Principles of conversational experience design
Conversational user experiences (CUX) let users interact with technology using natural language. CUX can be voice-based, text-based, or a combination of both. For some situations, CUX can be the most efficient, accessible, intuitive, and empathetic way to accomplish a task. It also offers a powerful way to help build trust with your users. In this article, you'll learn about the principles of great CUX and how they can make your product better.
Efficiency
Often, the fastest way to get something done is with natural language. Take setting an alarm. With a traditional clock app, users need to find and open the app, select a time, choose AM or PM, and save the new alarm. With CUX, they can just say, "Set an alarm for 8 AM."
Other tasks that involve commands or questions, like adjusting volume, turning on Bluetooth, setting reminders, or looking up a weather or traffic report, can also be simple hands-free experiences with CUX. Users don't need to search through menus or guess the right words to use.
When you design CUX for digital assistants, think about your user's most common questions and offer simple answers that help them achieve their goals quickly and efficiently.
Accessibility
CUX can make technology more accessible for everyone. A disability is a mismatch between a person and their environment. It can be situational, temporary, or permanent. Voice-driven CUX can match people's abilities with their environments when visual or tactile modalities aren't an option. For example, someone who is driving or cooking might use voice commands instead of touch screens. Someone who has limited mobility might use voice input instead of keyboards. Visual media in the form of images and videos can also enhance CUX by providing alternative ways to present information or feedback.
Intuitiveness
CUX can help users discover how to do something without knowing the exact steps beforehand. A well-designed CUX uses natural language processing to capture the user's intent and dialog design to guide the user through the task. For example, someone who wants to connect their new wireless headset but isn't familiar with Bluetooth can just say "Connect my headset" and the CUX walks them through the process. Another example is troubleshooting a problem. "I can't print" can lead to a conversation that helps users solve their problem without having to understand the technical details.
Empathy
CUX can create an emotional connection with users by acknowledging and responding to their feelings. Conversations are inherently emotional, even when users know they're interacting with something artificial, like an agent. In scenarios that deal with emotional situations, CUX can be a powerful way to honor people's emotional reality. For example, when a user feels frustrated or happy, CUX can use kind and careful language or positive reinforcement to support them. A thoughtfully designed CUX also considers linguistic and cultural context and creates an opportunity for users to feel respected as well as supported.
Trust
CUX can build trust with users by having a consistent and appropriate personality. Even if your CUX has no identity, name, or avatar, it still communicates through language. Language is inherently human, so it always conveys a persona. The quality of the persona's dialogue tells your user what to expect from your product or company.
An intentionally crafted persona communicates consistency, trustworthiness, and care. Even if your CUX is a sarcastic, belligerent crank with a cutting wit, as long as it's consistent with its personality, your users know how to communicate effectively and achieve their goals. Personality makes it easier to teach your user how to speak to your CUX and makes the experience more enjoyable.
Chit-chat is another way to show personality and build rapport with users. Chit-chat is casual conversation that doesn't necessarily relate to the task at hand, but rather allows users to get to know the personality of your CUX. A few well-chosen chit-chat scenarios can help establish loyalty and smooth over some of the inevitable errors in other conversational exchanges. Thoughtfully crafting the personality of your CUX gives you some control over how users respond to your experience and interact with your brand.