Problem

Where students struggle

72% of NYU Tandon students face printer failures--most give up, or risk breaking it further.

Research

Observing (and loitering) by the printers

We used quantitative and qualitative research methods: 48 surveys, 10 user interviews, personas, and flowcharts.

Low-fidelity designs + branding

Giving our chatbot a personality

Dibby's librarian persona--friendly, trustworthy, and approachable--is designed to put users at ease and keep them engaged, making users more likely to provide useful feedback.

Since NYU rebranded from Bobcats to Violets, we avoided animal mascots to keep the chatbot consistent with the university’s identity.

Mapping out the conversation

We designed a “never say ‘no’” interaction flowchart, based in customer service ideology. When users are faced with an error or “no results found,” they get frustrated and might try fixing it themselves, leading to damages.

If our chatbot has no further solutions, it offers an action item (i.e. creating a ticket, or requesting in-person assistance).

Testing & Feedback

Iterative improvement

Our team conducted 9 user interviews and 3 AB tests with our designs. During AB testing, students were presented with a simple printer error–-no one successfully fixed or reported the issue.

However, with Dibby, every student was able to successfully troubleshoot the error within minutes.

Solution

Focus on studying, not printing

Dibby is built to help students AND staff.

Dibby isn’t just about fixing printers--it’s about providing instant support, boosting productivity, and shaping a better library experience.