The purpose of this assignment is to have you consider the issues involved in designing agent-based interfaces. You will browse two different websites that use characters as assistants. Ask questions to each one and see what the responses are. How does the interaction feel?

The two websites to examine are Ford Customer Service (http://www.customersaskford.com/kate/crc_frame.asp?launchsite=qualitycare) and KiwiLogic (http://www.kiwilogic.de/kiwilogic/_xml/fs_index.php?sprache=us). When you examine the KiwiLogic page, first use the 3D agent, then try the 3D one by clicking on the 3D link at the lower left. Ask some questions to each agent that would be typical of the kind of queries that people would make to it.

You should turn in a one page review of the agent interfaces created by the two companies, critiquing their functionality, the interaction, and suggesting possible improvements or alternate methods of implementing such a capability.