Blake Williford // Designer + Creative Technologist

AI-Powered Business Automation PlatformEmpowering everyday business users to automate workflows using natural languageKognitos set out to reinvent business automation by enabling non-technical users to automate workflows using natural language (english). The goal was to evolve the platform from a technically powerful but expert-dependent system into an intuitive, AI-native interface accessible to everyday business users in operations, finance, etc.

                COLLABORATORS
                Rushil Khurana
Mudra Nagda

            
MY ROLEUX Design
UI Design
Product Design
Prototyping (Figma + HTML/CSS/JS)
Innovation

                ACCOMPLISHMENTS
                Led product design for the V2 of their web-based business automation application.
Collaborated with head of design and engineering team to understand limitations and iterate on the product.
V2 Product has helped Kognitos sign 5 new enterprise customers.

            

            PROBLEM
            How can we empower everyday business users to automate workflows using natural language alone?
          

SCOPE

Large B2B Enterprise SaaS

Less tech-savvy companies typically (e.g. Coke, Pepsi, Wells Fargo)

Business users typically in operations, finance, HR, etc.

RESEARCH

PersonaThe primary persona is a business user who is not particularly tech-savvy and needs to automate workflows using natural language (english).
ScenariosTypical example scenarios for the software include things like automating claims processing, or automating invoice processing.
FlowsKey flows that needed to be designed.

First Iteration (Low Fidelity)An end-to-end design and prototype that allows users to describe an automation using natural language, deal with clarifications and errors, iterate on it, and then test the automation.

InitializeUsers start by describing the automation they want to create.
EditUsers can edit the automation by writing directly in englsih or prompting the Kognitos agent. The agent detects issues or clarifications.
RunUsers now run the automation and see the results. The user has to provide inputs. Errors are sometimes detected and the user is prompted to fix them.
ResultsUsers can deploy the automation to their system.

                Design Trade-off
            

Version A - Initial Prompt Only

The system take the initial prompt and runs with it. Clarifications happens after it creates the intial SOP (Standard Operating Procedure).

Version B - Clarification Conversation

The system asks for clarifications before it creates the intial SOP. This ensures it can create a more accurate SOP to start with.

InsightsAfter informal usability testing with ~15 participants and discussions with internal stakeholders, we gained the following insights:

Insight 1The system should take the initial prompt and run with it. Clarifications can happen after it creates the intial SOP in a more contextual way.
Insight 2Adding inputs should happen in a more contextual way so that the user can go through them one-by-one and ensure they are valid.
Insight 3The run results need to be a much more interactive and exploratory experience versus static information.

Interactive Prototype

Second Iteration (High-Fidelity)I designed and built a high-fidelity prototype that addresses the insights gained from the first iteration as well as uses Kognitos design system.

InitializeUsers start by describing the automation they want to create.
EditUsers can edit the automation by writing directly in englsih or prompting the Kognitos agent. The agent detects issues or clarifications.
ClarificationsUsers must clarify details of the automation before it can run.
InputsUsers must provide valid inputs for the automation to run (e.g. email addresses, files, dates, etc.).
Handle ExceptionsUsers sometimes have to handle exceptions and errors that occur during the automation running.
Explore ResultsUsers can explore the results of the automation by prompting the Kognitos agent.

Interactive Prototype

Automations DashboardIt was also necessary to design a landing page and a dashboard for the automations. Here users can view all their automations, create new ones, and manage them.

Dashboard

The dashboard is the main page for users to manage their automations. It provides a high-level overview of the automations they have created, as well as the ability to create new automations.

Automation Details

Users can view the details of an automation, including recent runs, inputs, and results.

Improving Design SystemDark mode and light mode felt disconnected and incoherent. I strove to make the design system more consistent by exploring a visual design direction and color palettes that would work well across both modes.

AnimationI designed and built a branded page loader using CSS animation.