➔ Kai is an academic project to research the role of interactions in voice user interfaces
ROLE
Research; Concept Development; Interaction Design; Visual Design
Context
In 2019, as a part of an academic research project, we set out to explore the role of personalities in intelligent interfaces. The use of AI continues to grow as it offers efficient solutions to problems facing people and businesses, and quick ways of accessing relevant information. However, its use is now also expanding beyond task oriented interactions into those that are imprecise, abstract and emotional.
Kai is a design-fiction result of this research project — a conversational AI within the context of therapy. It aims to stimulate conversations that allow individuals to vocalize, and reflect on their feelings. Kai extends into CURAI—an assistant for counselors that transcribes sessions, keeps track of patient records, and documents their progress.
Our work explored several nuances of bringing visual and voice interfaces together ranging from visual metaphors, colors, voice design, motion design and creating different states of expression.
The metaphors of water and sphere provided a cross-cultural reference recognized universally as symbols of calmness and continuity. The water and the sphere determined the visual metaphors for the form of KAI.
A key component of the motion design for us was to build on a vocabulary of non-verbal human interactions. This required us to push the traditional boundaries of listening and speaking states of conversational AIs to accommodate for even the pauses and prompts that are a part of our natural conversations.
Kai framed as a mediator was designed as a low threshold entry point for counseling rather than as a substitute to it.
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