Visualizing Possible Futures
Turning Conversation into Interactive Scenarios
Designed and prototyped a conversational AI and AR experience that helps graduates explore possible futures through personalized scenario visualization.
Role
UX Research
Timeline
Jan '25 - Aug '25
Context
College graduates face significant anxiety as they navigate career and life decisions during a highly uncertain transition period.
Challenge
Traditional tools such as job boards or career advice platforms focus on information rather than helping people imagine and evaluate life paths.
Goal
Investigate how technology could help graduates make sense of uncertain life transitions.
Why This Matters?
Early career decisions shape where people live, work, and build relationships. Yet most tools focus on providing information rather than helping people think through major life decisions.
This project explores how conversational AI and AR could support reflection and scenario-based decision-making.
Starting Point
Our sponsor previously developed Vision Cubing, a reflective method that uses journaling, collage, and origami to help people explore goals through a cube representing different facets of a life vision. The cube acts as a reflection prompt, helping users examine goals from multiple perspectives.
User Research
To understand how graduates plan life after college, we conducted:
6 Semi-structured interviews
Participants shared how they plan their futures, the pressures shaping their decisions, and tools they currently use.
Mind Mapping
Participants mapped goals, values, and strategies related to their future.
Concept Evaluation
Participants reacted to an early stakeholder prototype to understand potential use cases.
4 Cultural Probes
Participants documented their aspirations and planning behaviors using reflective prompts.
Sense Making
We organized key interview quotes by research question and theme, revealing differences in how participants gather inspiration, imagine potential paths, and rely on mentors or external guidance.
Insights
Graduates trust AI for information, not decisions
“I just use it to gather information—I will not let it make any important decisions for me.” - P5
Participants used AI for information gathering but did not trust it to make decisions, citing privacy concerns and overly generic responses.
Graduates struggle to imagine concrete future possibilities
“It's useful to visualize yourself in a space, especially like, debating on moving to a different country.” - P6
Many were uncertain about where they’ll live or what career path to pursue, suggesting immersive scenarios could help clarify uncertain plans.
Lack of trusted guidance amplifies uncertainty
“I think many people feel confused because they don’t have enough information about the opportunities available. They also lack life experience and aren’ t yet sure what they truly want.” – P1
Without trusted guidance, participants struggled to process uncertainty and envision next steps.
Key Design Decisions
Use conversation instead of forms
Participants preferred discussing ideas out loud rather than filling out structured questionnaires.
Make possibilities concrete
Immersive scenes help users experience potential life situations rather than imagining them abstractly.
Encourage reflection before action
Instead of pushing immediate decisions, the experience supports gradual exploration.
Introducing Sonobi
These insights shaped the concept for Sonobi, a conversational AI experience designed to help graduates explore life possibilities through immersive scenario visualization.
The term "Sanobi" derives from "Sanobe," a well-known modular origami design created by joining six identical units into a cube.
Product Opportunity
Sanobi explores a new category of future-planning tools that combine conversation with immersive scenarios, helping users evaluate life directions before making major decisions.
Feature overview
Conversational AI (Audio-first)
Users speak with Sanobi instead of typing, lowering friction and making reflection more natural.
Cube Reveal
An AR cube introduces the experience and invites curiosity before users explore future scenarios.
AR Visualization (360° future scenarios)
Tangible scenarios deepen engagement and motivation to act.
Next Steps Guided by Sanobi
Sanobi guides users from reflection toward concrete next steps.
Building the experience
After the capstone, I continued working with the sponsor as an independent contractor, translating the concept into build-ready architecture and delivering API requirements, user flows, and high-fidelity wireframes.
