Exploring Conversational Interface with SAS Analytics

What is the role of Natural Language in SAS products? This year’s NCSU graphic design seniors took on this question through an 8-week collaboration with SAS Analytics. Over the course of the project, students worked with UX designers and data scientists to understand how NLP might play a vital role in the use of software to analyze big data.

The official design challenge: Integrate Natural Language mechanisms into SAS products by designing a system that enables users to combine voice and GUI input to complete tasks. Using this hybrid interface, minimize the back-and-forth between products, and engage the user in one conversation across all of the SAS products. A selection of final scenario videos (below) demonstrate some of the directions explored by the students.

Scenario Videos of Student Work

Task Accelerator, designers: Nicole Taylor Ferreira, Abby Herman, Nick Hyde, Logan LaBo

Composer, designers: Jevon Hodge, Julia Paret, Sarah Sprinkle

Fair Share, designers: Anastasia Ratti, Allison Ubinas, Eden Faulkner, Jack Ratterree

Intermediator, designers: Madi Delcharco, Stephanie Haire, Kayla Watson

The Research Process

Persona and Scenarios
Current user journey map
Benchmarking assistive devices
Built Chatbots with specific AI personalities
Create a Diagram of States for CUI and created rough prototypes
User tested CUIs
Mapped out Conversational Flow
Wrote scripts and wireframed interaction
Created hi-fi prototypes