Pioneering a voice-first AI product

MasterClass members want to learn from and connect with the world’s greatest experts. As AI matured, we saw an opportunity to deliver the personal and practical guidance that members had been asking for: a standalone, voice-first AI product that lets them call an AI version of their favorite expert.

Company: MasterClass

My Role: Product Designer

Project Time: One year

Four cartoon characters holding phones, with various facial expressions and colors.

The Challenge

Design a new AI product that lets users have a voice call with the world's greatest experts.

My Role

I worked as the sole product designer on this project. I led all UX research, concept development, and end-to-end design. I collaborated closely with engineering and marketing to bring the MVP to life.

🏆 OnCall won the 2026 Webby Award for Best Real-Time AI Engagement

Understanding the Problem

I conducted competitive research across the AI landscape to identify key opportunities. Then I led a full-team brainstorm with product, engineering, data, and marketing to align on our MVP.

COMPETITIVE RESEARCH

“What does the current AI landscape look like and what can we learn from it?”

I conducted competitive research across 30 AI products. I looked into features, pricing, membership structures, voice capabilities, and unique value props. I synthesized everything into key learnings, standout features, and areas of opportunity.

A detailed comparison chart of AI chatbot services including company name, unique value proposition, pricing, voice AI, and features. The table covers Character.ai, bantr.ai, chatGPT, bard, and pi, highlighting aspects like free usage, subscription costs, voice and messaging capabilities, community features, and specialized functionalities.

TEAM BRAINSTORM

“Based on our research findings, what should be our MVP?”

I reframed my research learnings as user problems and facilitated a full-team brainstorm across marketing, leadership, product, engineering, and data. We voted as a team to align on direction and product requirements for the MVP.

Cartoon character resembling a snowman with glasses, face, and arms, on a purple background with a question mark.

HMW create a more human-like AI experience?

HMW create features that stand out?

HMW create a practical tool and a trusted advisor?

A cartoon illustration of a yellow anthropomorphic coffee cup with a smiling face, large eyes, and a small mouth. The cup has arms raised, and there is a light bulb icon above its head indicating an idea or inspiration.
Screenshot of a presentation titled 'ON CALL AI BRAINSTORM' with colorful icons of a donut, jam jar, and a store with 'Let's JAM' text. The slide shows sections: Companies, Data, Take a look, Key Learnings 1-3, and brainstorm prompts 1-4, each with detailed text and visual annotations in blue, green, yellow, and orange backgrounds.

Our MVP should:

  1. Make it easy to start a call

  2. Provide guardrails for unpredictable AI models

  3. Highlight‍ ‍AI expert credentials

Early Concept Testing

After defining our MVP, I built a lo-fidelity prototype and ran usability tests to get an early read on the design direction.

LO-FIDELITY PROTOTYPES

“How should the main mechanics of this product work?”

I explored several different directions for the flow and architecture of this project. I iterated on feedback from stakeholders and I created lo-fidelity prototypes to get early feedback from users.

USABILITY TESTS

“What do users think? Are we headed in the right direction?”

After narrowing down to a single solution, I conducted usability tests on usertesting.com with 12 participants on mobile devices. The goal of these tests was to determine if there were any major usability issues and to discover opportunities for iteration.

A cartoon illustration of a cheerful purple humanoid figure with closed eyes, a smiling face, and raised arms. The background is light beige.

“I’m unsure what to ask next”

Cartoon yellow character with big eyes, arms, and a tail, standing with one arm raised, against a light pink background.

“I’m skeptical that this AI knows what he’s talking about.”

A cartoon-style character resembling a cactus with glasses, smiling, with a light purple background.

“It’s really frustrating when he interrupts me.”

Building the Solution

After gathering insights from users, I iterated on our early concepts and collaborated with our marketing team to create high fidelity designs.

VISUAL EXPLORATIONS

“What should OnCall look and feel like?”

I moved into high-fidelity designs and went through several rounds of iteration. I kept user feedback at the center of my designs and incorporated input from leadership, product, and marketing.

Home Page Explorations

Smartphone screen showing a video call app with profile pictures of Martha Stewart, Matt Walker, and Chris Voss, and a scheduled call with an upcoming person on October 3.
Mobile app screen showing profile pictures of Chris Voss and Matthew Walker, with their names and call options, and a section for asking questions with chat options. Large photo of Chris Voss at the bottom.

Call UI Explorations

Screenshot of a phone screen showing a message from Chris Voss saying, 'Hey Chris. I could use your help asking my boss for a promotion.'
A mobile screen displaying an AI conversation interface with the title 'Speaking' and options for background details, negotiation tips, asking for a raise, and preparing for difficult conversations. The bottom shows a profile picture of a man labeled 'Chris Voss' and buttons for restart, mute, and end call.
A smartphone screen displaying a virtual assistant with a waveform background, greeting the user. It shows the time 9:41, and options at the bottom include restart, mute, and end call. The assistant identifies itself as Chris Voss.
Mobile phone screen displaying a messaging app with a call interface. The call is with Chris Voss, showing his profile picture and name. The screen reads 'Listening' and a message saying, 'Hey Chris! I need help asking my boss for a promotion.' There are options to restart, mute, or end the call.
Screenshot of a phone showing an app for starting AI video calls with profiles of four people: Chris Voss, a Negotiator; Matthew Walker, a Sleep Expert; Martha Stewart, a Baker; and Kelly Wearstler, an Interior Designer, each with a green phone icon for calling.
Mobile app screen showing contact options with a header 'Your AI Experts', profile pictures of three individuals, and a section 'Ask Me Anything' with repeated messages to call Chris Voss for help, including options for negotiating a raise or buying a car, with a prominent 'Call Chris' button.

 The Solution

After iterating on the feedback, I handed off the designs to our engineering team

SOLUTION REVIEW

“Do these designs meet the product requirements and solve the user problem?”

I iterated to the final version and collaborated closely with product stakeholders, leadership, and the marketing team. I handed the designs off to engineering and was highly involved in the QA process.

Make it easy to start a call ☎️

Users can make a call in a single click

  1. Quick call buttons appear at the top of the screen

  2. Conversation starters throughout the homepage reduce friction to start a call

Guardrails for Unpredictable AI 🚦

Call states and user prompts help communicate what the AI is doing and how the user should engage. Call feedback allows users to report if something went wrong.

Highlight AI Expert Credentials 🏆

AI Expert page gives details on why this person is an expert in their field and can be trusted.

Positive User Sentiment

😍

Positive User Sentiment 😍

77% of users rated their call experience as 4 or 5 stars

Easy To Use

🤩

Easy To Use 🤩

Next Steps & Reflection

Once we launched the Beta, I provided next steps and reflected on what I would have done differently.

NEXT STEPS

“What capabilities and features should we focus on next?”

After launching our beta and running UXR, we found that users crave texting capabilities. Given our robust library of chefs, we also explored a cooking companion.

Chat & Transcript Explorations

Screenshot of a video call interface featuring Steph Curry, an NBA basketball player, with options to call or message, and sections for expert advice and cooking with an expert.
Screenshot of a smartphone messaging app with a list of contacts' chat previews, including names and brief messages. The top has profile pictures of people in a call or chat, with a time of 9:41 and signal strength indicators.
Mobile app screen showing dessert recommendations including cookies, pistachio ice cream sundae with strawberries, and molten lava cake.
Plate of chocolate chip cookies with a cup of coffee in the background.
Screenshot of a messaging app conversation with Chris Voss, an expert negotiator. The chat includes text messages about negotiation and offers advice, with options at the bottom for various negotiation topics.
Mobile app screen showing a chat interface with a list of contacts, including Chris Voss, Matthew Walker, Martha Stewart, Gordon Ramsay, and Whitney Herde. Each contact has a profile picture and a message snippet beneath their name.

Cooking Companion Explorations

Screenshot of a mobile app for speaking with an AI, showing a waveform, a privacy message, and options for restarting or muting the conversation, with a menu bar at the bottom featuring a profile picture, AI label, restart, mute, and close buttons.
Screenshot of a mobile app homepage featuring a woman with blonde hair, wearing a white blazer, with the text 'Bake Like A Pro' and 'Martha Stewart'.

 REFLECTION

“What would I have done differently?”

  • I would have connected with our engineers earlier in the process in order to better understand the capabilities of our AI experts. The product team thought that the AI would be more advanced than was capable with the time allotted. In the future I would confirm the AI capabilities before jumping into designs.

View Other Projects

Black background with stylized white text that reads 'The Batman'.
Silhouette of a person working on a laptop at a desk in front of a window.

MasterClass 📈 Growth Team

Designing with AI-powered tools

A black background with white text that reads, "Merry Christmas".

MasterClass 💍 Engagement Team

Re-imagining content for better engagement