4 Design a Bot with a Purpose

Objective

Design and develop a basic chatbot that solves a particular problem.

Instructions

Ok, let's design a bot that actually does something useful. Each of you will define a simple problem for your bot to solve for somebody, then map out how your bot will function.

1. Define the Problem. Define what you want your bot to achieve for people. Keep it simple, but specific. For example, provide some background information about the August 2017 solar eclipse and link them to information about specific times to view the eclipse from their location.

2. Mini-Personas for the users and bot. Describe the people you want to serve with your bot. Also, describe the personality of your bot. Will it be formal or informal? Fun or serious? Etc.

3. Create a Conversation Flow. Use this linked image (from this article) as an example. Here is another example. Remember, keep the ultimate goal of your bot very simple, but think about the potential paths a user may take to get there.

4. Edit Your Bot Script to Match. Finally edit your script (RiveScript) to match your bot flow and test it in the message app.

Use this template for your Design Document in steps 1 - 3.

✓ Deliverable

• Submit your design document in class

A Checklist for Chatbot Usability

• Is the name compatible with the purpose of the bot?

• Does the initial chatbot message provide an indication of what the user should do next?

• Does the bot recover well if the user get's lost in the conversation or provides unusable information?

• Are the triggers (what the user can say) flexible enough to handle the different ways users may say something.

• Is it generally helpful? Does it provide a sense of closure to the user even if the user thought your bot would provide something different?