collaborate closely with a seasoned UX Researcher from Amazon, which was both inspiring and educational. Additionally, observing how Amazon professionals approach problem-solving gave me invaluable insights into their methods and frameworks. I learned how they systematically address challenges, ensuring user-centric solutions while maintaining efficiency and innovation.
Personal Significance
What kept me on the edge of the seat
Working on Virtual Assistant devices and diving into conversation design was an exciting and eye-opening experience, especially since it was entirely new to me. This opportunity allowed me to gain a deeper understanding of how IoT devices operate, their interconnectedness, and the strengths and limitations that come with such technology. While certain features and ideas couldn't be incorporated due to project scope constraints, that didn’t stop me from brainstorming innovative and futuristic design concepts for these devices, pushing the boundaries of what’s possible
Smart Devices
Reflections
Working in big teams and Communication
At first, team communication was poor due to the large size and unfamiliar faces, leading to missed meetings and incomplete tasks. I learned that assigning ownership was the best solution. We divided roles based on interests, and each person took responsibility of getting everyone onboard for their respective tasks. Over 2-3 weeks, this approach improved communication and collaboration began happening naturally. I really liked this method and plan to use it in future large teams.
Maintaining Interest when things change
Initially, the project focused on Voice Interface design, which I was excited about, but research revealed voice wasn’t ideal, forcing us to pivot. This was demotivating, especially with limited design flexibility since we were adding to Amazon’s app. However, I found inspiration in the challenges of improving even the simplest aspects. I realized that despite changing priorities, pushing to enhance the project reignited my interest. This taught me that in the industry, things can change quickly, and the key is to adapt and make the most of the current scope.
Learning Opportunities
Planned and co-hosted a Co-Design workshop
Developed the majority of tasks for the Co-Design workshop, including creating prompt cards and supporting materials to facilitate participant ideation. Additionally, co-hosted the virtual workshop by guiding participants through the various tasks designed.
UI Explorations
Assisted in developing user interface explorations throughout the project, created high-fidelity mockups for user testing, and contributed to iterating them into the final designs.
Research
Assisted with secondary research, focusing on an in-depth competitor analysis to identify gaps, evaluate existing solutions (if any), and explore how they could be integrated into our approach.
Conducted three user interviews and engaged with Reddit users to gather additional insights
Where I made a difference
Personal Contributions
To Case Study
Thank you
This was an oversimplification of the project. Check out the case study to learn more in detail