CECE : TAP 3D
AI Companion
AR/VR
Web
Product Design | UX Research | August 2024
WHAT
Leveraging AI-driven augmented conversations through AR, Cece supports students in achieving both personal and professional goals by fostering meaningful 1:1 connections, honing essential skills, and providing personalized, actionable career roadmaps.
IMPACT
Cece has been adapted for the AI interviewer product launched mid-2025, and tested with college students. TAP's AI-powered career growth AR/VR platform has reached 4,000+ technician trainees. Our tool addresses skill gaps, limited mentorship, and career planning challenges, ultimately enhancing students' learning experiences and career outcomes.
ROLE
Lead Product Designer
UX Designer
Team Leader
TEAM
1 Product + UX Designer (me)
1 UI Designer
1 Animator
MY CONTRIBUTIONS
I led the product strategy, drove cross-functional alignment- collaborating closely with TAP's CPO and designer, team facilitation and final pitch for the MVP.
I led a 10-week User Research study with 9 community college students leading to actionable insights for the ideation stage. I designed and conducted semi-structured interviews, supported by literature review and competitive research.
WHAT'S TAP 3D?
Their mission focuses on closing skill gaps and creating opportunities for low-wage workers to transition into higher-paying technical roles.
DIVING INTO RESEARCH, REALISING THERE IS A GAP BETWEEN INDUSTRY AND EDUCATION
WHY THIS PROJECT?
Even amid substantial investments in clean technology manufacturing - $88 billion in 2021. (source)
.
TAP identified dissatisfaction among students in technical programs across Texas and California. Many students struggled to connect coursework with real-world industry opportunities, often unaware of higher-paying roles and how to access them.
Despite readiness to hire, manufacturers struggle to find effective ways to obtain reliable blue-collar worker data and to connect with potential candidates. (source)
WHO'S CECE?
CECE'S MAIN FEATURES
THE MVP VIDEO
The MVP Video showcasing Cece, and Alex's (primary persona) journey with her.
APPROACH
1. COMPETITVE ANALYSIS
WHAT I LEARNT
Simple, intuitive interfaces with clear navigation encourage higher engagement, especially for users with limited digital familiarity.
Real-time feedback in virtual training environments accelerates learning and reduces confusion.
Collaboration between universities and job platforms leads to more relevant career recommendations.
Features like salary comparisons, company rankings, and user ratings enhance the appeal of career platforms.
Analysis of 5 competitors in the industry.
2. SEMI-STRUCTURED USER INTERVIEWS
WHAT I LEARNT
Most students viewed technical programs as a practical way to gain financial stability.
Many were hesitant to search for technical job opportunities online, relying instead on career advisors, friends, and family.
In-person networking was considered more trustworthy, providing realistic job insights.
Social circles significantly influenced job choices, often limiting awareness of broader career options.
I moderated this user Interview with an industry expert.
USER JOURNEY AND PERSONAS
For instance, our primary persona, Alex, faced challenges navigating career options without clear mentorship or accessible resources.
To better position ourselves for the ideation phase, we mapped out the primary user's journey, highlighting the pain points along the way.
BEFORE
AFTER
"If someone who does the job daily talks to me in person, I trust them completely and prefer their firsthand experience over written sources.” - P1
“My uncle is one of the a&p. And I will be another a&p....So he just got to tell them, hey, this, my kid right here, and then I just gotta apply and put his name down as my reference.” - P4
REDEFINED DESIGN CHALLENGE STATEMENT
APPROACH
BRAINSTORMING
Generating multiple ideas for a broad spectrum of solutions.
Design Principles
Tailored Guidance
Providing mentorship based on individual goals.
Ownership of Growth
Empowering students to take charge of their career development.
Accessibility
Ensuring ease of use for users with varying tech familiarity.
Immersive Learning
Leveraging AR and AI to create engaging experiences.
Community Support
Fostering connections to mentors and peers.
Through a dot-voting session, we identified and prioritized the key features and ideas that best complemented each other, shaping the final vision for Cece.
Combining the final ideas into one ; Cece.
BLUE SKY THINKING AND STORYTELLING
Doing a walkthrough of different scenarios and coming up with diverse solutions leading to an ideal day for the students.
STORYBOARDING : STORYTELLING
Storyboarding the journey of Alex and refining his user story.
WIREFRAMING THE LOFI SCREENS AND 3D MODELLING
Wireframes and avatars.
The MVP Video showcasing Cece, and Alex's (primary persona) journey with her.
Cece has been adapted for the AI interviewer product launched mid-2025, and tested with college students. TAP's AI-powered career growth AR/VR platform has reached 4,000+ technician trainees. Our tool addresses skill gaps, limited mentorship, and career planning challenges, ultimately enhancing students' learning experiences and career outcomes.
This project underscored the importance of blending user-centered design with business strategy. Navigating stakeholder needs, resource constraints, and tight timelines required adaptability.
The iterative design process, grounded in deep user research, allowed us to craft a solution that was both feasible and impactful.
If I were to revisit this project, I would allocate more time for additional competitive analysis and extended user testing to refine the final solution further.