AI Time Machine | MyHeritage
AI Time Machine™, is a feature that uses Artificial Intelligence to transform everyday personal photos into hyper-realistic images of a person as he or she may have looked in different periods of history.
ROLE
Product designer
UX research | Desktop & Mobile
DURATION
November-December 2022
STATISTICS
Photos Uploaded
42,845,292
Models trained
977,952
Themes created
24,943,144
INTRODUCTION
The project was done as part of my work as a product designer at MyHeritage. The project focused on developing a new feature in the Text-to-Image space that allows users to experience how they would have looked in different periods throughout history. The project was done as part of the company's efforts to connect the younger generation to genealogy and family research.
How might we utilize AI technology capable of providing hyper-realistic AI avatars for genealogical purposes?
How might we make it easier for younger generation to connect to their family history?
How might we make the use of technology more convenient while overcome the need to write a prompt in order to use it?
CHALLENGES
New text-to-image technology provided the basis for the project. It was 2022 and the internet was full of new text-to-image platforms. We wanted to take advantage of the opportunity and release the feature as quickly as possible. We had 10 days to define the User Experience and design the feature.
The main problems we identified were:
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Building a personal model required 20-35 photos
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Unsuitable photos could have ruined the model's appearance
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To use the technology, users had to write long prompts. The problem was that prompt writing is a complex process for a novice
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Getting results may take up to 30 minutes
Challenge #1
PHOTO UPLOADING
Number of photos:
The process of building a solid model requires users to upload 20-35 photos. Users find it difficult to find this amount of photos. We eventually decided that while the UI will request 10-25 photos, we will allow a minimal number of 7 photos and a maximal number of 30 photos. Furthermore, if users uploaded a relatively small number of photos, we informed them that better results could be achieved by adding more photos.
Guidelines:
We underwent numerous iterations to determine the most accurate guidelines for crafting a high-quality model. Our primary objective was to streamline the instructions and minimize their complexity.
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Initially, we thought that using illustrations to guide users in selecting the best images for upload would enhance their understanding. However, upon releasing the feature, the data told a different story. We discovered that the provided images were causing confusion, prompting us to opt for a switch to do's and don'ts. This decision proved effective, leading to a significant reduction in abandonment rates at this stage.
Before
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Text is lengthy
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Visual aids
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Equal importance for all guidelines
After
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Concise text breakdown
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No visuals
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List of dos and don'ts
Challenge #2
PROMPTS
While we were defining the feature UX, there were other platforms in the market offering the creation of personal AI avatars. These platforms usually require that users write their own prompts or alternatively, select a prompt from a list. In our commitment to delivering a smooth user experience and staying true to our core objective of historical and family research, we made the deliberate choice not to require users to write prompts. As an alternative, we gave them the option of selecting historical periods at their discretion. Interestingly, this restriction expanded users' possibilities and made the user interface more user-friendly and faster.
A month after the feature's launch, AI Time Machine™ has responded to the remarkable viral growth and significant demand by introducing a new category for AI avatars, expanding its existing array of themes.
Challenge #3
WAITING FOR RESULTS
With the understanding that developing a new AI model requires 30 minutes, we opted to utilize this time to spark the interest of young users who are initially engaging with our product and encourage them to explore their family history through it.
THE VIRALITY OF THE FEATURE |
TIK-TOK TREND
Immediately following the launch of MyHeritage's AI Time Machine™, it went viral. The feature garnered substantial exposure through TV shows and news articles across the globe, with countless individuals sharing their outcomes on various social media platforms. Most notably, it became a sensation on TikTok, propelling it to become a trending topic.
TV
Morning shows all over the globe were presenting AI Time Machine™
Fox News, United States
Denmark’s morning show, Go’ morgen Danmark (Good Morning Denmark)
French TV show Midday TV with William à Midi on Canal+
Portland, Oregon, news station KOIN6
NEWS
TAKEAWAYS
We embarked on a mission to create an engaging and user-friendly feature aimed at piquing the curiosity of a younger generation less familiar with MyHeritage's products, encouraging them to explore their ancestry and heritage. With only a 10-day development window, we faced numerous trade-offs to ensure the best results without sacrificing ease of use. Our approach consistently relied on user testing feedback and data to bridge the gap between our assumptions and our users' actual needs. I believe we successfully fulfilled our mission, evident from the feature's virality (with over 47 million views on TikTok) and its predominantly young user base.
The experience of working under pressure alongside a team of talented individuals has been my most valuable lesson. I've learned how to make decisions and prioritize essential elements, striking a balance between what is crucial for a great feature and what are merely nice-to-have additions.