Developing Flo, a Digital Hotel Concierge
Conversation and mobile app design
Key overview
Flo is a digital hotel concierge at Mi Amor, a holistic wellness retreat. Created as part of a project at Soul Machines, The app’s journey involved designing for intricate interaction, anticipating user expectations, and minimizing negative impacts. Through stakeholder interviews, user personas, and journey mapping, Flo was tailored to meet guests' unique needs. Data-driven insights and user-centric design shaped Flo's development, ensuring a seamless guest experience. Flo's success was due to his user-friendly design, intuitive flow, and data-backed features. Continuous improvement and collaboration remain key as Flo continues to evolve, offering guests a magical and personalized experience at Mi Amor.
Background
In the enchanting world of hospitality, the creation of Flo marked a significant milestone in the development of digital hotel concierges. Another project for the Writers’ Room at Soul Machines, I embarked on a journey to design Flo, the warm and humble concierge of Mi Amor, an earthly health spa retreat. Mi Amor is dedicated to promoting a holistic lifestyle, offering wellness programs that nourish the mind, body, and spirit. Flo, with his engaging persona, was the embodiment of Mi Amor's values, seamlessly integrating technology and hospitality to elevate guest experiences.
A bit of a pickle
Flo's inception came with its fair share of hurdles. In collaboration with my cohort, we encountered designing for intricate interaction, anticipating user expectations, and minimizing negative impacts. These challenges collectively formed the crucible from which Flo would ultimately emerge.
We took the scenic route
By conducting stakeholder interviews, our aim was to gain a deeper understanding of the guests of Mi Amor. Our goals were to unearth their core values, identify their sources of frustration, pinpoint unmet needs, and explore ways in which Flo could seamlessly integrate into users’ experience at Mi Amor. Armed with these insights, we embarked on the initial stages of ideation, seeking out opportunities to devise meaningful planning strategies and solutions.
User personas
After the development of user personas, the development team meticulously crafted journey maps, tracing the guest experience from their initial interaction with Mi Amor’s application to the serenity-filled moments at Mi Amor's earthly retreat. These maps intricately outlined the emotional peaks and valleys, the moments of anticipation, and the waves of relaxation that guests would encounter along their journey. This comprehensive approach offered valuable insights into how Flo and the mobile application could seamlessly integrate into each guest's voyage, from pre-arrival expectations to post-departure reflections. Through this profound understanding, Mi Amor's mobile application aspired to be more than just a digital tool—it aimed to be a soulful counterpart to each guest's path to wellness and renewal.
User journeys
After the development of user personas, the development team meticulously crafted journey maps, tracing the guest experience from their initial interaction with Mi Amor’s application to the serenity-filled moments at Mi Amor's earthly retreat. These maps intricately outlined the emotional peaks and valleys, the moments of anticipation, and the waves of relaxation that guests would encounter along their journey. This comprehensive approach offered valuable insights into how Flo and the mobile application could seamlessly integrate into each guest's voyage, from pre-arrival expectations to post-departure reflections. Through this profound understanding, Mi Amor's mobile application aspired to be more than just a digital tool—it aimed to be a soulful counterpart to each guest's path to wellness and renewal.
Flo's development was a tapestry woven with data-driven insights and user-centric design.
Trade-off analysis
The team and I carefully considered trade-offs between aesthetics and quick access to essential services, ensuring a harmonious user experience. Pain points in conversation flows were addressed with strategies, like redirection to a live agent.
Value anticipation (Projection)
Flo was designed with anticipation of user needs in mind. This expectation motivated the features of followers, personalized recommendations, reminders, and booking alerts, which sought to enhance convenience and satisfaction. More specifically, it was anticipated that individuals would not want to use social media while attending Mi Amor, but would still need a way to connect with individuals they meet on their retreat.
Cohort (Segmentation) Development
User segmentation allowed for tailored recommendations and promotions, enriching the user experience. For instance, if a user could not determine what they’d like to do at Mi Amor, Flo could offer suggestions based on cohort tendencies.
Value, effort, risk mapping
Features were assessed for their perceived value, development effort, and associated risks, prioritizing enhancements and minimizing negative impacts. For instance, data determined if it’d be best for the user to book an experience through the user flow or be led to a screen which minimized the amount of back-and-forth interaction with Flo.
The big showdown
The culmination of these efforts led to the successful reception of Flo. His user-friendly design, intuitive flow, and data-backed features ensured that guests received unparalleled support and convenience during their stay. I initially feared that users could potentially drop-off from interacting with Flo in booking experiences if too much dialogue was required. However, it was decided the development of a screen for a booking feature set the stage for a harmonious guest experience.
The calm after the storm
With Flo now serving guests at Mi Amor, I look ahead. I recognized the importance of continuous improvement, refining user experiences, and expanding personalized offerings. Collaboration with Mi Amor's potential multifaceted teams still remained vital in the process, as this ensures alignment and maintaining buy-in from stakeholders.
The closing chapter... for now
The journey with Flo continues as the team strives for continuous improvement, exploring new avenues for engagement and support. Flo remains committed to his role as a trusted digital companion at Mi Amor, adapting and evolving to meet the ever-changing needs of guests seeking wellness and tranquility. As Flo continues to thrive, the enchanting world of hospitality evolves with him, promising an even more magical and personalized experience for every guest at Mi Amor.
