"Wow, this AI search got it right!" – HelsinkiUni Help was tested across the University during a campus tour

(This text has been translated with AI.)

In early December, the HelsinkiUni Help team visited all campuses to present the new service and collect feedback. The tour visited Kumpula and Viikki in the first week of December and Siltavuorenpenkere, Porthania, Kaisa House, and Biomedicum in Meilahti in the second week. The presentation point was open for a total of 24 hours.

A total of 1,123 people tested the HelsinkiUni Help service during the campus tour. Students in particular found their way to the test points. The testing provided a lot of useful feedback and excellent suggestions for development. Many were delighted with the speed and ease of use of the AI-assisted search and said they had been longing for just such a service to streamline their university life. The accuracy of the information provided by the search function was also a pleasant surprise.

Among the development wishes that were repeatedly mentioned were the inclusion of faculty-specific content in the search results and the possibility to search for people. There were also requests for the chat and service request form to be more visually prominent. For example, many testers felt that the "Ask a person" text would be useful for these functions and would also reach people who do not want to use the search function. It was hoped that the service link would be even more visible on other university websites.

Feedback from tour staff repeatedly emphasized the importance of face-to-face discussion at the university and the desire for such low-threshold meeting places to continue to be available. In addition, student testers were offered the opportunity to participate in future co-development and service design planning, and 17 students took up this offer.

Many people contributed to making the tour possible. Special thanks go to the HelsinkiUni Help staff who participated in the tour and all our partners – many thanks to UniCafe, Kaisa Library, HY247, and the organizers of Kumpulan Potentiaali for their smooth cooperation.

Would you like to participate in service development? With this form, you can sign up to participate in the co-development of university services, which may include surveys, interviews, practical testi of services, or workshops.

Text and photo: Edith Ylönen (University of Helsinki)