3 sweet bot micro-interactions

In the process of building Yala, I’ve been playing with a lot of chat bots in an attempt to learn how a clever bot interacts with its users. Often, it’s the tiny little details — small expressions of tact or charm — that make a great bot. I’d like to share some of these with you!

Howdy’s Thoughtfulness

Bots can be demanding, especially while they’re trying to teach me the ropes. This can lead to some friction. Howdy solved this problem gracefully:

That’s neat! This bot understands me. It patiently waits 15 minutes for a response, and then acknowledges that this might not be a good time. I feel respected, and I also know I can easily come back later.

Growbot’s Good Manners

I fell in love with Growbot the moment I invited it to one of our Slack channels — the little guy has great manners!

Many bots seem to be dead-set on spamming my teammates as much as they possibly can. Not Growbot! By asking me nicely for permission, this bot gained my trust.

Leo’s Avatar Mood

This one is subtle. When Leo’s asking me a friendly question, it’s smiling:

When I don’t complete a task I’ve been assigned, however, the bot becomes a little sad:

This is a sweet micro interaction. The change is small, but it establishes the bot’s personality and life.

Yala is a social media publishing robot, and we’re always looking to teach her new tricks. Got some cool micro-interaction examples? Let us know!

If you liked this article, please consider recommending it. 💚