To those in the know, VUI is pronounced
“vooey,” and it stands for voice user interface. It even has its own bad joke.
Because voice control lacks a screen, there’s nothing to touch or look at. It’s
an interface without a “face.”
If you think it’s a gimmick, however, think
again. The promise of VUI is huge. If we create intelligent auditory interfaces
that understand speech and context, we’ll be able to deliver what people ask
for, hands-free, and with almost no effort.
Of course, we aren’t there yet, but we also
aren’t as far away as you might think. Wolfram, Siri, Watson, Alexa and Google
Assistant all have VUIs that are starting to make conversational computing
possible. But much like people, they are not the same, and we should know the
differences between them if we want to understand the best practices for them
as a whole.
For a quick breakdown, Siri and Wolfram are
step-siblings with a shared lineage. Both are glorified search bars that serve
users by supplying answers to queries. Siri can take on extra tasks by
accessing other apps and software development kits (SDKs), but everything else
becomes a web search.
Next, we have the conversationalists —
Alexa and Google Home — both of which power numerous devices and applications.
These two can, to a limited degree, talk to you and provide functionality. They
both adeptly handle search, play audio and answer questions in a conversational
way. That said, there are several differences between them. Alexa currently has
an SDK and is open to third-party developers, while Google plans to do the same
soon. Google Home can use its understanding of data to be personalized and
predictive. Alexa is not as user-centric and doesn't rely on that type of
personalization.
Moving forward, we should expect VUIs to
become both more conversational and widespread. This brings up the inevitable
question: How can brands get into the act? How do we make experiences that are
useful and wanted, rather than annoying?
Here we have an emerging set of guidelines
requiring that any assistant be conversational, natural, simple and habitual.
Conversational
Human beings do not usually dictate, they
converse. As a result, brands should work toward making the tone of their
interactions informal and conversational while not straying too far from the
personality of the assistant itself. The more you make users deviate from their
normal conversational patterns, the more clunky the interaction will be.
In addition, you have to remember the limits
of conversational interaction. “Seven, plus or minus two” is how renowned
psychologist George Miller put it in his classic research paper.
We only have a limited number of things we can keep in mind, so individual
answers to queries or interactions shouldn't be too long.
Natural
Most VUIs require some unnatural
communication, like a wake word, so that they know they’re being spoken
to. However, you should make sure that your application allows users to make
requests that are as natural as possible. You shouldn't only account for the
most common way people ask for something, but also as many variations and word
combinations as you can find. If you ask an app to show you a recipe for
chicken à la king, it should show you one. But if you say, “Tell me how to make
chicken à la king,” or “Find me Chef John’s chicken à la king,” both
of those should work too.
Simple
We all take a mental leap when we talk to a
computer, undergoing a training phase in which we learn how to use an app.
That’s why great voice apps always start out simple, doing one thing well.
Then, with every iteration or upgrade, you can add a new function. It’s a
"crawl walk run" mentality. And remember: Even as an app grows
increasingly complex, information hierarchies should remain shallow, as users
can easily get lost.
Habitual
Because your app is "invisible,"
it can easily be forgotten. Instead, make it something people want to use every
day. The list skill on Alexa works well because it is something you might
constantly use.
Creating an interface without a face may
seem a complex undertaking, but with good experience design and a willingness
to take baby steps, we’ll be well on our way to reaching the full potential of
VUI. We'll one day be able to give orders, receive information and get things
done effortlessly. For now, let’s work together and work smart, one app at a
time.
#MobileMarketing #Application
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