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Auri
AI Dining Concierge
Concept
An AI concierge that elevates the rituals of fine dining, transforming every choice into an effortless, enjoyable experience.
Problem
Fine dining is an immersive experience. But even for the most seasoned guest, navigating a menu, pairing wines, and keeping pace with the course can pull you out of the rhythm. For first-timers, unfamiliar menus and unspoken etiquette create anxiety. AURI was designed to bridge both — a concierge that guides without pressure and remembers without being asked.
Research
Derived from the House of Armani, AURI is built for intentional dining experiences such as Armani / Ristorante.
Image from Armani.com
Armani/Ristorante opened in December 2024 at 760 Madison Avenue, inside Giorgio Armani's New York flagship.
The space features the brand's signature understated elegance—forest green banquettes, eucalyptus wood, and soft gray tones.
The menu blends traditional Italian cuisine with a modern sensibility, paired with an extensive wine list.
It's fine dining that feels distinctly Armani: refined, minimal, and quietly luxurious.
Moodboard
AI Persona
Features
User Tasks
Testing
User Testing
Takeaways
Continuous listening would significantly improve the experience
Re-tapping during a conversation caused consistent friction across all three users
The VUI needs a way to signal when it hasn't understood something, so users know to repeat themselves rather than waiting in silence.
In real world setting, some kind of starter prompt or visual cues would be necessary since most users wouldn't know how to initiate without a clear prompt
Imporvements
Overall the concept works well for first time guests who are unfamiliar with the menu, having something to guide you through the options feels natural in that context. In the future it would be worth improving AURI by adding a continuous listening feature and adding some kind of prompt to help users know how to start the conversation.
Conclusion
Overall the concept works well for first time guests who are unfamiliar with the menu, having something to guide you through the options feels natural in that context. In the future it would be worth improving AURI by adding a continuous listening feature and adding some kind of prompt to help users know how to start the conversation.