Quan H. La

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Quan H. La

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ABOUT ME

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Collaboration Center

akaBot

akaBot

Collaboration Center

Collaboration Center

Connecting people and automation in one continuous process

Connecting people and automation in one continuous process

akaBot is an enterprise RPA platform that helps businesses automate and manage their processes. I designed its Human-Bot collaboration experience to connect bots with people when human review, input, or decisions are needed, while keeping the process moving seamlessly.

akaBot is an enterprise RPA platform that helps businesses automate and manage their processes. I designed its Human-Bot collaboration experience to connect bots with people when human review, input, or decisions are needed, while keeping the process moving seamlessly.

YEAR

2023 - 2024

ROLE

Product Designer

CONTRIBUTION

UI Design - Interaction Design

TEAM

1 PO - 2 BA - 3 Developers

STATUS

Released & Implemented

01 / Context

When Automation Needs Judgment

Bots are effective at repetitive, rule-based work. However, complex business processes often contain moments that require human judgment, confirmation, or additional information.

Bots are effective at repetitive, rule-based work. However, complex business processes often contain moments that require human judgment, confirmation, or additional information.

Example: Credit Approval Process

Example: Credit Approval Process

START

Application received

→

BOT

Check credit data

→

BOT

Propose credit limit

→

HUMAN

Review & approve

→

BOT

Update system

→

BOT

Notify customer

"Without a way for people and bots to exchange information within the same workflow, processes requiring human judgment could not be automated end to end."

“Without a way for people and bots to exchange information within the same workflow, processes requiring human judgment could not be automated end to end.”

02 / product Challenge

Bridging People and Automation

The same business process is understood differently depending on the user’s role. RPA specialists (RPA Dev/BA) think about how the process is configured and executed, while business users focus on the information they need and the actions they need to take.

The same business process is understood differently depending on the user’s role. RPA specialists (RPA Dev/BA) think about how the process is configured and executed, while business users focus on the information they need and the actions they need to take.

RPA SPECIALIST BUILDS

"How should this process work?"

Understand Business Process Logic & Flow

Configure Bot Task

Define Human Task

Set Logic and Conditions

Map Data

BUSINESS USER ACTS

"What do I need to do?"

Understand Context

Review Relevant Information

Make Decision

Provide Input / Take Action

Continue The Process

“The challenge wasn't to simplify the entire system, but to expose the right level of complexity to each user. “

“The challenge wasn’t to simplify the entire system, but to expose the right level of complexity to each user. “

03 / Solutions

One Connected Experience

Instead of treating automation configuration and human interaction as separate experiences, I designed them as parts of one continuous process.

RPA SPECIALIST BUILDS

PROCESS DESIGNER

Define how bots and people work together

RPA SPECIALIST BUILDS

FORM DESIGNER

Define what information people receive and provide

BUSINESS USER ACTS

PROCESS MANAGEMENT

Start new automation task or review current running tasks

BUSINESS USER ACTS

HUMAN TASK

Review, decide and return information to the process

AUTOMATION

CONTINUES

↺

PROCESS DESIGNER

Define where human enter
the automation flow

Define where human enter
the automation flow

Each Human Task needed an interface through which business users could understand information, provide input, and make decisions.

Each Human Task needed an interface through which business users could understand information, provide input, and make decisions.

Components

Configuration

Components

Configuration

FORM DESIGNER

Configure the human side of the process

Configure the human side of the process

RPA specialists construct the business process visually, combining automated tasks, human tasks, logic, conditions, and data.

RPA specialists construct the business process visually, combining automated tasks, human tasks, logic, conditions, and data.

Components

Configuration

PROCESS MANAGEMENT

See the process as it runs

See the process as it runs

Used by Business Users to start or stop a process and monitor its execution. The same process diagram created by the RPA Specialist becomes a live view showing how data and tasks move through the process and the current status of each step.

Used by Business Users to start or stop a process and monitor its execution. The same process diagram created by the RPA Specialist becomes a live view showing how data and tasks move through the process and the current status of each step.

Task Statuses

HUMAN TASK

When human judgment is needed

When human judgment is needed

When a process reaches a Human Task, Business Users can review information, make decisions, provide input, and submit their response through a responsive interface across different screen sizes, allowing the automated process to continue without requiring them to work from the process-management interface.

When a process reaches a Human Task, Business Users can review information, make decisions, provide input, and submit their response through a responsive interface across different screen sizes, allowing the automated process to continue without requiring them to work from the process-management interface.

Responsive Interface

04 / Outcomes

Making Human Participation Part of the Process

Collaboration Center was released and implemented as an extension of akaBot Center, enabling automated tasks and human decisions to operate within the same business process.

Collaboration Center was released and implemented as an extension of akaBot Center, enabling automated tasks and human decisions to operate within the same business process.

START

Application received

→

BOT

Check credit data

→

BOT

Propose credit limit

→

HUMAN

Review & approve

→

BOT

Update system

→

BOT

Notify customer

"Automation no longer had to stop where human judgment began."

“Automation no longer had to stop where human judgment began.”

05 / REFLECTION

Clarity isn't always about removing complexity

Human Collaboration taught me that complex systems do not necessarily need to become simpler. They need to reveal the right complexity to the right person.


Designing across both sides shifted my focus from simplifying the whole system to deciding what each user actually needed to see, understand, and control.

Human Collaboration taught me that complex systems do not necessarily need to become simpler. They need to reveal the right complexity to the right person.


Designing across both sides shifted my focus from simplifying the whole system to deciding what each user actually needed to see, understand, and control.

COMPLEXITY

UNDERSTANDING WHAT MATTERS TO USERS

CLARITY