You talk into the air and stuff happens
That’s pretty cool, right?
But not everything makes sense to do with voice
A bad GUI is hard to use, but a bad VUI isn’t used at all.
Imagine trying to read a website through a straw—mentally
processing an audio signal feels a lot like that.
~Daniel Padgett,Google
Machines know everything, right?
We are all – by any practical definition of words – foolproof and
incapable of error.
~ HAL2001: A Space Odyssey
So, when is voice the best choice?
things that make voice a good choice8
When you’re giving people something they need
A gopher A teacherA personal assistant
Entertainment A bouncer
A secretary
1
When voice is a good choice: 1 of 8
When using your voice makes a task easier
My hands are full or covered in
gunk
I need to keep my eyes on
something else
I ’m in the middle of a bunch of
stuff
I ’m with other people and we want
to know something
I have an impairment
(temp or permanent)
2
When voice is a good choice: 2 of 8
When you can personalize the experience
Will it be a logged in experience?Being able to remember preferences will save users
from having to repeat information every time they speak to the bot.
3
When voice is a good choice: 3 of 8
Johnnie Walker recently launched a skill that takes you on a guided whiskey tasting.
4 When you can deliver content people enjoy
Just tell Alexa which scotch you’re drinking, and she tells you all about it, walking you through
sipping, adding drops of water, and appreciating the various flavors and aromas.
When voice is a good choice: 4 of 8
When you can build empathy through your brand personality
More than just a voice; your bot is a character that engages your customers and embodies the brand values of your organization.
5
A rich and detailed personality makes your voicebot more• approachable • believable• relevant
When voice is a good choice: 5 of 8
The bot’s personality will affect its behavior across the board
• How it asks questions • How it copes with errors• How it provides help
• How it handles the unknown
When you can include a human in the loop
Even the most advanced bot will be stumped by some responses or requests.
You need to build loops that can also include a human assistant, if needed.
That’s lame. I ’m going to
sue you guys!
6
When voice is a good choice: 6 of 8
When you can combine it with a visual interface
Users tend to trust a system far more if they receive feedback and confirmation
through a more visual channel.
7
When voice is a good choice: 7 of 8
Voice + visual = reassurance
When you have the right resources to devote to it
• Someone who can write• Someone who can design for voice• Someone who can analyze the data• Someone who can train the model
Love your copywriters &
content strategists.
~John Maeda, Automatic
8
When voice is a good choice: 8 of 8
So, start with your customer
What else might they
doing at the same time?
What do they want or need? Where are
they when they want it? What info will
they need to provide?
Consider common “placeonas”
Library =
hands free eyes free
voice restricted ears free
Cooking =
hands dirtyeyes freeears freevoice free
Socializing =
hands free eyes free ears
busy voice busy
Driving =
hands busyeyes busyears free
voice free
And, focus on experiences that make sense for your customers in their lives
People will use what does and avoid what doesn’t.
Questions?
Carol Valdez [email protected]