Muse - AI Assistant

10 weeks

OBJECTIVE

In today’s world, people take hundreds of photos to capture moments and look back on them later. These memories end up stored online taking up space in your hard drive. Could there be another way to remember your favorite experiences without taking you out of the moment?

CONCEPT

Muse is an AI assistant that sparks users’ memories through a song made of snippets from a recorded session. The sense of sound particularly prompts the user’s imagination to bring back details of a particular moment. Sound triggers a memory and allows users to re-experience the moment they captured.

ROLE

UX Researcher, UI Designer, Visual Design Lead

MENTOR

Clark Delashmet

COLLABORATORS

Amadeus Cameron, Gargi Pant, Diana Li Sam, Dahyun Lee

OPPORTUNITY
AREA

PROTOTYPING
& TESTING

CREATE

REFINE

Opportunity Area

How Might We capture a memory?

User Testing & Prototyping

Unlike the usual UX design process, we were tasked to come to users with an idea. We needed to jump directly into prototyping the concept and put something tangible in front of users. We began our exploration by researching the five senses we use to help us notice the world around us.

_{TEST 1: FIVE SENSES & MILESTONE MEMORIES}

_Goal:

Observe which senses are activated when recalling and remembering important milestones in life.

^Test:

Make users write what they saw, heard, touched, tasted, and smelt, about important milestones in life.

^Insights:

People are interested and like to recall memories
Users noted that they wouldn’t recall these memories without being prompted
Challenging to recall specific senses

We decided to research more about the relationship between audio and memory

_{TEST 2: MUSE & YERBA MATE}

^Goal:

Understand the connection of sound in memory.

^Test:

Note memories that come up when users are presented with 3-5 popular songs from different decades.

^Insights:

Associated personal life with the artist’s time period
Pop songs bias (recalled more about the artist than hearing the song)

Moving forward, we began prototyping and acting as the AI. We began creating ambient audio (instrumental and audio) for users to test out.

We decided to research more about the relationship between audio and memory

_{TEST 3: AUDIO DIARY STUDY}

^Goal:

Determine if users enjoy reminiscing memories and experiences through sound. What is the ideal experience?

^Test:

Ask 3 users to record three days of their lives and send us back the audio. Edit the audio and ambient music together to create a soundscape from Muse.

_Insights:

Enjoyable and reflecting, could possibly be used during a meditation period
Privacy concerns, device listening 24/7 (users should have clear control)
Users want to choose specific moments
Users are open to sharing their Muse soundscape
Users don’t want visuals
Product should be mobile, possibly attachable, and comfortable to hold

We wanted to test whether the calm instrumental music influenced the participant’s reactions. Therefore we created variations or “moods” (excited, sad, nostalgic, and lyrical)

_{TEST 4: MUSIC STYLE}

^Goal:

See how different types of music affect the way we recall a memory/experience.

^Test:

Go back and edit the recorded audio with different genres of music. We assumed users would gravitate towards slower/calmer soundscapes. Participants are to validate the test and give their thoughts on the multiple variations.

^Insights:

Subject choice matters (audio clips chosen to be edited)
Felt like they were transported to the memory
Shared moments between people may help the experience, social aspect
Privacy concern, don’t want to record other people’s conversations

_{TEST 5: MEMORY BOX}

^Goal:

Understand why people hold on to old items and how comfortable they are talking about them.

^Test:

Ask participants to bring items from their memory boxes/collections and share.

_Insights:

Association with people and how you were affected, not specific moments
Items can represent growth
Photos feel temporary, items have more emotional weight
People can have selective memory, others can be totally open
Time adds significance to ite

After collecting our main insights, we started actually ideating what the product would look like and in what environment it would work best in.

^{TEST 6: PRODUCT FORM}

^Goal:

Understand the dynamic between people and an ambient vs passive device recording their experience.

^Test:

Record a friend hangout while having each of the participants hold an item the size of a travel mug. Have them naturally transfer it from person to person throughout the hangout as Muse would act.

_Insights:

Participant suggested it was "like another group member"
Extremely trusting - a friend introduced the product to the friend group dynamic (already established trust!!!)
Passing of "form" around was accepted, possibly to test, but users were always open to receiving the "form” when speaking to each other

Create

_{PRODUCT DESIGN}

We wanted the product to be welcoming and got inspired by the shape of new developed speakers. With our first render we had a speaker, recorder (orb), analog buttons, and a glass case. We knew we wanted a speaker because of the insight regarding an immersive experience. The recorder was put in place thinking of easy mobility while including a light indicator to address privacy concerns. The buttons were put in to physically adjust the volume.

_{APP DESIGN}

The first version of the Muse app featured a visualizer of the recording, identification of voices in the recording, location, and time the recording was taken.

Refine

With further user testing we decided to adjust both the physical shape and the accompanying app.

We kept hearing privacy concerns. Users wanted to have clear control of when the device was recording and when it wasn’t.

_{Original Concept:}

Targeted towards a singular person and focused on reflection and reminiscence

_{Refined Concept:}

Targeted for friends, where there is trust between the users (Insight from Test 6)

_{PRODUCT DESIGN}

The physical product was then altered with a twistable top (like an egg timer) for users to time their Muse experiences. Trust is instilled in the users by applying familiar patterns such as the twistable feature from a mechanical kitchen timer.

_{PRODUCT INTERFACE}

The user interface of the physical product lets users record, scroll through their recording, and listen back to their muse recording.

_{APP DESIGN}

We wanted to go for a fun and inviting vibe since Muse would be targeted towards friend groups and hangouts/experiences.

User profiles, editing abilities, favorite recordings, and fun animations

^{Edit Screen}

^{Home Screen}

^{User Recording Screen}

_PACKAGING

The experience starts from the shelf, therefore the packaging should match the experience of the product.

We wanted to design a packaging representative of gift boxes to literally push the idea that Muse is a gift that will keep on giving. Our idea then turned more into a ring box.

Muse - AI Assistant

OPPORTUNITY AREA

PROTOTYPING & TESTING

CREATE

REFINE

Opportunity Area

User Testing & Prototyping

TEST 1: FIVE SENSES & MILESTONE MEMORIES

Goal:

Test:

Insights:

We decided to research more about the relationship between audio and memory

TEST 2: MUSE & YERBA MATE

Goal:

Test:

Insights:

We decided to research more about the relationship between audio and memory

TEST 3: AUDIO DIARY STUDY

Goal:

Test:

Insights:

We wanted to test whether the calm instrumental music influenced the participant’s reactions. Therefore we created variations or “moods” (excited, sad, nostalgic, and lyrical)

TEST 4: MUSIC STYLE

Goal:

Test:

Insights:

TEST 5: MEMORY BOX

Goal:

Test:

Insights:

After collecting our main insights, we started actually ideating what the product would look like and in what environment it would work best in.

TEST 6: PRODUCT FORM

Goal:

Test:

Insights:

Create

PRODUCT DESIGN

APP DESIGN

Refine

Original Concept:

Refined Concept:

PRODUCT DESIGN

PRODUCT INTERFACE

APP DESIGN

Edit Screen

Home Screen

User Recording Screen

PACKAGING

OPPORTUNITY
AREA

PROTOTYPING
& TESTING

_{TEST 1: FIVE SENSES & MILESTONE MEMORIES}

_Goal:

^Test:

^Insights:

_{TEST 2: MUSE & YERBA MATE}

^Goal:

^Test:

^Insights:

_{TEST 3: AUDIO DIARY STUDY}

^Goal:

^Test:

_Insights:

_{TEST 4: MUSIC STYLE}

^Goal:

^Test:

^Insights:

_{TEST 5: MEMORY BOX}

^Goal:

^Test:

_Insights:

^{TEST 6: PRODUCT FORM}

^Goal:

^Test:

_Insights:

_{PRODUCT DESIGN}

_{APP DESIGN}

_{Original Concept:}

_{Refined Concept:}

_{PRODUCT DESIGN}

_{PRODUCT INTERFACE}

_{APP DESIGN}

^{Edit Screen}

^{Home Screen}

^{User Recording Screen}

_PACKAGING