Project Overview
Arctika
Index
case-study
product-design
Information
case-study
product-design
Contribution
UIUX Design, User Testing, Prototyping, Engineering
Team
Kyuchan Lee
Timeline
5 Weeks / 2024
Tools
Tags
case-study
product-design
Type
case-study
uiux-design
coding-design
Project Overview
Arctika
Index
case-study
product-design
Information
case-study
product-design
Contribution
UIUX Design, User Testing, Prototyping, Engineering
Team
Kyuchan Lee
Timeline
5 Weeks / 2024
Tools
Tags
case-study
product-design
Type
case-study
uiux-design
coding-design
Overview
Overview
● High-Level Summary - Overview
Design Revisions Comes at the Cost of Resources and Lowers Work Efficiency.
Design Revisions Comes at the Cost of Resources and Lowers Work Efficiency.
● Solution Preview - Overview
● Solution Preview - Overview
Arctika is an Ideation Platform That Allows Designers to Expand Their Scope of Thinking Through Artificial Intelligence; Supplying Critical Contexts Missed or Haven't Considered
Arctika is an Ideation Platform That Allows Designers to Expand Their Scope of Thinking Through Artificial Intelligence; Supplying Critical Contexts Missed or Haven't Considered
This project started from a simple frustration, "the inability to create designs in the most optimal method or direction due to the lack of individual knowledge and capabilities".
Arctika engages with the user in a structured, conversational brief that proactively identifies and defines missed blindspots before a decision is finalized and resources are committed, Resulting in a robust, defined project objective ready for execution.
This project started from a simple frustration, "the inability to create designs in the most optimal method or direction due to the lack of individual knowledge and capabilities".
Arctika engages with the user in a structured, conversational brief that proactively identifies and defines missed blindspots before a decision is finalized and resources are committed, Resulting in a robust, defined project objective ready for execution.
Getting Started
Getting Started
● Approach - Getting Started
● Approach - Getting Started
I Developed a General Representation of the Design Process, By Studying How Designers Work
I Developed a General Representation of the Design Process, By Studying How Designers Work
To develop a general representation of the design process, I conducted one-on-one interviews & surveys with RISD industrial design students, professors, and a design director at an agency.
To develop a general representation of the design process, I conducted one-on-one interviews & surveys with RISD industrial design students, professors, and a design director at an agency.
To develop a general representation of the design process, I conducted one-on-one interviews & surveys with RISD industrial design students, professors, and a design director at an agency.
Insight 01
Insight 01
Designers Work in an Iterative Brick-by-Brick Process;
Designers Work in an Iterative Brick-by-Brick Process;
Designing is an iterative linear workflow with frequent revisiting & refining. The process is a step by step, building upon its earlier stages.
Designing is an iterative linear workflow with frequent revisiting & refining. The process is a step by step, building upon its earlier stages.
Insight 02
Insight 02
Designers Work with a Constrained Time and Budget;
Designers Work with a Constrained Time and Budget;
Design always has a time and budget. Unnecessary revisions slow down the process and comes at the cost of both resources.
Design always has a time and budget. Unnecessary revisions slow down the process and comes at the cost of both resources.
● What Are Blindspots? - Getting Started
● What Are Blindspots? - Getting Started
Blindspots in Critical Thinking/ Design Process Resulted In Revisions in Both High & Low Level Decisions
Blindspots in Critical Thinking/ Design Process Resulted In Revisions in Both High & Low Level Decisions
After a good amount of conversations with my fellow designers, I concluded it's nearly impossible to avoid revising design decisions, as new insights and discoveries are continuously acquired through out the design process.
After a good amount of conversations with my fellow designers, I concluded it's nearly impossible to avoid revising design decisions, as new insights and discoveries are continuously acquired through out the design process.
Insight 01
Insight 01
Blindspots Are Unaccounted Variables In The Decision Making Process
Blindspots Are Unaccounted Variables In The Decision Making Process
Blindspots are crucial variables designers fail to consider in their decisions. These unaccounted variables create flawed decisions, which results in misaligned designs.
Blindspots are crucial variables designers fail to consider in their decisions. These unaccounted variables create flawed decisions, which results in misaligned designs.
Insight 02
Insight 02
Blindspots Create Flawed Decisions, Flawed Decisions Result in Rework And Wasted Resources
Blindspots Create Flawed Decisions, Flawed Decisions Result in Rework And Wasted Resources
Flawed decisions leads to bad designs, and bad designs require revisions. The more concrete the decision is, the more resources are spent on fixing it.
Flawed decisions leads to bad designs, and bad designs require revisions. The more concrete the decision is, the more resources are spent on fixing it.
What to Solve
What to Solve
● How Might I… - What to Solve
● How Might I… - What to Solve
"How Might I Minimize Blindspots for Designers Before Their Decisions Become Concrete?"
"How Might I Minimize Blindspots for Designers Before Their Decisions Become Concrete?"
Often we learn better solutions, methods, and strategies after investing significant amount of resources. As a victim of countless trials and errors, my goal was to design a solution that prevents and reduces learning curves/errors before users heavily commits to their decisions.
Often we learn better solutions, methods, and strategies after investing significant amount of resources. As a victim of countless trials and errors, my goal was to design a solution that prevents and reduces learning curves/errors before users heavily commits to their decisions.
Hypothesizing Solution
Hypothesizing Solution
● Conversational AI - Hypothesizing Solution
● Conversational AI - Hypothesizing Solution
A Conversational Assistant to Surfaces Critical Blindspots In Thought Processes Before Finalizing Decisions
A Conversational Assistant to Surfaces Critical Blindspots In Thought Processes Before Finalizing Decisions
Instead of relying on a individual designer's limited human knowledge or memory, through the form of a conversation, the AI assistant actively challenges the project's assumptions and present crucial, unaccounted variables (blindspots) from a vast global knowledge base.
Instead of relying on a individual designer's limited human knowledge or memory, through the form of a conversation, the AI assistant actively challenges the project's assumptions and present crucial, unaccounted variables (blindspots) from a vast global knowledge base.
Instead of relying on a individual designer's limited human knowledge or memory, through the form of a conversation, the AI assistant actively challenges the project's assumptions and present crucial, unaccounted variables (blindspots) from a vast global knowledge base.
● AI Usage - Hypothesizing a Solution
● AI Usage - Hypothesizing a Solution
Advantages In Using AI Assistance
Advantages In Using AI Assistance
AI acts as a tireless, external brain that provides structure, memory, and a global knowledge base, allowing the designer to focus on creative problem-solving rather than exhaustive research and administrative tracking.
AI acts as a tireless, external brain that provides structure, memory, and a global knowledge base, allowing the designer to focus on creative problem-solving rather than exhaustive research and administrative tracking.
Advantage 01
Advantage 01
Manual Google Search vs Contextually-Aware AI Assistance
Manual Google Search vs Contextually-Aware AI Assistance
AI agent's ability to understand context allows it to provide far more detailed/ tailored information than any SEOs.
AI agent's ability to understand context allows it to provide far more detailed/ tailored information than any SEOs.
Advantage 02
Advantage 02
Human Memory vs Countless Context Windows
Human Memory vs Countless Context Windows
Compared to human-memory, AI's infinite context windows allow it to keep track of all existing variables in the project.
Compared to human-memory, AI's infinite context windows allow it to keep track of all existing variables in the project.
Advantage 03
Advantage 03
Great Ideas & Designs Come From Great Conversations
Great Ideas & Designs Come From Great Conversations
Conversational dynamic shortens laborious information research into immediate insights.
Conversational dynamic shortens laborious information research into immediate insights.
Advantage 04
Advantage 04
Confined Language vs Multilingual Accessibility
Confined Language vs Multilingual Accessibility
Multilingual ability allows sources to be pulled from a broader global corpus, compared than being locked to a single language.
Multilingual ability allows sources to be pulled from a broader global corpus, compared than being locked to a single language.
From Concept to MVP
From Concept to MVP
● Building an MVP - Concept to MVP
● Building an MVP - Concept to MVP
I Vibe-Coded and Tested 2 Prototypes with 5 RISD Industrial Design Students Working On Their Final Projects
I Vibe-Coded and Tested 2 Prototypes with 5 RISD Industrial Design Students Working On Their Final Projects
I built a initial working prototype—a Streamlit baseline paired with custom-tuned GPT-4 responses. I conducted user testing with professors, developers, and students actively working on their final projects
There were things that worked, things that didn't work,
I built a initial working prototype—a Streamlit baseline paired with custom-tuned GPT-4 responses. I conducted user testing with professors, developers, and students actively working on their final projects
There were things that worked, things that didn't work,
● MVP Pain-Points - Concept to MVP
● MVP Pain-Points - Concept to MVP
● MVP Pain-Points - Concept to MVP
MVP Diagnosis; The Solution Needed More Than Just a Fined Tuned AI-Chatbot, It Needed a Strategically Structured UX and UI to Guide Users Through the Complexity of AI Assisted Design.
MVP Diagnosis; The Solution Needed More Than Just a Fined Tuned AI-Chatbot, It Needed a Strategically Structured UX and UI to Guide Users Through the Complexity of AI Assisted Design.
Pain-Point 01
Pain-Point 01
Difficulty Translating HTML Text Insights Into Applicable Action Items
Difficulty Translating HTML Text Insights Into Applicable Action Items
I aimed to test if the platform could reduce the user's cognitive load in the design process and decrease the volume of critical blindspots in the project.
I aimed to test if the platform could reduce the user's cognitive load in the design process and decrease the volume of critical blindspots in the project.
Pain-Point 02
Pain-Point 02
Prompting Fatigue; Exhaustion From Context Feeding
Prompting Fatigue; Exhaustion From Context Feeding
I focused on observing the user experience of using a simple chat interface for this complex process, specifically noting frustration, confusion, and the amount of effort required to finalize an objective.
I focused on observing the user experience of using a simple chat interface for this complex process, specifically noting frustration, confusion, and the amount of effort required to finalize an objective.
Pain-Point 03
Pain-Point 03
Prompting Paralysis, Users Had Difficulty Addressing Their Own Needs
Prompting Paralysis, Users Had Difficulty Addressing Their Own Needs
Conversational dynamic shortens laborious information research into immediate insights.
Conversational dynamic shortens laborious information research into immediate insights.
Pain-Point 04
Pain-Point 04
AI's Passive And Reactionary Responses/ Behavior
AI's Passive And Reactionary Responses/ Behavior
Multilingual ability allows sources to be pulled from a broader global corpus, compared than being locked to a single language.
Multilingual ability allows sources to be pulled from a broader global corpus, compared than being locked to a single language.
● MVP Pain-Points - Concept to MVP
● MVP Pain-Points - Concept to MVP
● MVP Pain-Points - Concept to MVP
MVP User Testing Insights/ Gains
MVP User Testing Insights/ Gains
The testing was a critical success in the sense that it confirmed the immense benefits of utilizing AI in the design process. The user testing successfully demonstrated the AI's potential to reduce blindspots and enhance the workflow by proactively challenging the user and surfacing crucial information.
However, I realized the chat solution had its fundamental limits. The system needed a better way to manage the entire project's context visually and structurally, where the AI's proven benefits could finally be utilized at full potential.
The testing was a critical success in the sense that it confirmed the immense benefits of utilizing AI in the design process. The user testing successfully demonstrated the AI's potential to reduce blindspots and enhance the workflow by proactively challenging the user and surfacing crucial information.
However, I realized the chat solution had its fundamental limits. The system needed a better way to manage the entire project's context visually and structurally, where the AI's proven benefits could finally be utilized at full potential.
Final Design Concept
Introducing Arctika
Final Design Concept
Introducing Arctika
Design Solution 01
Design Solution 01
Home and On-Boarding
Briefing Your Project to Get Started
Home and On-Boarding
Briefing Your Project to Get Started
To get started, Arctika guides the user to define their initial project idea, which will be used to generate a project equation, surfacing unaddressed variables from the user's initial brief.
To get started, Arctika guides the user to define their initial project idea, which will be used to generate a project equation, surfacing unaddressed variables from the user's initial brief.
To get started, Arctika guides the user to define their initial project idea, which will be used to generate a project equation, surfacing unaddressed variables from the user's initial brief.
Design Solution 02
Design Solution 02
Modifiable Project Equation
Surfaced Blindspot From The Initial Brief
Modifiable Project Equation
Surfaced Blindspot From The Initial Brief
This is the central visual hub of the platform, acting as the project's persistent memory by displaying the entire project flow and all defined variables on a clear, linear process.
This is the central visual hub of the platform, acting as the project's persistent memory by displaying the entire project flow and all defined variables on a clear, linear process.
This is the central visual hub of the platform, acting as the project's persistent memory by displaying the entire project flow and all defined variables on a clear, linear process.
Design Solution 03
Design Solution 03
AI Surfaced Blindspots
Defining Unaccounted Variables Together
AI Surfaced Blindspots
Defining Unaccounted Variables Together
The AI proactively analyzes the user's brief and generates undefined variables, which are presented as actionable tasks on the project equation map for the user to select and define.
The AI proactively analyzes the user's brief and generates undefined variables, which are presented as actionable tasks on the project equation map for the user to select and define.
The AI proactively analyzes the user's brief and generates undefined variables, which are presented as actionable tasks on the project equation map for the user to select and define.
Design Solution 04
Design Solution 04
Custom Variables
Adding Custom Variables
Custom Variables
Adding Custom Variables
This allows users to manually add and define variables or constraints that the AI may have missed, ensuring the user retains full control and ownership over the project equation and its complexity.
This allows users to manually add and define variables or constraints that the AI may have missed, ensuring the user retains full control and ownership over the project equation and its complexity.
This allows users to manually add and define variables or constraints that the AI may have missed, ensuring the user retains full control and ownership over the project equation and its complexity.
Take Aways
Take Aways
Takeaways
Takeaways
Epilogue
Wrapping Up & Retrospect
Epilogue
Wrapping Up & Retrospect
Epilogue
Wrapping Up & Retrospect
Over the six months, working at GoodGang-Labs has taught me to thoughtfully articulate an idea & concept to develop quality designs, the importance of continuously aligning the narratives with the team to avoid design discrepancies, and putting in the hardwork that brings everything together. As an early career product designer, the time at GoodGang-labs will be an unforgettable memory, and I am very grateful to have experienced the 0 to 1, to build a product from concept to launch.
Over the six months, working at GoodGang-Labs has taught me to thoughtfully articulate an idea & concept to develop quality designs, the importance of continuously aligning the narratives with the team to avoid design discrepancies, and putting in the hardwork that brings everything together. As an early career product designer, the time at GoodGang-labs will be an unforgettable memory, and I am very grateful to have experienced the 0 to 1, to build a product from concept to launch.
Over the six months, working at GoodGang-Labs has taught me to thoughtfully articulate an idea & concept to develop quality designs, the importance of continuously aligning the narratives with the team to avoid design discrepancies, and putting in the hardwork that brings everything together. As an early career product designer, the time at GoodGang-labs will be an unforgettable memory, and I am very grateful to have experienced the 0 to 1, to build a product from concept to launch.