HOW MIGHT WE MAKE INTERACTIONS WITH ADVERTISEMENTS ON TIKTOK FEEL MORE ORGANIC AND TRANSPARENT?
For Northwestern's Bay Area Immersion Program, we partnered with TikTok to redesign advertising interactions between users, influencers, client brands, and TikTok's own brand. Private user data from our TikTok project manager, paired with initial user research, highlighted two key friction points: users struggle to distinguish the difference between paid content and native content within their feed, and they generally feel distrustful of advertised content on the app. However, users are not invested enough in advertisements to open a new window to search their product questions.
OUR SOLUTION: AdAssistant
The AI-powered ad assistant that makes ads, make sense.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
AdAssistant is a TikTok extension that enhances ad transparency and content clarity. Users can access it without ever leaving their feed by tapping a button. Within the AdAssistant interface, users ask questions, and the AI assistant provides real-time, honest, and clear answers by sourcing information from the company's webpage and the internet.
AdAssistant Prototype.
EVERY FEATURE IN OUR PROCESS REFLECTS OUR DEDICATION TO ACCESSIBILITY.
VOICE SEARCH
Users can speak their questions out-loud.
SUGGESTED QUESTIONS
Shows users possible interactions with AdAssistant.
TYPE SEARCH
Users can type their questions in the search bar.
POP-UP SCREEN
Our testing revealed that users want to be able to search questions about the advertisements they receive without leaving their feed.
A translucent color allows the users to see the ad in the background.
DISPLAY OF INFORMATION
AdAssistant delivers information to the user through voice and text simultaneously.
User testing and feedback revealed 3 key insights.:Users valued privacy ("I don't want people to hear my questions/answers"), accessibility, and mobility ("I want a hands-free interface so I can move or multitask").
MY RESPONSIBILITIES
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Point of contact with Project Manager.
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Development of 1 of 4 low fidelity initial prototypes.
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Facilitate user testing for AdAssistant prototype one.
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Create second prototype of AdAssistant.
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Facilitate user interface research and testing for AdAssistant prototype two.
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Use Figma to create wireframes along side one teammate.
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Use Figma to create final high fidelity prototype along side one teammate.
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Pitch presentation with group.
PROCESS
INITIAL USER RESEARCH
Initial user research was conducted with a group of 18-22 year old participants.
Research was two stages: first observing how users interacted with advertisements on TikTok without interfering, then asking participants questions about their experience and media consumption habits.
FIRST FOUR PROTOTYPES
Next, our group members each created a design based on our research, and selected which concept we thought was best.
Paid content has different colored buttons than native content.
AdAssistant!
Endorse advertisements and share directly into friends feeds.
"Critic Mode," where users rate advertisements in exchange for ad-free viewing.
PROTOTYPE ONE
We created a low fidelity prototype by drawing a screen on a window and placing our "assistant" behind it. We showed participants advertisements on a phone, and had them interact organically with our "assistant" afterwards. We also encouraged participants to draw buttons and interactions on the glass.
PROTOTYPE TWO
We incorporated feedback from Prototype One testing to create the first low fidelity prototype of the AdAssistant interface, then tested it with users.
FINAL PROTOTYPE
I worked alongside one teammate to create the wireframes and final interactive prototype of AdAssistant.
