Kyben Klove
Designing an intuitive conversational interaction experience for an AI-powered cooking assistance device.
Problem
Home cooks using Klove need an intuitive way to interact and communicate with the physical product, at home and on the go. Klove requires robust notifications, particularly for safety related alerts.
Research & Requirements
I began by analyzing several smart home product dashboards and mobile apps to better understand the layouts and hierarchies Klove’s initial customers will likely be familiar with.
The Ring app (image on left) in particular stood out for its grid block layout, keeping the home page from feeling too overwhelming. Frequent actions at the top of the dashboard also ensure users can quickly get the info they need.
The Bank of America app (two images on the right) utilizes a chat assistant, named Erica, that can assist users with common banking tasks. While Erica’s presence in the app has been reeled in over the years, recent opportunities provided by LLM’s could enable Klove to incorporate a similar feature with far more functionality and usefulness.
As for notification requirements; frictionless, efficient, and timely communication with the user is paramount. My research into engagement metrics among notification methods led to the following findings:
SMS messages have an open rate of 98% compared to as low as 15% for app push notifications
90% of text messages are read within 3 minutes of being delivered, and 95% within 5 minutes
SMS is accessible on any mobile phone, not just recent smartphones
This information helped spark the idea that Klove should serve notifications on multiple channels. Specifically, safety related alerts will have a much higher chance of being read, and will likely be read sooner, than a push notification from the app.
Dashboard
Below are initial mockups I created for the dashboard view as I fleshed out Klove’s app and design system.
Contrast issues and a lack of cohesion led me through several revisions of the interface until I was satisfied with the resulting layout, shown below.
One helpful element that was lacking from many of the smart home appliance apps I analyzed was a clear indication of system status. When a user experiences interruptions or failures with their device, surfacing the issues on the dashboard will help to quickly diagnose and solve them.
These alerts also provide an excellent opportunity to inject some humanity into the copy by way of colloquialisms like ‘chef’.
Klove Chat
Inspired by the Erica experience in the Bank of America app, I brainstormed opportunities to incorporate an ever-present component for Klove Chat that would enable users to find any setting or option they need in the app while also providing constant context and assistance related to Live Events.
Klove Chat practically acts as a footer for the app, but with the added benefit of spontaneous communication with the user, transforming the way navigation and knowledge are disseminated within the dashboard.
Testing & Refinements
I created prototypes of several flows within the Klove app and tested them with friends and family to identify areas for improvement. Feedback fell into two main categories; Context and Granularity.
Users expected a context-aware interface with deeper integration, one that would provide more helpful background and options. And, while they understood the importance of a robust alert system, desired more granular control over individual notifications.
A major area of opportunity for added context was the system status copy shown under the heading on the dashboard. This is intended to provide a glanceable understanding of your Klove; updates, issues with connection, etc. are all designed to appear here, providing an instant understanding of the current state of the device.
However, feedback indicated deeper integration was necessary to assist users in fixing any unsavory statuses, instead of simply warning them of the issue. I added tappable copy that links directly to the setting or preference related to the status. For example, a firmware update status can now be tapped to bring the user directly to the firmware update page, demonstrated with the prototype below.
Another function of Klove begging for added context was the ability to track Live Events. Klove is designed to know when you’re actively cooking on the stove and automatically begin recording a history of steps in a recipe. I had the idea to add more context to active events by updating the dashboard design to include a carousel of wide cards, with the default providing a quick overview of your current cook as well as upcoming steps, if you’re following a known recipe.
These Live Event cards are also interactive. Tapping the Live Card launches the Klove Chat experience with a visual indicator showing that Klove understands you’re focused on the current cook. This way, if you need quick access to the recipe, method, or upcoming steps, all you have to do is ask.
The main pain point expressed from testers related to granularity was not having an optimal way to fine-tune notifications. They understood the importance of them, but had no way to customize notification methods, which left users feeling helpless and not in control of their kitchen safety.
To enable deep notification preferences, I added separate list items for each type of notification served by the Klove app along with toggles to easily switch between primary notification methods. I incorporated descriptions for all notification types to ensure users understand which actions or alerts relate to each.
Conclusion
By incorporating feedback from prototype testing, Klove’s clarity and experience were improved. Linking navigation to specific labels and incorporating live event cards provided more of the context testers were looking for. They were no longer frustrated by yellow or red statuses that pointed them nowhere, and were delighted by the idea of the app surfacing live events, as it is the main reason a user would open the app while cooking. I plan to continue iterating on the Klove app while fleshing out additional user flows to identify more opportunities for added context.