Introduction and Outcome Statement

As the Senior Product Designer at TalkToo, an AI-driven app facilitating meaningful fun and educational conversations across a spectrum of characters, I led significant UX enhancements that transformed user experiences. This case study delves into the implementation of a refined onboarding process, a dynamic Discover page, streamlined bottom navigation, and a backend management platform, each contributing to substantial improvements in user engagement and retention.

Introduction and Outcome Statement

As the Senior Product Designer at TalkToo, an AI-driven app facilitating meaningful fun and educational conversations across a spectrum of characters, I led significant UX enhancements that transformed user experiences. This case study delves into the implementation of a refined onboarding process, a dynamic Discover page, streamlined bottom navigation, and a backend management platform, each contributing to substantial improvements in user engagement and retention.

Quantifiable Impact

1.52h

User Engagement Increase

18%

Retention Rate

50%

User Satisfaction

The Challenge

TalkToo faced several challenges: an unintuitive user interface, underwhelming user engagement, and operational constraints including limited investment, a minimal marketing budget, and tight delivery deadlines. These challenges necessitated a strategic overhaul of the user experience to enhance satisfaction and business performance.

The Challenge

TalkToo faced several challenges: an unintuitive user interface, underwhelming user engagement, and operational constraints including limited investment, a minimal marketing budget, and tight delivery deadlines. These challenges necessitated a strategic overhaul of the user experience to enhance satisfaction and business performance.

Key Drivers

Key Drivers

In redesigning TalkToo, our focus was on creating a seamless and engaging user experience that could navigate the complexities of content overload and enhance user retention. We concentrated on the following key areas:


In redesigning TalkToo, our focus was on creating a seamless and engaging user experience that could navigate the complexities of content overload and enhance user retention. We concentrated on the following key areas:


Onboarding Process

Onboarding Process

Onboarding Process

Since our app is all about facilitating great, fun and meaningful conversations, we introduced chats right in the onboarding phase. We collected all necessary data to provide users with personalized recommendations based on their interests and age from the outset.


By leveraging AI to tailor the onboarding experience, we were able to provide users with relevant content suggestions right away, aiming to increase a continued engagement and satisfaction.

Since our app is all about facilitating great, fun and meaningful conversations, we introduced chats right in the onboarding phase. We collected all necessary data to provide users with personalized recommendations based on their interests and age from the outset.


By leveraging AI to tailor the onboarding experience, we were able to provide users with relevant content suggestions right away, aiming to increase a continued engagement and satisfaction.

Discover Page & Recommendations

Discover Page & Recommendations

Discover Page & Recommendations

The Discover page was designed to serve as the main interface for exploring characters and journeys. It provided a visually appealing and intuitive layout, making it easy for users to find and engage with new content.


Utilizing sophisticated AI algorithms, the Discover page offered personalized content suggestions based on user preferences and interaction history.

The Discover page was designed to serve as the main interface for exploring characters and journeys. It provided a visually appealing and intuitive layout, making it easy for users to find and engage with new content.


Utilizing sophisticated AI algorithms, the Discover page offered personalized content suggestions based on user preferences and interaction history.

Implementation of Bottom Navigation

Implementation of Bottom Navigation

Implementation of Bottom Navigation

Replacing the complex hamburger menu, the bottom navigation bar offered direct access to key app features, streamlining the user journey and reducing the number of taps required to navigate.


The new navigation system was designed with user convenience in mind, promoting a more intuitive and enjoyable user experience that contributed to higher retention rates.

Replacing the complex hamburger menu, the bottom navigation bar offered direct access to key app features, streamlining the user journey and reducing the number of taps required to navigate.


The new navigation system was designed with user convenience in mind, promoting a more intuitive and enjoyable user experience that contributed to higher retention rates.

Backend Management Platform

Backend Management Platform

Backend Management Platform

The backend management system allowed our team to efficiently manage and update app content, including character prompts, categories, and Discover page elements.


It eliminated the reliance on cumbersome third-party management systems, enabling quicker content updates and team efficiency, reducing the pain for our own team, gaining complete control over content management processes, ensuring consistency and quality.

The backend management system allowed our team to efficiently manage and update app content, including character prompts, categories, and Discover page elements.


It eliminated the reliance on cumbersome third-party management systems, enabling quicker content updates and team efficiency, reducing the pain for our own team, gaining complete control over content management processes, ensuring consistency and quality.

Why We Made These Design Decisions

The decision to implement these three elements — Onboarding, the Discover page, and Bottom navigation — came from a need to address specific pain points, identified through user research and analytics, and enhance user satisfaction:

Why We Made These Design Decisions

The decision to implement these three elements — Onboarding, the Discover page, and Bottom navigation — came from a need to address specific pain points, identified through user research and analytics, and enhance user satisfaction:

Onboarding

Onboarding

Users often felt overwhelmed and disengaged during the initial setup. By introducing a more engaging and informative onboarding process, we aimed to create a strong first impression and ensure users understood how to navigate and utilize the app effectively from the start.

Users often felt overwhelmed and disengaged during the initial setup. By introducing a more engaging and informative onboarding process, we aimed to create a strong first impression and ensure users understood how to navigate and utilize the app effectively from the start.

Discover Page

Discover Page

The previous layout did not adequately showcase the diverse characters and journeys available, leading to underutilization of the app’s features. The Discover page was designed to centralize content discovery, powered by AI recommendations, making it easier for users to explore and engage with new characters and journeys.

The previous layout did not adequately showcase the diverse characters and journeys available, leading to underutilization of the app’s features. The Discover page was designed to centralize content discovery, powered by AI recommendations, making it easier for users to explore and engage with new characters and journeys.

Bottom Navigation

Bottom Navigation

The old hamburger menu was not intuitive and often caused frustration. By implementing a bottom navigation bar, we simplified access to key features, reducing the number of taps required and improving overall user experience.

The old hamburger menu was not intuitive and often caused frustration. By implementing a bottom navigation bar, we simplified access to key features, reducing the number of taps required and improving overall user experience.

Internal Management Issue

Additionally, our team faced significant challenges with third-party management tools, which were extremely limited in functionality and did not provided us the flexibility we needed. To overcome these difficulties, we developed our own backend management system.

Internal
Management Issue

Additionally, our team faced significant challenges with third-party management tools, which were extremely limited in functionality and did not provided us the flexibility we needed. To overcome these difficulties, we developed our own backend management system.

Our Own Management Tool

Our Own Management Tool

This internal platform allowed us to:

  • Efficiently manage and update character prompts and categories.

  • Customize and edit sections of the Discover page.

  • Quickly respond to user feedback and make real-time adjustments to app content.

  • As well as providing us with valuable insights from analytics


The ability to manage these elements internally not only streamlined our workflow but also ensured that we could maintain a high level of quality and consistency across the app.

This internal platform allowed us to:

  • Efficiently manage and update character prompts and categories.

  • Customize and edit sections of the Discover page.

  • Quickly respond to user feedback and make real-time adjustments to app content.

  • As well as providing us with valuable insights from analytics


The ability to manage these elements internally not only streamlined our workflow but also ensured that we could maintain a high level of quality and consistency across the app.

Constraints and Process

Faced with constraints such as limited funding, a low marketing budget, and stringent deadlines, my team and I embraced a lean approach. We began by analyzing the existing app flow and information architecture, and conducting research on use cases. This foundational work guided the creation of detailed wireframes and interactive prototypes. Collaborative reviews with our Product Manager and ongoing iterations based on feedback from the users and the CEO, and our dedicated team of developers, ensured the final designs were both user-centric and feasible within our tight timelines.

Constraints and Process


Faced with constraints such as limited funding, a low marketing budget, and stringent deadlines, my team and I embraced a lean approach. We began by analyzing the existing app flow and information architecture, and conducting research on use cases. This foundational work guided the creation of detailed wireframes and interactive prototypes. Collaborative reviews with our Product Manager and ongoing iterations based on feedback from the users and the CEO, and our dedicated team of developers, ensured the final designs were both user-centric and feasible within our tight timelines.

Conclusion

The UX enhancements implemented in the TalkToo app, including the new onboarding process, Discover page, bottom navigation, and the bespoke backend management platform, have had a profound impact on both user engagement and business metrics. These initiatives demonstrate the powerful synergy between AI technology and user-centered design, underscoring the importance of strategic UX in driving app success.

Conclusion


The UX enhancements implemented in the TalkToo app, including the new onboarding process, Discover page, bottom navigation, and the bespoke backend management platform, have had a profound impact on both user engagement and business metrics. These initiatives demonstrate the powerful synergy between AI technology and user-centered design, underscoring the importance of strategic UX in driving app success.