The Future of Voice User Interface
When I was in high-school, I had a computer science teacher who claimed he couldn’t read unless it was code. And every year, countless skeptical students would try to “trap” him into admitting that he was lying. Unfortunately, they were all unsuccessful.
To this day, I still have no idea what to think of it. Holding up that facade was impressive — but what’s more impressive is how much voice user interfaces have evolved to accommodate so much of everyday life. He could send and read emails, (apparently) grade assignments, and complete most of his tasks without reading. This is a huge development; maybe not for computer science teachers trying to pull a ruse, but for society as a whole and especially the visually impaired.
VUI comes up in daily life more than we think. Currently, the speech and voice interface market sector is on track to hit $24.9 billion by 2025. Top companies are continuing to look for ways to make their voice interfaces and AIs even more intuitive.
This is especially important for instances where it is actually safer to use voice command devices, like while driving or completing an activity that requires a lot of attention. Having the option to tell Siri to send a text or make a call deters people from dangerous behavior such as texting and driving. In many cases, it can also be faster and more efficient. Smart devices and IoT applications can adjust temperatures, turn off lights, and complete general house maintenance with a simple command.
However, VUI has its pitfalls for both designers and users. Designers must be very specific about providing a user with clearly defined interaction options and functionalities. Since there is little to no reliance on visual feedback, users must know all of their options and how to exit a service without being bombarded with information. If you have ever had to call customer service and repeat your options to a confused bot, you may understand the frustrations of a poorly designed VUI.
Designing VUI also requires a high level of proficiency in understanding human conversation and interaction. One of the biggest obstacles in VUI is making these virtual assistants understand all of the nuances of human language. Slang, implied context, and colloquial phrases are too advanced for many virtual assistants to pick up on. We often have to “dumb down” or simplify the language we use if we want Siri and Alexa to understand.
“This is why designing the product in such a simple, almost featureless form is important — to keep the user mindful that the two-way ‘human’ conversation is infeasible.” — Voice User Interfaces
Google has released a guide to help developers navigate the trickiness of designing a smooth conversation/interaction between users and their devices. Outside of being cognizant of these nuances, designers also have to be very purposeful about the “persona” that they give to these assistants.
Psychologically speaking, VUIs can be more effective than regular interfaces because they are more personable. We’re all familiar with how entertaining it can be to converse with Siri when we’re bored. Many of these assistants have been programmed to have humorous responses. People sometimes even feel more of a connection with their VUI, and may be more forgiving if there are technological errors or delays. Of course, the darker side of VUI is privacy concerns. Users are becoming increasingly worried about how many private conversations and data are being stored when these devices idly listen for catchphrases like “Hey Alexa”.
Like most of the UX industry, designing VUIs comes with a set of problems and technicalities that most people may not recognize. We don’t often think about how these interfaces were designed to appear more “human” and relatable to us. The future of VUI is exciting, especially when so much of our media is dominated by these dystopian-esque assistants that can take on the roles of a secretary, friend, and companion in one (think Jarvis, Monday and Karen in the Marvel Cinematic Universe). But outside of the sci-fi aspect of VUIs, their ability to create a more “human” experience opens a whole new world of opportunities. As designers, this is the ultimate goal: reinventing the user experience in a way that is efficient, effective, and enjoyable.
Mr. C, if you’re listening to this through Cortana, thank you for the inspiration!
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