Virtual Personal Assistant in the Digital Workplace. User Research and Requirements. Design

A Study on the Impact of Virtual Personal Assistant in Unified Communication Software on Motivation, Satisfaction, Communication, and Collaboration of Remote Employees.

User Persona and Empathy Map

The persona, based on qualitative user research, has been created. This research revealed the primary concerns of our users, as well as their behaviors, attitudes, needs, challenges, motivations, frustrations, and goals.

The target persona is Ana, a project manager who works remotely from home due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Her main communication and collaboration tool is UC software. While she is familiar with the technology, she has limited exposure to advanced new technologies like VPA. In her daily work, she utilizes various online communication tools. Ana acknowledges that remote work presents numerous challenges and finds that in-person communication is more effective, making it easier for her to express ideas. The use of multiple tools for communication and collaboration becomes time-consuming. Therefore, the proposal to implement VPA appears quite interesting to her. She envisions how VPA can assist with small everyday tasks that currently consume her time, allowing her to focus on essential matters.

This persona has many questions for the VPA. She recognizes that the VPA could provide her with benefits, save time, and aid in better task organization.

Scenarios development

The user scenario was created using the scenario mapping method (Salazar, 2021). The scenario was dissected into segments, and the intention and persona for the motivator were established.

In this scenario, Ana, a busy project manager, has a day filled with work-related tasks. Her desires include:

1. Quickly accessing a to-do list that displays all tasks for the day, prioritized with reminders for each task.
2. Finding a suitable date and time for a meeting that accommodates the availability of individuals from different teams.
3. Allocating time for short breaks, taking walks, and enjoying coffee with a friend.

User Journey Map

The user journey map was constructed based on qualitative research, as it aims to comprehend the user’s emotions, attitudes, and motivations at each stage of their journey (Kaplan, 2019). Additionally, it was crucial to incorporate competitive analysis and motivation software analysis, considering that the user journey map encompasses future states and design features that are yet to exist. By mapping the user journey, we reveal moments of action, thought, and emotion at each step toward our users’ goal attainment.

The secondary objective of the journey maps was to identify fresh opportunities for the VPA within the UC software, aiming to provide additional value to the users.

Problem Statement

“How might we … “questions are designed to generate creative solutions to the right problems (Rosala, 2021). The questions were created based on user problems discovered during qualitative and quantitative research. The problems found and users’ frustration were divided into more critical and less critical.

Problem statements

“How might we…” questions are crafted to generate innovative solutions to the right problems (Rosala, 2021). These questions were formulated based on user issues identified through qualitative and quantitative research. The problems discovered, as well as user frustrations, were categorized into more critical and less critical areas.

Problem statements:

1. How might we make creating a To-Do list more effortless for people working online on different communication and collaboration software, so that they can feel more motivated and satisfied?
2. How might we make scheduling meetings more effortless for people working online on different communication and collaboration software, so that they can facilitate smoother and more effortless communication and collaboration?
3. How might we create a notification system that consolidates information from different software platforms into one place for people working online on different communication and collaboration software, so that they can save time when searching for information?

How might we design the VPA in UC software to enhance the ease of everyday tasks for individuals working online on various unified communication and collaboration software, enabling them to foster improved communication and collaboration while experiencing heightened motivation and satisfaction?

Personality Design

Despite the rapid advancements in AI technology, machine learning, and natural language processing for conversational interfaces, chat-based virtual assistants are not perceived as intelligent work tools. VPAs lack conversational skills and only respond to user commands like chatbots. However, in recent years, chat-based virtual assistant systems have started to evolve by integrating the Internet of Things (IoT) and leveraging artificial intelligence (Smestad, 2018). Qualitative research has revealed a lack of confidence in VPAs, with users preferring to rely on themselves rather than the VPA. Nevertheless, there is an interest in having an intelligent VPA that can assist with daily work tasks. Users imagine the questions they could ask and the areas where the VPA could be helpful. User experience is pivotal in designing the VPA’s personality, considering factors such as interpersonal interactions, emotions, feelings, and behaviors, to ensure user motivation and satisfaction.

While current trends have transformed chatbots into virtual assistants, many do not meet user expectations. Therefore, it is crucial to create an interface that aligns with users’ desired personality traits.

The following factors were considered in developing the VPA’s personality:

1. Politeness: The VPA exhibits polite behavior, providing consistency and meeting user expectations, thereby fostering positive interactions.
2. Stereotypes: The VPA avoids racist, ethnic, cultural, and gender stereotypes and acknowledges social and cultural differences in behavioral norms.
3. Ethics: Design thinking begins with empathy and understanding the user’s needs.

The personality development framework implemented consists of five elements (Deibel & Evanhoe, 2021):

1. Interaction goals: The VPA aims to provide frictionless, guiding, and accurate assistance.
2. Level of personification: The VPA adopts a moderate level of personification.
3. Character traits: The VPA embodies professionalism, positivity, outgoingness, organizational skills, openness to new experiences, and problem-solving abilities.
4. Tone: The VPA maintains a respectful and helpful tone, promoting effective communication and collaboration.

5. Values: time-saving, fast and reliable search, smart meeting scheduling.

The VPA’s personality was customized to suit its user group and was developed using user information gathered from both quantitative and qualitative research. As part of the research project, two different versions of the VPA will be tested, and specific traits have been assigned to each type (Burge, 2021; Smestad, 2018; Indeed, 2021):

For Version 1 of the VPA:

• Professionalism
• Efficiency
• Dependability
• Proactive problem-solving
• Clear and concise communication

For Version 2 of the VPA:

• Friendliness
• Approachability
• Warmth
• Empathy
• Supportive and encouraging tone

The personality traits were carefully selected to align with the values of time-saving, fast and reliable search, and smart meeting scheduling.

The personality design was evaluated through VPA tastings for both versions by soliciting participant feedback on how they perceived the personality of the VPA. Participants were asked to rate the VPA’s professionalism, positivity, outgoingness, organizational skills, openness to experience, and problem-solving abilities on a scale of 1 to 5.

Prompt Design

The conversational design encompasses various components that constitute a dialogue, including prompts that form the basis of the VPA’s interaction with the user. These prompts are designed using open-ended questions, yes-or-no questions, instructions and confirmations, and interactive chips/buttons that allow the user to engage and continue the conversation.

Variations the components of the prompt were created using the examples below (Google Assistant):

Conversational components:

Acknowledgements: Thank you, Ok, Got it, Sure, Alright.
Apologies: Sorry, …
Commands: Do you want to see some more options? To see more options, press ‘Continue’
Confirmations: Ok, I’ve sent an invite…, Alright, I’ve added this…
Endings: You’re all set, Anything else? Ok, is there anything else I can help you with?
Errors: This seems beyond my expertise, so let’s stop here. I am still having a problem …, so you may want to … Bye for now.
Greetings: Welcome, Hi.
Chips: Yes, No.

Conversational Pathway Documenting

1. In the first scenario, Ana logs into her UC software and requests the VPA to display all new notifications. She swiftly reviews the notifications and adds relevant information to her To-Do list. Ana then asks the VPA to provide details for all tasks scheduled for the day with high priority. Subsequently, she instructs the VPA to schedule a meeting and add it to her calendar. The VPA identifies available days and times that accommodate all participants, and Ana selects a suitable slot. She then asks the VPA to send invitations to all attendees. Additionally, the VPA reminds Ana to call John and suggests having a coffee break with a friend. With everything organized, Ana completes her tasks for the day.

In the second scenario, Ana logs into her UC software and requests the VPA to display all new notifications. After a quick glance, Ana realizes that she feels less motivated than usual. Seeking guidance, she asks her VPA for tips on staying focused and motivated. The VPA suggests a few motivational podcasts, music options, and advises going for a walk. Ana instructs the VPA to play focus music and sets a reminder for a quick walk after lunch. As the focus music starts playing, Ana gradually feels more motivated. With the assistance of the VPA, Ana successfully completes her tasks and remains organized.

Flow diagrams

Two flow diagrams were created to enhance understanding of the decision-making process and feature offerings.

Flow diagram 1: VPA — Task-oriented

This diagram focuses on various tasks that the VPA can perform, including:

1. App integration
2. Event in Calendar
3. Meeting
4. Make a call

The flow diagram illustrates the sequence of steps and decision points involved in each task, providing a visual representation of the VPA’s task-oriented functionality.

(Note: The description provided is an overview of the flow diagram. For a more detailed representation, the actual flow diagram should be referenced.)

Flow diagram 2: VPA — Motivator

This flow diagram focuses on the VPA’s role as a motivator, assisting users in staying focused, setting goals, and maintaining motivation. The tasks covered in this diagram include:

1. App integration
2. To-Do list and task prioritization:
3. Goals setting:
4. Motivation settings:

The flow diagram outlines the decision points and sequence of steps involved in each task, providing a visual representation of the VPA’s functionality as a motivator.

Repair paths

The repair options within the conversation were designed to address various scenarios and provide solutions for expressing uncertainty and suggesting likely alternatives. Here are three examples:

1. VPA can’t make sense:
User: “Pokaz mi nowe powiadomienia?” (Show me new notifications?)
VPA: “I’m sorry, I don’t understand. Please write this in English, please.”
Exit: “I’m sorry. I am having trouble understanding you. Please try again later. Goodbye.”

2. VPA thinks it knows but isn’t sure:
VPA: “Do you want me to schedule a meeting with John O’Conny?”
User: “No.”
VPA: “Who would you like me to schedule a meeting with?”

3. VPA understands but can’t comply:
VPA: “I may not have understood all of what you asked, but maybe I can help you with this:” (provides links to related topics).

These repair options allow the VPA to handle situations where there is a breakdown in communication or when the VPA needs clarification or additional information from the user. By offering alternative responses or suggestions, the VPA aims to enhance the user’s experience and provide helpful assistance.

References

Burge, J. (2021). Qualities Of A Great Assistant https://officedynamics.com/qualities-of-a-great-assistant/

Deibel, D., Evanhoe, R. (2021). Conversation with things. UX Design for chat and voice. Rosenfield.

Google Assistant. Overview of conversational components.
https://developers.google.com/assistant/conversation-design/conversational-components-overview

Indeed Editorial Team. (2021). 10 Motivation Skills for Effective Leadership. https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/leadership-motivational-skills

Kaplan, K. (201). Customer Journeys, Research Methods, Design Process. https://www.nngroup.com/articles/research-journey-mapping/

Rosala, M. (2021). Using “How Might We” Questions to Ideate on the Right Problems. https://www.nngroup.com/articles/how-might-we-questions/

Salazar, K. (2021). Scenario Mapping: Design Ideation Using Personas. https://www.nngroup.com/articles/scenario-mapping-personas/

Smestad, T. L., & Volden, F. (2018, October). Chatbot personalities matters. In International Conference on Internet Science (pp. 170–181). Springer, Cham.

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Virtual personal assistant in the digital workplace. Prototype.