Overview

The smart speaker market is growing— according to a 2020 Techcrunch study 28.9% of US based internet users own a smart speaker— and people are turning to their devices for information and entertainment. Fake facts and fake news are growing too. The World Economic Forum ranks the spread of misinformation among the world’s top global crisis.

Product

We designed a storytelling puzzle game for adults that leverages the smart speaker to counteract false information. It combines the intrigue of escape rooms, conspiracies, puzzle solving and play.

The first episode of the series, Moon Landing, revolves around the space explorations spearheaded by the Soviets and Americans in the 1950s-1960s.

My Role on a 6 Person Team

Product Manager and Conversation Designer

As the Product Manager I recruited and led a talented multidisciplinary team to take the Alexa skill from conception to launch using an agile framework. As a Conversation Designer, I contributed with strategy, research and usability testing, game design and writing scripts.

Outcome

We built and launched the first iteration of the game in two weeks and finished the second iteration one month later. The Conspiracy Theory is available in the Alexa Skills store.

The game was selected as a top 10 finalist out of 134 teams and awarded the Best Alexa Conversations Audio Skill in the Amazon Alexa Conversations Challenge.

It was favorably received by the conversation design community, receiving positive reviews on Season 2 of Hans & the Botman.