From 0-to-1 AI chatbot's Creation
From 0-to-1 AI chatbot's Creation
Client
Client
Aideate.ai/Genova Lab
Aideate.ai/Genova Lab
Year
Year
2023.10-2024.6
2023.10-2024.6
Category
Category
0-1 ToC product. Product growth
0-1 ToC product. Product growth
Responsibility
Responsibility
Design & Prototype
Design & Prototype
Product strategy
Product strategy
usability testing, Q&A
usability testing, Q&A
What is Parallel.Town?
What is Parallel.Town?
Over the past decade, how we connect and interact has transformed with social medias and AI. So, Parallel.Town lets users create lifelike digital companions, engage in open-ended conversations, and build immersive worlds. With just a prompt, you can craft new characters, voices, and entire universes—making every interaction uniquely yours.
Over the past decade, how we connect and interact has transformed with social medias and AI. So, Parallel.Town lets users create lifelike digital companions, engage in open-ended conversations, and build immersive worlds. With just a prompt, you can craft new characters, voices, and entire universes—making every interaction uniquely yours. For this case study, it's mainly focus on the AI world (aka.group) chat creation flow iteration.
Over the past decade, how we connect and interact has transformed with social medias and AI. So, Parallel.Town lets users create lifelike digital companions, engage in open-ended conversations, and build immersive worlds. With just a prompt, you can craft new characters, voices, and entire universes—making every interaction uniquely yours.
Findings
Findings
As AI chatbots evolve into front-facing companions, trends from social media and AI communities reveal two key insights:
AI companionship isn’t just about romance—people enjoy chatting about trending topics, daily life, and personal thoughts to build emotional connection.
One-on-one AI companionship isn’t the only relationship users seek—they also enjoy group chats that offer a shared space, fostering a sense of community and collective connection.
As AI chatbots evolve into front-facing companions, trends from social media and AI communities reveal two key insights:
AI companionship isn’t just about romance—people enjoy chatting about trending topics, daily life, and personal thoughts to build emotional connection.
One-on-one AI companionship isn’t the only relationship users seek—they also enjoy group chats that offer a shared space, fostering a sense of community and collective connection.
Outcomes
Outcomes
40k
40k
Signups in first 6 months
Signups in first
6 months
37%
37%
D7 Retention in first 6 months
D7 Retention in
first 6 months
1.5k
Messages/min
after 6 months
1.5k
Messages/min after 6 months
1.5k
Messages/min
after 6 months
1.5k
Messages/min after 6 months
What is Parallel.Town?
Over the past decade, how we connect and interact has transformed with social medias and AI. So, Parallel.Town lets users create lifelike digital companions, engage in open-ended conversations, and build immersive worlds. With just a prompt, you can craft new characters, voices, and entire universes—making every interaction uniquely yours.
Findings
As AI chatbots evolve into front-facing companions, trends from social media and AI communities reveal two key insights:
AI companionship isn’t just about romance—people enjoy chatting about trending topics, daily life, and personal thoughts to build emotional connection.
One-on-one AI companionship isn’t the only relationship users seek—they also enjoy group chats that offer a shared space, fostering a sense of community and collective connection.
Outcomes
40k
Signups in first
6 months
37%
D7 Retention in
first 6 months
1.5k
Messages/min
after 6 months
1.5k
Messages/min after 6 months
1.5k
Messages/min
after 6 months
1.5k
Messages/min after 6 months
So, what if you could step into the Forbidden Forest—not just to watch, but to join the story?
So, what if you could step into the Forbidden Forest—not just to watch, but to join the story?
So, what if you could step into the Forbidden Forest—not just to watch, but to join the story?
Then, imagining the lifelike AI characters like Harry and Snape, locked in a moment of truth—and you’re not just an observer. You’re in it. Whether you're exchanging lines as Hermione or silently steering the dialogue from the shadows, the story bends with your presence.
Then, imagining the lifelike AI characters like Harry and Snape, locked in a moment of truth—and you’re not just an observer. You’re in it. Whether you're exchanging lines as Hermione or silently steering the dialogue from the shadows, the story bends with your presence.
Then, imagining the lifelike AI characters like Harry and Snape, locked in a moment of truth—and you’re not just an observer. You’re in it. Whether you're exchanging lines as Hermione or silently steering the dialogue from the shadows, the story bends with your presence.
That’s the magic of Parallel.Town.
That’s the magic of Parallel.Town.
That’s the magic of Parallel.Town.
A platform where you can find lifelike AI characters—Harry, Hermione, Snape—or build your own world to co-create open-ended conversations and stories together.
A platform where you can find lifelike AI characters—Harry, Hermione, Snape—or build your own world to co-create open-ended conversations and stories together.
A platform where you can find lifelike AI characters—Harry, Hermione, Snape—or build your own world to co-create open-ended conversations and stories together.
And there are many users, like you, join Parallel.Town to find familiar characters.
And there are many users, like you, join Parallel.Town to find familiar characters.
And there are many users, like you, join Parallel.Town to find familiar characters.
However, we noticed a key friction—
after users signed up, if they cannot find what they wanted, they either dropped off or jumped straight into creating their own.
This made a smooth creation flow became critical—users who built a world chat were 80% more likely to return within 7 days. Interestingly, 56% of users begin by customizing characters or worlds, rather than 44% of them by searching first. However, if users can't find a good match, they often drop off or create one themself.
Search existing AI
character or world to chat
Search existing AI character
to create world to chat
Customize character or
worlds directly to chat (55%)
Research & Collabration
I kicked things off with deep user and market research, then brought those findings into cross-functional product jams—turning insights into shared decisions as we shaped the vision and co-defined the product specs together.
Research & Collabration
Research & Collabration
I kicked things off with deep user and market research, along with a thorough audit of the beta product. I then brought these findings into cross-functional product jams—turning insights into shared decisions as we co-shaped the vision and defined the product specs together.
I kicked things off with deep user and market research, along with a thorough audit of the beta product. I then brought these findings into cross-functional product jams—turning insights into shared decisions as we co-shaped the vision and defined the product specs together.
However, we noticed a key friction—
after users signed up, if they cannot find what they wanted, they either dropped off or jumped straight into creating their own.
However, we noticed a key friction—
after users signed up, if they cannot find what they wanted, they either dropped off or jumped straight into creating their own.
This made a smooth creation flow became critical—users who built a world chat were 80% more likely to return within 7 days. Interestingly, 56% of users begin by customizing characters or worlds, rather than 44% of them by searching first. However, if users can't find a good match, they often drop off or create one themself.
This made a smooth creation flow became critical—users who built a world chat were 80% more likely to return within 7 days. Interestingly, 56% of users begin by customizing characters or worlds, rather than 44% of them by searching first. However, if users can't find a good match, they often drop off or create one themself.
Search existing AI
character or world to chat
Search existing AI
character or world to chat
Search existing AI character
to create world to chat
Search existing AI character
to create world to chat
Customize character or
worlds directly to chat (55%)
Customize character or
worlds directly to chat (55%)
Problem 1 & Design solutions
Problem 1 & Design solutions
Problem 1 & Design solutions
Thus, I started with a familiar creation flow in AI chatbot creation that asked for basic info and backstory for AI character or group chats to lower cognitive load and help users get started easily.
Thus, I started with a familiar creation flow in AI chatbot creation that asked for basic info and backstory for AI character or group chats to lower cognitive load and help users get started easily.
Thus, I started with a familiar creation flow in AI chatbot creation that asked for basic info and backstory for AI character or group chats to lower cognitive load and help users get started easily.
However, the current creation flow takes users over 5 minutes to complete 7 manual steps—making it slow and tedious. This friction risks user drop-off before they even enter the chat.
However, the current creation flow takes users over 5 minutes to complete 7 manual steps—making it slow and tedious. This friction risks user drop-off before they even enter the chat.
However, the current creation flow takes users over 5 minutes to complete 7 manual steps—making it slow and tedious. This friction risks user drop-off before they even enter the chat.
How might we streamline the creation flow to inspire more engaging world chats—to grow our ecosystem of AI characters and worlds as well?
How might we streamline the creation flow to inspire more engaging world chats—to grow our ecosystem of AI characters and worlds as well?
How might we streamline the creation flow to inspire more engaging world chats—to grow our ecosystem of AI characters and worlds as well?
Reducing world creation efforts for users
Reducing world creation efforts for users
Reducing world creation efforts for users
Reducing world creation efforts for users workloads
Providing a better immersive chat experience
Providing a better immersive chat experience
Providing a better immersive chat experience
Simplifying character and world creation process
Improving the contextual accuracy in conversation
Improving the contextual accuracy in conversation
Improving the contextual accuracy in conversation
While rethinking the creation flow with our stakeholder team, I realized: Chatbots thrive on context—just like good prompts do.
While rethinking the creation flow with our stakeholder team, I realized: Chatbots thrive on context—just like good prompts do.
While rethinking the creation flow with our stakeholder team, I realized: Chatbots thrive on context—just like good prompts do.
Why can't building a world be as simple and magical as writing a prompt in Midjourney? Then, the ideal creation process is …
Why can't building a world be as simple and magical as writing a prompt in Midjourney? Then, the ideal creation process is …
Why can't building a world be as simple and magical as writing a prompt in Midjourney? Then, the ideal creation process is …
7 to 2
7 to 2
7 to 2
Steps of ai character/world chat creation process
Steps of ai
character/world
chat creation process
Steps of ai character/world
chat creation process
5x
5x
5x
Faster AI world/characters creation flow
Faster AI
world/characters
creation flow
Faster AI world/
characters creation flow
3x
3x
3x
Increased the inventory of AI world/characters
Increased the
inventory of AI
world/characters
Increased the inventory
of AI world/characters
To enhance engagement, we followed competitor trends and added a role-play feature 'Persona' which lets users choose a default profile or play as one of the characters before entering the conversation.
To enhance engagement, we followed competitor trends and added a role-play feature 'Persona' which lets users choose a default profile or play as one of the characters before entering the conversation.
To enhance engagement, we followed competitor trends and added a role-play feature 'Persona' which lets users choose a default profile or play as one of the characters before entering the conversation.
Beyond crafting emotional arcs in conversations, sensory engagement also helps users feel more connected to AI characters and world chats.
As chats grew deeper and wilder, we realized—text alone wasn’t enough. Just two months in, users were craving something more expressive—something with life.
So we gave our characters a mic with voice clone, users can upload a voice file to make their creations literally speak—and even talk back, as if they’re right there in the room.
Beyond crafting emotional arcs in conversations, sensory engagement also helps users feel more connected to AI characters and world chats.
As chats grew deeper and wilder, we realized—text alone wasn’t enough. Just two months in, users were craving something more expressive—something with life.
So we gave our characters a mic with voice clone, users can upload a voice file to make their creations literally speak—and even talk back, as if they’re right there in the room.
Beyond crafting emotional arcs in conversations, sensory engagement also helps users feel more connected to AI characters and world chats.
As chats grew deeper and wilder, we realized—text alone wasn’t enough. Just two months in, users were craving something more expressive—something with life.
So we gave our characters a mic with voice clone, users can upload a voice file to make their creations literally speak—and even talk back, as if they’re right there in the room.
As chats got deeper and wilder, we realized—text alone wasn’t cutting it. Just two months into launching our creation flow, users were craving something more expressive—something with life.
Inspired by the voice-forward magic of Character.ai, we handed our characters a mic with voice clone, users can now upload a voice file and make their creations literally speak. Even better? They can talk right back—chatting with their characters out loud like they're really there.
After joining a world chat, users can refine characters and settings anytime—using advanced tools to enhance context and realism in conversations.
After joining a world chat, users can refine characters and settings anytime—using advanced tools to enhance context and realism in conversations.
After joining a world chat, users can refine characters and settings anytime—using advanced tools to enhance context and realism in conversations.
Problem 2 & Design Solutions
Problem 2 & Design Solutions
Problem 2 & Design Solutions
However, the current creation feature is powerful, navigating multiple standalone modals for different creation capability makes users fragmented.
And users risk losing progress by accidentally clicking the close icon or outside the modal—undermining the goal of streamlining creation.
However, the current creation feature is powerful, navigating multiple standalone modals for different creation capability makes users fragmented.
And users risk losing progress by accidentally clicking the close icon or outside the modal—undermining the goal of streamlining creation.
However, the current creation feature is powerful, navigating multiple standalone modals for different creation capability makes users fragmented.
And users risk losing progress by accidentally clicking the close icon or outside the modal—undermining the goal of streamlining creation.
So, how might we create a more consistent and intuitive flow to help users quickly grasp and navigate all creation capabilities cross different platform?
So, how might we create a more consistent and intuitive flow to help users quickly grasp and navigate all creation capabilities cross different platform?
So, how might we create a more consistent and intuitive flow to help users quickly grasp and navigate all creation capabilities cross different platform?
Based on the results from card sorting excises with users and stakeholders workshop, we decided to centralized all design capabilities to one page.
Based on the results from card sorting excises with users and stakeholders workshop, we decided to centralized all design capabilities to one page.
Based on the results from card sorting excises with users and stakeholders workshop, we decided to centralized all design capabilities to one page.
Problem 3 & Design Solutions
Problem 3 & Design Solutions
Problem 3 & Design Solutions
Since "Auto-creation" is a new feature and we've made changes to the "+ Creation" tab, it's important to educate users on how to use it effectively.
Since "Auto-creation" is a new feature and we've made changes to the "+ Creation" tab, it's important to educate users on how to use it effectively.
Since "Auto-creation" is a new feature and we've made changes to the "+ Creation" tab, it's important to educate users on how to use it effectively.
Then, how might we let more users know and adopt the new ‘Auto-creation’ feature?
Then, how might we let more users know and adopt the new ‘Auto-creation’ feature?
Then, how might we let more users know and adopt the new ‘Auto-creation’ feature?
At first, we rolled it out via notifications — but let’s be honest, most users ignored it 💔. So, we switched gears: spotlighted it right on the homepage and let anyone, even unregistered users, jump in and try it.
At first, we rolled it out via notifications — but let’s be honest, most users ignored it 💔. So, we switched gears: spotlighted it right on the homepage and let anyone, even unregistered users, jump in and try it.
At first, we rolled it out via notifications — but let’s be honest, most users ignored it 💔. So, we switched gears: spotlighted it right on the homepage and let anyone, even unregistered users, jump in and try it.
With the majority of our users — 80%, in fact — coming from mobile, we doubled down on making sure the creation experience felt just as smooth and intuitive on mobile as it does on desktop.
With the majority of our users — 80%, in fact — coming from mobile, we doubled down on making sure the creation experience felt just as smooth and intuitive on mobile as it does on desktop.
With the majority of our users — 80%, in fact — coming from mobile, we doubled down on making sure the creation experience felt just as smooth and intuitive on mobile as it does on desktop.
Final Outcome of the redesign creation feature after 1 month
Final Outcome of the redesign creation feature after 1 month
Final outcome of redesign creation feature after 1 month
40%
40%
40%
User adopted auto-creation
feature in a month
User adopted auto-creation
feature in a month
User adopted
auto-creation
feature in a month
9%
9%
9%
D7 Retention Rate after creation
feature redesign 1 month
D7 Retention Rate after creation
feature redesign 1 month
D7 Retention Rate
after creation
feature redesign 1 month
2%
2%
2%
D1 Drop-off Rate after creation
feature redesign 1 month
D1 Drop-off Rate after creation
feature redesign 1 month
D1 Drop-off Rate
after creation
feature redesign 1 month
Appendix - contribution to the design system
Appendix - contribution to the design system
©2024 Yvonne DESIGN
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Research & Collabration
Research & Collabration
I kicked things off with deep user and market research, then brought those findings into cross-functional product jams—turning insights into shared decisions as we shaped the vision and co-defined the product specs together.