PROJECT BRIEF
“Tanay the Trainer” is a voice-activated workout assistant built using Alexa Skills Blueprint. This project was created as a public-facing example to showcase my exploration of AI and voice interaction design as part of a larger, confidential school project at the New York Institute of Technology. Since the original project couldn't be displayed publicly, I developed this test skill to demonstrate my understanding of emerging technologies like AI and AR in a creative, hands-on way. It allowed me to prototype conversational user flows and experiment with the role of voice interfaces in building immersive, tech-driven experiences.
Built Tanay's Personal Trainer 'Tanay'
Voice-activated Alexa Skill that guides Tanay through custom workout routines with motivational prompts and exercise instructions for hands-free fitness training.
GOALS
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The goal of “Tanay the Trainer” was to explore the creative potential of AI, voice interaction, and augmented reality from a designer’s perspective
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Since the original academic project was confidential, this prototype allowed me to publicly demonstrate my skills in voice-based user experience, conversational UI design, and my growing interest in emerging tech.
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I aimed to understand how non-visual interfaces like Alexa Skills could enhance daily interactions and lay the groundwork for future projects that combine graphic design with immersive technologies like AR.
DEVELOPMENT SETPS
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Choosing the Blue Print
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Selected the “Personal Trainer” template in Alexa Skill Blueprints, which allows designing a customizable workout assistant.
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Skills Customization
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Renamed the skill from "Personal Trainer" to "Tanay The Trainer" for a personalized touch.
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Set the workout content including exercises, duration, and voice prompts (example: High Knees, 14 minutes and 15 seconds total).
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Customized prompts users hear at the start of the workout.
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Publishing for private use
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Initially published the skill privately under “Just Me” settings to test it.
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Practiced invoking the skill using different trigger phrases:
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"Alexa, start my workout".
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"Alexa, tell me about today’s workout".
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"Alexa, open Tanay the Trainer".
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Testing and Debugging
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Successfully launched the workout prompts through the Alexa app.
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Encountered an audio connection error:"I am having trouble connecting to the audio file U.R.I."
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Identified the issue related to Alexa's handling of certain audio files or sound elements, but the workout flow continued successfully without blocking interaction
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Project Images
WHY?
I created “Tanay the Trainer” as a companion project to a confidential academic assignment at the New York Institute of Technology, where I was exploring the integration of AI and Augmented Reality in user-centered design. Since I couldn’t showcase the original project publicly, this Alexa Skill acted as a testable, sharable version to demonstrate my interest in emerging technologies and how they can be applied in a creative design context. As a graphic designer, I wanted to go beyond traditional visuals and experiment with interactive, voice-based experiences.
IMPACT
This project helped me better understand the possibilities and limitations of voice UX, and how users interact with non-screen interfaces. It also gave me hands-on experience with prototyping voice flows and thinking about multi-modal design, where audio and potential AR visuals can work together. Most importantly, it sparked a deeper interest in using technology as a creative medium, helping me build confidence to explore more complex interactive experiences in future design work.