Moai: Concept to Connection

In my work at the intersection of people, technology, and design, I have worked on multiple projects that harness the power of technology to improve lives. However, my experience creating Moai, an app aimed at combating loneliness among Gen Z and late millennials, has been transformative for myself, my relationships, and the community I have built-in ways I never expected. I reflect on some pivotal moments in this journey — that kept oscillating from a practice to an idea to a design.

The Crisis of Connection

Moving to New York was the dream, but the reality felt quite the opposite as I began submerging myself into a society filled with transient relationships. Living in a community-driven culture in India — be it New Delhi, Mumbai, Goa, or Pune- was a culture shock.

The first crucial moment came during the discovery phase. As I delved into research, I was struck by the paradox of our hyperconnected world fostering a loneliness epidemic. This realization shifted my perspective from creating another social app to addressing a critical societal issue.

Embracing Interdisciplinary Design

With a rich background in public policy, experiential education, psychology, and relational science, I was excited to apply the principles of these traditional fields to a user experience approach.

It took me months to read everything from social psychology and anthropology to behavioral science. The Surgeon General’s Advisory on Mental Health became a bible.

To keep the user experience as the focus, because we all know changing behaviors solely in a digital environment is hard, I understood the best practices in design from a learning, game, and behavior perspective to think about ways in which users can situate the app into their real-world contexts. Questions such as how do contexts affect user behavior? and where I can find the proper context for digital intervention at the front and square of my work.

Power of Transformative Interviewing

Talking about one’s loneliness requires a lot of vulnerability, especially when interviewing people for the first time. I adopted a transformative interviewing technique to create this space during user research.

I was trained in this approach in psychotherapy and relational science education. Focusing on deep connections and empathy, this approach yielded insights that traditional methods might have missed. Here, I understood the depth of the loneliness problem and the need for a solution that empowers individuals to connect beyond surface-level interactions.

Visualizing Social Connections

My prior experience in education has created a mindset of nudging users towards more minor incremental shifts in perspective for long-term behavioral changes. Almost all digital platforms play a numbers game, focusing on quantity over quality. But that isn’t the cornerstone for developing meaningful lifelong relationships.

A breakthrough came when I designed the visualization of users’ social circles based on Dunbar’s theory. Seeing users react in concept tests to this tangible representation of their relationships reinforced the impact of making abstract concepts concrete in design.

Balancing Technology and Humanity

My initial ideas had to be left behind, but what kept me up to date was tracking the development of technologies in real-time. As soon as the Gen AI revolution began with ChatGPT’s boom in November 2022, I started seeing various use cases for individuals trying to resolve their socio-emotional issues.

It compelled fundamental design questions: Do developers know this is the use case? Are we representing appropriate data? Is the end user being delivered with the proper information without guardrails?

Throughout my entire process, I grappled with how to use technology to foster genuine human connections. This ongoing challenge has redefined my approach to product design, emphasizing the need to create tools that enhance rather than replace human interaction.

A humanistic companion

Balancing the need for a supportive digital presence while encouraging real-world connections requires careful consideration. Incorporating a supporting character as a learning agent became a powerful tool for emotional design and personalized learning. The AI companion, akin to a digital genie, embodies humanistic traits and abilities that resonate with users on a deeper, more personal level. Just as the Genie guides Aladdin through his journey of self-discovery and growth, this design supports developing users’ relational intelligence in a user-centered and personalized manner.

Pitching to Investors

Stepping out of my designer role to pitch Moai to investors was an invaluable adventure. I thought of investors not only as people who would offer monetary support to build but even freelancers who would volunteer their time and expertise and users who would invest their time in testing the features.

This pushed me to distill complex ideas into a compelling narrative, a skill I consider essential for any design leader speaking to diverse stakeholders.

User Validation

The most rewarding moments came from early user feedback. Hearing how the design concepts were helping people improve their mindset and approach to relationships validated the foundational pillars and design, driving home the responsibility I took on myself as a designer to create meaningful impact.

My journey of researching, designing, and developing Moai has been more than a professional project; it’s been a journey of personal growth and discovery. It has, in fact, helped me focus on my relationships and building my community while using technology thoughtfully. It’s reinforced my belief in the power of thoughtful, human-centered design to address complex social issues. As I refine and evolve Moai, I carry a deeper understanding of the delicate balance between technology and human connection. This perspective will influence all my future work as a product designer.