Minerva
OVERVIEW
App Design
SaaS
Edutainment
We have lost the art of conversation. Gen Z and Millennials face many challenges in interpersonal communication that contribute to increased rates of anxiety and depression.
This is where AI can help.
Minerva is a dynamic mobile application designed to bridge the conversational skills gap prevalent among Gen Z. This app offers a comprehensive, multi-faceted approach, combining bite-sized educational modules with interactive practice opportunities. Users delve into core conversational techniques such as active listening, asking open-ended questions, effective storytelling, and understanding verbal cues.
Crucially, the app provides simulated conversations with real-time feedback, allowing users to build confidence and translate digital fluency into impactful in-person communication.
This is where AI can help.
Minerva is a dynamic mobile application designed to bridge the conversational skills gap prevalent among Gen Z. This app offers a comprehensive, multi-faceted approach, combining bite-sized educational modules with interactive practice opportunities. Users delve into core conversational techniques such as active listening, asking open-ended questions, effective storytelling, and understanding verbal cues.
Crucially, the app provides simulated conversations with real-time feedback, allowing users to build confidence and translate digital fluency into impactful in-person communication.
CHALLENGES
The main challenge was how to create an experience that was engaging, rewarding, and educational that helped users hone their conversational skills without a face to react to. Ethical AI was a main concern here, making sure that the experience was something that was not only safe and private, but did not encourage the user to develop an attachment with the AI persona with which it was conversing.
CONTEXTUAL DIGITAL MENTOR
A central part of Minerva is a contextual digital mentor. It offers education in an entertaining "learn with the flow" method. Users choose a subject to learn about and Minerva lays out information in an easy to discover fashion using drawers and contextual buttons for help with needed.
The app talks with users and helps them understand what good conversational tactics are and seizes upon "micro-learning moments" to help them learn as they go.
The app talks with users and helps them understand what good conversational tactics are and seizes upon "micro-learning moments" to help them learn as they go.
It provides guidance on topics such as:
- Active Listening
- Open-Ended Questions
- Finding Common Ground
- Curiosity and Genuine Interest
- Sharing Without Monopolizing
- Transitioning topics or ending the conversation
MICRO-CELEBRATIONS
In Mentor-Mode, Minerva would provide visual and haptic feedback when someone does something right by pulsing a warm color. This provides moments of delight and stimulates the desire to watch for visual cues from your conversational partner.
NUANCED DIGITAL COACH
A commonly-requested feature by respondents was a safe space in which to practice their skills without judgement or social pressure. Minerva generates a persona to converse with replete with a backstory, secrets, challenges, defining childhood memories and many more facets for the user to discover.
By weaving these elements into the AI's persona, Minerva creates characters that feel more like real people, offering a richer and more authentic experience for users practicing their conversation skills.
By weaving these elements into the AI's persona, Minerva creates characters that feel more like real people, offering a richer and more authentic experience for users practicing their conversation skills.
TIER PROGRESSION
As you converse with Minerva, her display changes to indicate a growing level of engagement. The better you do, the higher tier you progress to and the interface warms up from blue to orange. If you disengage in conversation or practice close-ended tactics then the interface cools down again and the tier meter drops.
GAMIFICATION
As the user’s conversation progresses, the collect badges and a title adding to the excitement and a sense of tangible accomplishment throughout your journey.
ETHICAL AI
There were a lot of concerns about data and the ethical use of AI and data privacy to great care was taken at every step to mitigate these concerns.
OUTCOME
What was produced was a dynamic, engaging, gamified experience directly targeting Gen-Z and Millennials. The interface is colourful, informative and journey is seamless and intuitive. The vocalizer provides real-time feedback, pulsing with joy at positive interactions while providing contextual hints and suggestions to help the user grow their skills.