Client Work
World Cup 2026 AI Assistant
Anticipating a rise in questions about Visas and ESTAs before the FIFA World Cup, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) looked for another way to share visitor details. They asked EY’s Intelligent Reality Labs (IRL) team to help create an interactive AI chat assistant. This external platform would need localization for 27 languages and smooth use on both mobile and desktop devices. It also had to align with CBP brand guidelines and requirements.
Key Achievements:
• Delivered an AI-assisted avatar experience used by 8 million people across many countries generating around $2M in revenue.
• Prioritized UX standards alongside existing CBP brand guidelines to ensure fairness for end users and their regions.
• Included familiar platform and site patterns familiar to non-US users to support a smooth onboarding process.
Skills Used
Discovery
First, the team and I had to determine how to design the experience from a non-US perspective. People and families from other regions do not always use sites and platforms like we do. This mattered especially for the mobile version, since most users rely on phones for all internet access. Second, we needed a welcoming way to include the AI mascot, Compass. This figure would provide visual cues and serve as the main point for user interaction. The design had to feel nearly intuitive for anyone, requiring minimal onboarding or guidance.
Third, we had to guide users toward CBP support and a chat interface when additional help was needed. Our flow had to permit a smooth shift to either option if a user required it. Finally, certain languages are read right-to-left, reversing content and occasionally the interface to align with regional needs. Our interface and artifacts had to function in both cases.
Solution
Leveraged UX patterns from applications like WhatsApp for mobile to allow users to easily swap between voice message or regular message
Focused on showcasing English (LTR) and Arabic (RTL) to show the bidirectionally of the experience.
Implemented showcasing languages in their native spelling alongside English counterpart leveraging Endonym-based selection.
Designed and built additional supplemental components for a video-call like experience based on the existing CBP guidelines and standards.
Utilized AI tools within Figma to assist with reducing design debt by 5% by assisting with component completion, translations, and initial prototype connection.
Technical Approach
• Alongside the brand guidance shared by CBP, I inspected their existing website to ensure artifacts were built to spec.
• Leveraged Local Variables within Figma to build out a pseudo-design system for ease of use.
• Categorized and annotated each component and interaction for development.
Outcome
The project faced a tight timeline because the client aimed to launch a few months before the World Cup games began in the US. Our IRL team started in early January 2026, following the winter break. The group included me, a project manager, developers, and an AI engineer. We spent the first week on ideation and persona creation, identifying our ideal user; if we designed for them, most others would likely follow a similar pattern. After drafting personas and user flow, I began shaping the English experience.
It was agreed that users would encounter language selection upon loading, since the AI usage policy would be localized. On mobile, Compass would remain more static, resembling a chat through a platform like WhatsApp or ChatGPT. As for the desktop experience, it’d show as if the end user was on a video call so we could use the AI avatar with motion. They’d be able to interact using buttons on the video call interface and if they were stuck, quickly be redirected to a CBP helpline person.
Impact
After the project finished, the platform drew roughly 8 million visitors during the months before the World Cup and generated $2M for the firm. This success opened future opportunities with the government organization, since we delivered on time and under budget while offering a meaningful experience for users.
