Wel AI: Revolutionizing Email with Personal AI Assistance

Ruoyong Hong and Qian Wan's Innovative Email App Wins Bronze A' Award

At a time when AI copilots are becoming increasingly common, the challenge lies in embedding artificial intelligence into personal email systems without compromising the user's individuality. Wel AI emerges as a groundbreaking solution, conceptualized as a personal tutor rather than an AI ghostwriter. This app is inspired by the concept of an adept writing buddy, aiming to respect the user's personality while fostering a sense of control and trust. It enhances communication efficiency and nurtures a personal AI style that integrates seamlessly into daily life.

What sets Wel AI apart is its ability to blend AI into daily email tasks, providing analytical reading assistance and a conversational approach to email composition, guidance, and drafting. The app excels in fostering a flexible and respectful collaboration between humans and AI, offering just the right amount of assistance. It also encourages the development of a personal writing style and a social relationship library, which benefits both the user and the AI, promoting growth and improvement akin to a supportive life companion.

The design process behind Wel AI involved using Figma and Photoshop to create an intuitive interaction flow and a polished visual system. The team employed a human-centered design approach, beginning with user research, transitioning through design exploration, and culminating with prototype testing. The app incorporates GenAI technology for text tone and intent analysis, drawing insights from prompts in a writing and relationship library. It reviews user daily actions and selections to continually optimize performance and align closely with the user's personality.

Wel AI's user interface is designed with efficiency in mind, utilizing tags to simplify text-heavy tasks. Upon launching the app, users are presented with a brief overview of emails categorized by purpose. Swiping gestures allow users to transition between Assistant and Librarian modes, which represent work and learning mindsets, respectively. The app's color scheme of blue and white shades subtly conveys the depth of AI involvement, blending trust with clarity.

The project, which began in May 2021 and concluded in September 2022, was developed in Seattle. The design team conducted user interviews with scientists and a diverse range of email users to understand their needs and how they would interact and grow with AI. The research included user personas, flow maps, affinity maps, and process mining to uncover the fluctuating levels of AI assistance and trust based on user confidence and task familiarity. These insights, combined with a human-centered UX design philosophy, shaped the core concept of Wel AI.

One of the primary challenges faced during the development of Wel AI was the need for an evolving AI companion that could aid and grow with users, a departure from standard chatbots. The team aimed for seamless integration into daily email activities without the need for constant screen switching. Additionally, technological constraints made it difficult to create a tangible demo, posing challenges in understanding user-AI interactions. Despite these hurdles, Wel AI represents a pioneering step towards AI companions that are seamlessly embedded in our daily routines.

As a testament to its innovative design and contribution to improving quality of life, Wel AI was awarded the Bronze in the A' Mobile Technologies, Applications and Software Design Award in 2024. This accolade recognizes outstanding and creatively ingenious designs that demonstrate experience and resourcefulness, incorporating best practices in art, science, design, and technology. Wel AI stands out as a strong example of technical and creative skill, contributing to making the world a better place.