Is conversation the right fit?
Voice interaction can be very powerful when used in the right way. It’s fast, simple, and ubiquitous. But was it just implemented in an application to have a nice voice interaction or is it really useful for the user and has a purpose, i.e. to let the user do things faster and easier? It is important to ascertain how users interact with the voice interface, so that the interaction can be optimized for their purpose. Perhaps it turns out that the implementation of a voice interface is not even necessary. Using the voice interface in a wrong way can quickly become depressing and a hurdle for the user.
How do users use your service?
This is a simple but important question. It can be assumed that handling a task via voice is easier and more intuitive than via text. However, it cannot be assumed that the service will automatically improve with a VUI.
There are important factors that may or may not persuade the user to use a VUI.
Inhibition threshold
One factor is the users inhibition threshold. Although VUIs are becoming more common, many users feel uncomfortable speaking loudly to a device in front of other people, in public places or even in their own private rooms. This is because this is not an everyday or familiar task for many.
Some users prefer text
Likewise, the forced use of voice can be annoying for some users, who usually prefer to communicate through text. They are used to it and this is their normal behaviour to communicate or interact with a device. They may not want to switch to using voice quickly, unless it offers a higher added value.
Privacy
User privacy or data protection is an old and yet omnipresent topic. If the user feels insecure about sharing personal details, it becomes difficult to convince the user to use the service. For example, sharing personal detail with a doctor is no big deal but what if the doctor is replaced by a VUI, i.e. using a health application. On the one hand, this can quickly become a hurdle, since the user does not trust an artificial doctor and, in the case of poor transparency, does not exactly know who he or she is sharing his personal data with.
Add value than just follow a trend
In addition to the mentioned factors above, there’s also to consider the usefulness of a VUI. Using voice isn’t always the best choice, especially in a work environment, it can be difficult to establish itself. Just imagine a large open-plan office, if every employee would operate their devices with voice, the chaos would be inevitable. But when used correctly, voice user interfaces offer added value.
Expressed in a very simple way. Texting while driving is a no-go, not the communication itself is bad, but use your hands while they should be on the steering wheel. This problem can be solved easily by using a VUI. Or another possibility can be an voice assistant in an operating room, instead of looking at specific needed screens and distracting themselves, the doctor can use the VUI to get help and information.
Counting taps
A simple test to determine the usefullness is to count how many taps a user needs to complete a task with and without a VUI. Let’s say the user wants to send a message to his friend. To do this, he or she will most likely need to do the following steps on a regular touch screen device:
- Unlocking the phone
- Open the messenger app
- Search for the friend’s name
- Tap on the name
- Enter the message
- Tap send
This is not really a bad thing and can already be a very quick way for some users to send messages. Voice could be an alternative, but would not be an optimal solution, since speaking a longer message would also be too tedious.
However, if we assume that the user wants to call their friend, this is a significant improvement because fewer steps would be required to continue the task.