Develop a standard onboarding pattern for GitLab Duo Chat features

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Context

This issue is a follow-up to #473396 (closed), which proposes standardizing the CTAs that open Duo Chat in GitLab.

Problems to solve

• Users are not enticed to engage with AI features because:
  • Feature CTAs are the wrong place or otherwise not discoverable (no onboarding, etc) (partially assumption, partially evidence-backed: discoverability RCA, discoverability findings in heuristic evaluations)
  • Users are not enticed to try AI features because they don’t know what it would do for them or how it fits in their workflows, users do not have time to investigate new features (UXR)
  • Users don't know what will happen when they click the CTA because we don't always do a good job of setting expectations (assumption)

Vision

• Develop a standard onboarding and discoverability UI treatment for GitLab Duo Chat CTAs in GitLab, including: which components to use, visual treatment, UI copy guidelines, etc.
• Conduct solution validation on proposed onboarding pattern
• Document outcome of this issue as a consumable for designers:
  • Increase efficiency in designer workflow, each designer does not need to invent their own onboarding
  • Increase consistency in the product, users learn this onboarding pattern will open the chat
  • Increase engagement with AI features through higher discoverability and learnability

Rough proposals

The rough proposals are shown on this issue to visually illustrate the intention of the issue and spark discussion. ⚠️ These are not real designs ⚠️

Proposal option 1

Use the same onboarding pattern on every chat CTA. Use existing onboarding pattern, e.g. blue dot + popover:

Proposal option 2

Consider a unique repeating element across multiple pages that triggers GitLab Duo Chat.

Click to see more details about proposal option 2

• UI component would be highly visible initially, for initial discoverability
• After some time, the component would be removed from the UI and the CTA would be more subtle.

Examples