Who: ChatClass
What: Chatbot Branding
When: 2020
Where: São Paulo, Brazil
Designing a conversational user interface (CUI) requires a careful branding process. In this case, since the bot was the company’s primary interface, it was crucial to develop a strong persona in order to provide a better user experience. This bot was the main element of a service focused on teaching English through WhatsApp.
To create an appealing conversational brand persona, a personality archetype was defined. This persona combined characteristics of a “Sage” and a “Caregiver”. The “Sage” attributes enforce wisdom, knowledge and learning, while the “Caregiver” attributes provide support and protection. It is responsible for teaching and mentoring, but is also supportive and empathic. It possesses knowledge of the subject but shares it without authority, encouraging experimentation without fear of failure. It can be illustrated by the idea of an older sibling or a friend instead of a teacher or parent. The relationship of power should be subtle, suggesting more the feeling of camaraderie.
After defining the personality archetype, I used storytelling elements as a conversational branding strategy. The bot wasn’t anonymous and unrelated to the user anymore: it got a name, a backstory and an avatar. The final step was then to define voice and tone, based on the bot personality and narrative elements. Voice and tone set the way language is used, how brand qualities are evoked and how the bot adapts to different situations.
