Week 10: Building the Foundation—From Concept to Experience

This week, we focused on refining our solution, which helps users navigate the emotional challenge of parting with sentimental belongings after loss. By combining advanced technology with a deeply personalized emotional experience, the app guides users through a therapeutic process of scanning items, documenting and sharing personal stories, and creating interactive memories with music, photos, and more. A digital archive ensures these memories are preserved, bridging the gap between letting go and holding on, while reducing emotional and mental burden.

WOZ Testing: Gaining Deeper Insights

To ensure the solution truly addresses the needs of our users, we implemented Wizard of Oz (WOZ) testing using the Landbot platform. WOZ testing allowed us to simulate key features of the app manually, providing a way to gather valuable user feedback before committing to full development. This approach was particularly valuable for understanding how users experience the onboarding process and memory documentation, and whether the app genuinely supports them in letting go of items.

What We Tested

1. Onboarding Experience

   • We simulated an empathetic onboarding flow, designed to gently guide users into the process by asking about their emotional connection to the belongings they want to part with.

   • Users were prompted to share details about the person or memory tied to the item, the significance of the object, and their goals for the process (e.g., preserving memories, finding closure, or repurposing the item).

2. Guided Memory Documentation

   • We tested structured prompts to help users reflect on and articulate their memories.

   • Questions included:

     • "What is the happiest moment you associate with this item?"

     • "What story or memory would you like to preserve about this object?"

     • "Does this item remind you of a specific event or person?"

   • Users could also upload photos or suggest songs tied to their memories.

3. Emotional and Practical Nudges

   • We explored the effectiveness of nudges at natural transition points, such as:

     • "Would you like to add a photo or description of this item to your archive?"

     • "How would you like to remember this item—through a story, photo, or interactive memory?"

The Role of Landbot

Using Landbot for WOZ testing allowed us to quickly adapt and refine the experience based on user feedback. This tool enabled us to:

• Simulate real user interactions.

• Collect insights on how users approach the emotional and practical aspects of letting go.

As we continue WOZ testing, our goal is to gather more feedback and refine the experience. We are exploring:

• Adjustments to onboarding to make it even more intuitive and supportive.

• Fine-tuning the structure and timing of prompts and nudges.

• Testing additional features, such as suggestions for repurposing items or sharing memories with family members.