Sep 2023 - Present
Simon Fraser University Community Engagement Award Winner 2023-2024
One Tap Away Chatbot:
Technology to Provide Resources Against Gender-Based Violence
Jae Eun
E
Ella
K
Kate
Service Design
UX Research
Usability Study
Social Innovation
One Tap Away is an ongoing social innovation project to build a chatbot that provides information about organizations that provide support against gender-based violence. This is a self-led project, partnered with a local non-profit organization, VLMFSS (Vancouver Lower Mainland Multicultural Family Support Services), funded by SFU Community Engagement Award.
Figma
Botpress
Make
Google Sheets
How did this project start?
Back in summer 2023, I worked at VLMFSS as a Community-Based Victim Support Worker. I noticed that there are far fewer young clients in their 20s, compared to those in other age groups. I wondered if there could be any technological aid in lowering the barriers to accessing and gaining information about support. I wondered, can there be any other mode of contact augmented by technology that replaces traditional yet daunting contact methods like a phone call?
Then in fall 2023, I took Directed Studies course at SFU SIAT, which involved a semester-long student-led project supervised by Professor O. N. Yalcin, who has research background in human-computer interaction with digital interactive agents. Her research work inspired me to do a research about how young SFU undergraduate students feel about using a chatbot for thes school's Counselling services.
The main finding out of this research was that 64% of survey respondents (39/61) thought a chatbot could improve SFU Counselling Services, albeit for administrative capacity, such as for navigating websites or booking appointments. This finding that young individuals thought favourably about chatbots prompted me to do a project to build a chatbot that could become the first point of contact in the face of gender-based violence.
This is a video of a concept I developed at the end of the Directed Studies, visualizing how the chatbot acting as the first point of contact would look like.
What is the Problem Space?
Before I launch on the project, I wanted to discover what are some existing problems with traditional modes of contact that the chatbot could replace.
2021 Consumer Experience Trends Healthcare Report
72%
of Millennials and Gen Z prefer online doctor appointments.
60%+
of these age groups reported using smarphones or tablets to research healthcare providers.
2023 KPMG survey
58%
of Millennials highly values online appointment and would switch providers for this convenience.
64%
of Gen Z highly values online appointment and would switch providers for this convenience.
Project Rationale
How can we tailor the experience of providing resources for young individuals, given that they are more comfortable with technology-intervened interaction with the service providers?
Design Scope
Technology being tested is a chatbot, in which the system produces text messages based on the user's input.
The chatbot would be used for providing resources about gender-based violence support services in the community.
What is this project about? Check out this video as an overview.
Our current focus is to utilize a digital interactive agent, such as a chatbot, to narrow the technological gap between the social service providers and young population.
But would young people actually be interested in chatbots?
Hence the user study through SFU Directed Studies!
My experience assisting young victims of crimes and realizing the need for technology intervention led me to do a user study as part of my SFU Directed Studies course.
User Study
This is a poster that I presented at 2024 SFU Undergraduate Research Symposium. Hover on the numbers to see I progressed through the user research!
Overall, I saw that young people see value of chatbots to a limited extent, mainly for administrative tasks.
Click here
to see the poster in full size.
Re-contextualization
: How can I apply my findings for social innovation?
Through the user study, overall, I saw that young people see value of chatbots to a limited extent, mainly for administrative tasks.
So I wondered, "How can I translate the research findings into the fieldsite of gender-based violence-related work, like VLMFSS' website?"
Me
Is there anyway I can integrate chatbot into social services? I can probably work with VLMFSS!
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Funding
: We were awarded $2000 for this project!
I gathered up two more undergraduate students, then applied for SFU 2023-2024 Student-Community Engagement Competition for the project to integrate chatbot into VLMFSS' system ; then called the project 'One Tap Away' chatbot.
We secured $2000 funding through the Competition!
Read how we explained our project on SFU website.
Chatbot Integration
: We added a chatbot function to VLMFSS' Facebook.
Using Manychat, a chatbot builder web application, we were able to set up a chatbot API for VLMFSS' Facebook.
With a trigger as simple as 'hi', 'hello', or 'hey', the users will be able to start the conversation and be introduced to resources.
Instead of searching for the resources themselves, the users can simply tap on the suggestions to look into the details.
The users can even have the option to be redirected to a calling option.
Reflection
: It's not done yet! What are our future plans?
Our future plan is to set up the Advisory Committee, composed of industry professionals where we can receive feedback of the chatbot design.
In August 2024 ✨,
I held a co-creation workshop, where the service providers can express what their expectations are for a chatbot for the gender-based violence.
Based on my user research, the values were found at its technical aspects that enable administrative tasks, rather than its ability to emulate human properties, such as embodiment or personality.
This is why as of this moment, the chatbot primarily focuses on doing a search on resources on behalf of themselves, with ready-made prompts.
I was excited to gather ethnographic data from collaborative design workshops with the Advisory Committee, later in this summer, and see if my perception of giving the “agency” to the chatbot aligns with the stakeholders’ perception.
