As part of the interview process for their first Product Design role, I was given a design challenge around a new feature, CluckTalk, that the team has been exploring.
Summary:
Our brand thrives on merging advanced tech with whimsical and, honestly, funny experiences. We're talking about chickens here. One feature we've built but not introduced yet is called "CluckTalk." At its core, CluckTalk is a sound recognition system built to decode the clucks and bawks of chickens. With this feature, users can essentially tap into their Coop feed in the app, listen in real-time, and have the system interpret these sounds for them. From hunger clucks to the broody bawks, CluckTalk is essentially a quirky translator between human and hen. Our goal is not just to offer an understanding but to turn every interaction into a delightful experience—a playful bragging right, if you will, for our users.The goal is to build something entertaining / funny that users can't help but think, "This is pure gold." It's not just about decoding really; it's about making a quirky splash and giving users a taste of our playful genius.
Functional context: A user will tap to open the audio recorder, and the API will basically return one of these different strings: 1) Hungry 2) Greeting, hello! 3) Hawk / predator lurking, 4) Broody or 5) generally chatty. This could really be a standalone app if we wanted it to be - think of it that way.
Purpose: Keep in mind, while CluckTalk offers real-time, tangible data-built insights, its primary purpose is to delight. It's more about the joy and fun of interacting than a critical tool for chicken care and making sure to design with that in mind. Think of building something that marketing could layer funny touchpoints and campaigns on top of.
Freedom: Don't let conventions hold you back. This is your canvas, and while it's within an iOS framework, we encourage unbridled creativity. Really no constraints.
Engagement: Consider how users will access CluckTalk, how they'll interact with it, and how the translations are presented. Whether it's playful graphics, animations, or a clever UI, think about ways to keep users returning to the feature for fun and to showcase to friends.
Aesthetic and Brand: While we want you to have free reign, try to weave in elements that echo our brand's character—smart, a little cheeky, and innovatively fun. I'll share a very short deck with some color / font / copy just so you have foundational reference points.
Platform: Your design should be tailored specifically for the iOS app.
End Goal: Deliver a conceptual design of how CluckTalk might be experienced by our users on the iOS app. Think about the journey from the moment they tap into the feature to when they exit, having a little chuckle at the feature - but are downright delighted.
