ACADEMIC PRACTICES
TEAM
Christina Yang
Malia Hong
Kathy Yu
Kimberly Blacutt
TIME
7 weeks
IxD Studio, 2023
Carnegie Mellon University
My Role
UI/UX Design
Animation Design
TOOLS
Figma
Adobe After Effects
Adobe Illustartor
Adobe Premier Pro
Voiceflow
For our Fall '23 Interaction Design Studio at Carnegie Mellon University, we developed "Sammy," an intelligent conversational assistant for U-Haul aimed at easing the stressful moments of the moving process.
Sammy offers intelligent, real-time support throughout the customer journey. This CUI design is a strategic improvement that fully integrates with U-Haul's existing service ecosystem.
RESEARCH QUESTION
How can U-Haul use a Conversational User Interface to facilitate and aid customers during the stressful moments of the moving process so that their life transitions can be smoother and how can we ensure our solution widens U-Haul’s user base?
Overview
oVERVIEW
The Challenge & Solution
Based on insights from our research which included interviews, mapping the existing user moving journeys, prototyping and testing, we discovered key pain points and opportunities for intervention which we brought forth in our design.
Pre-moving
Moving
OVERVIEW
The Opportunity of Conversational User Interface
One key opportunity is to use a conversational user interface (CUI).
Enhanced Data Reachability
Hands-free to Support Multi-tasks
Mental Support at Stressful Moment
CONCEPT VIDEO
Sammy makes your moving easier
Watch this video to see how Sammy supports the whole moving process with responsive conversational features that intelligently address complex requests for movers and moving helpers under pressure.
vIEW IN SCENARIOS
Sammy is an agent to smooth the whole moving journey
We have designed for an experience that prioritizes task optimization, customer-helper synergy, and immediate information access. Sammy epitomizes an intelligent agent, facilitating multitasking through hands-free dialogue for movers.
Scenario 1
Book the Right Truck Effortlessly
Tedious Steps for Booking
Scenario 2
Make
Alteration Easy
Repetitive Steps as Booking
Scenario 3
Smoother Connection: Customers & Third Parties
Poor Communication between customers & third-parties agencies
Scenario 4
Time Management
for Organised
Multi-tasking
Stressful Multi-task
Scenario 5
Make Driving Safe
Unfamiliar with truck driving
Scenario 6
Accompany During Driving
Stress While Driving Truck
vIEW IN CONVERSATIONS
Sammy is Personable, Reliable & Energized in task executions & tone
The roles and value of Sammy is designed as Personable for customised needs, Reliable for supporting possible chaotic multi-tasking scenarios, and Energized for providing mental support.
Both the conversations and tonality of Sammy reflects its core value.
vIEW THE DYNAMIC STANDALONES
Sammy communicates visually through different motion states
Different motion states for Sammy are designed communicate the different states of Sammy to an audience and to visualize responses to a user's input.
Inspiration
WHY MOVING
We Choose to Design for A Better Moving Experience Because …
We researched different organizations in Pittsburgh with a large impact that could benefit from a conversational user interface. As a team, we wanted to explore a problem faced by a wide audience and that might be particularly stressful. U-Haul, in its role within the moving process, was a great fit for our team.
Logistic & Coordination
Time Constraints
Packing & Organization
The Large Mover Group
33%
of people in their 20s move in a given year
11
average number of times a person moves in a lifetime
17-20 Million
people may move this summer
1 out of 5
people move every year
WHY U-HAUL
We Choose to Work for U-Haul Because …
75% Do-It-Yourselfer
Choose U-Haul
176,000
number of trucks in U-Haul’s fleet
costs 50% less
costs 50% less than full service moving solutions
Primary Research
We conducted primary research on U-Haul including brand value, visual identity, exiting services, current experience design, ecosystem analysis and interface (APP) audit.
This foundational knowledge informs the development of a conversational user interface that aligns with U-Haul's brand ethos and enhances its service delivery model.
Explorative Research
EXPLORATION
Territory Mapping
Mapping out the stakeholders within the U-Haul ecosystem serves to understand the interconnected relationships among customers, company assets, and third-party agencies. This comprehension is crucial for identifying touchpoints for the conversational user interface to effectively integrate and facilitate interactions, ensuring a cohesive and supportive service experience across the entire moving process.
eXPLORATION
Early Generative
After conducting our primary research, we started to explore early ideas. We categorized the journey into pre-moving, moving and after moving and quickly locked down the opportunity area in Loading, Transport, Unload.
Storyboard 1.0
Pre-moving
Moving
Arriving
eXPLORATION
User Interview
Our user interviews were key to informing opportunities for design.
Qualified Interviewees
Do-It-Yourselfer x 10
21+ Years Old
Insights
Pre-moving
Moving
eXPLORATION
Empathy Mapping
We used Empathy Mapping as a means to immerse ourselves into the user's environment to better understand their feelings, thoughts, and behaviours regarding a product, service, or system. Through this, we were able to achieve a holistic view to identify needs and opportunities, and also enhance our team understandings.
Focus Area
After user interviews and affinity mapping, we identified where challenges lie at different stages of the moving process such as pre-moving and moving. This helped us narrow down areas for improvement.
Pre-moving
Shifting
Arriving
Diagram Synthesis
Through systemic diagram, we are able to understand the possible causes and thereby, identify areas for improvements based on consolidated problems through user interviews.
Generative Research
IDEATION
Design Focus
Pre-moving
Moving
DESIGN SOLUTION
dESIGN SOLUTION
Introducing Sammy
Who Will Be Using Sammy
Role, Value, Tone
During the dynamic conversation, we designed Sammy's value and role in relation to different tonalities in conversation to cope with the different situation and scenarios in the whole moving journey for different types of users.
dESIGN SOLUTION
Visual Identity Design
Logo
Sammy's Branding
dESIGN SOLUTION
Motion Design
dESIGN SOLUTION
Interface Design
We choose phone screen as our interface for its accessibility and mobility.
Information Hierarchy
Iteration Process
Future Impact
FUTURE IMPACT
Design That Lasts
How does our design affect the U-Haul community?
Facilitating Autonomy of Mobility-Challenged Users
Broadening U-Haul's Customer Demographics
Enhanced Customer Satisfaction
Making U-Haul services more accessible
Teamwork in action :)
RESEARCH QUESTION
How can U-Haul use a Conversational User Interface to facilitate and aid customers during the stressful moments of the moving process so that their life transitions can be smoother and how can we ensure our solution widens U-Haul’s user base?
Overview
oVERVIEW
The Challenge & Solution
Based on insights from our research which included interviews, mapping the existing user moving journeys, prototyping and testing, we discovered key pain points and opportunities for intervention which we brought forth in our design.
Pre-moving
Moving
OVERVIEW
The Opportunity of Conversational User Interface
One key opportunity is to use a conversational user interface (CUI).
Enhanced Data Reachability
Hands-free to Support Multi-tasks
Mental Support at Stressful Moment
CONCEPT VIDEO
Sammy makes your moving easier
Watch this video to see how Sammy supports the whole moving process with responsive conversational features that intelligently address complex requests for movers and moving helpers under pressure.
vIEW IN SCENARIOS
Sammy is an agent to smooth the whole moving journey
We have designed for an experience that prioritizes task optimization, customer-helper synergy, and immediate information access. Sammy epitomizes an intelligent agent, facilitating multitasking through hands-free dialogue for movers.
Scenario 1
Book the Right Truck Effortlessly
Tedious Steps for Booking
Scenario 2
Make
Alteration Easy
Repetitive Steps as Booking
Scenario 3
Smoother Connection: Customers & Third Parties
Poor Communication between customers & third-parties agencies
Scenario 4
Time Management
for Organised
Multi-tasking
Stressful Multi-task
Scenario 5
Make Driving Safe
Unfamiliar with truck driving
Scenario 6
Accompany During Driving
Stress While Driving Truck
vIEW IN CONVERSATIONS
Sammy is Personable, Reliable & Energized in task executions & tone
The roles and value of Sammy is designed as Personable for customised needs, Reliable for supporting possible chaotic multi-tasking scenarios, and Energized for providing mental support.
Both the conversations and tonality of Sammy reflects its core value.
vIEW THE DYNAMIC STANDALONES
Sammy communicates visually through different motion states
Different motion states for Sammy are designed communicate the different states of Sammy to an audience and to visualize responses to a user's input.
Inspiration
WHY MOVING
We Choose to Design for A Better Moving Experience Because …
We researched different organizations in Pittsburgh with a large impact that could benefit from a conversational user interface. As a team, we wanted to explore a problem faced by a wide audience and that might be particularly stressful. U-Haul, in its role within the moving process, was a great fit for our team.
Logistic & Coordination
Time Constraints
Packing & Organization
The Large Mover Group
33%
of people in their 20s move in a given year
11
average number of times a person moves in a lifetime
17-20 Million
people may move this summer
1 out of 5
people move every year
WHY U-HAUL
We Choose to Work for U-Haul Because …
75% Do-It-Yourselfer
Choose U-Haul
176,000
number of trucks in U-Haul’s fleet
costs 50% less
costs 50% less than full service moving solutions
Primary Research
We conducted primary research on U-Haul including brand value, visual identity, exiting services, current experience design, ecosystem analysis and interface (APP) audit.
This foundational knowledge informs the development of a conversational user interface that aligns with U-Haul's brand ethos and enhances its service delivery model.
Explorative Research
EXPLORATION
Territory Mapping
Mapping out the stakeholders within the U-Haul ecosystem serves to understand the interconnected relationships among customers, company assets, and third-party agencies. This comprehension is crucial for identifying touchpoints for the conversational user interface to effectively integrate and facilitate interactions, ensuring a cohesive and supportive service experience across the entire moving process.
eXPLORATION
Early Generative
After conducting our primary research, we started to explore early ideas. We categorized the journey into pre-moving, moving and after moving and quickly locked down the opportunity area in Loading, Transport, Unload.
Storyboard 1.0
Pre-moving
Moving
Arriving
eXPLORATION
User Interview
Our user interviews were key to informing opportunities for design.
Qualified Interviewees
Do-It-Yourselfer x 10
21+ Years Old
Insights
Pre-moving
Moving
eXPLORATION
Empathy Mapping
We used Empathy Mapping as a means to immerse ourselves into the user's environment to better understand their feelings, thoughts, and behaviours regarding a product, service, or system. Through this, we were able to achieve a holistic view to identify needs and opportunities, and also enhance our team understandings.
Focus Area
After user interviews and affinity mapping, we identified where challenges lie at different stages of the moving process such as pre-moving and moving. This helped us narrow down areas for improvement.
Pre-moving
Shifting
Arriving
Diagram Synthesis
Through systemic diagram, we are able to understand the possible causes and thereby, identify areas for improvements based on consolidated problems through user interviews.
Generative Research
IDEATION
Design Focus
Pre-moving
Moving
DESIGN SOLUTION
dESIGN SOLUTION
Introducing Sammy
Who Will Be Using Sammy
Role, Value, Tone
During the dynamic conversation, we designed Sammy's value and role in relation to different tonalities in conversation to cope with the different situation and scenarios in the whole moving journey for different types of users.
dESIGN SOLUTION
Visual Identity Design
Logo
Sammy's Branding
dESIGN SOLUTION
Motion Design
dESIGN SOLUTION
Interface Design
We choose phone screen as our interface for its accessibility and mobility.
Information Hierarchy
Iteration Process
Future Impact
FUTURE IMPACT
Design That Lasts
How does our design affect the U-Haul community?
Facilitating Autonomy of Mobility-Challenged Users
Broadening U-Haul's Customer Demographics
Enhanced Customer Satisfaction
Making U-Haul services more accessible
Teamwork in action :)