Here at the Guardian, we’ve been exploring content and apps built for voice-first digital assistants while we develop early ideas for our own work.
Article was originally posted on Guardian.com: https://www.theguardian.com/info/2018/nov/16/a-beginners-guide-to-designing-for-digital-assistants
Maybe you’ve explored the developers’ docs online and watched a few videos. But if you’re new to the world of voice, what else can you do to get up to speed? If you’re thinking about designing a voice project for the first time, here are five tips on how to get started.
1. Get an assistant
It might sound obvious but you’ll need to invest in at least one of the major platforms. Google and Amazon have the largest market share so consider picking up one of the economical Google or Amazon devices, such as the Home Mini or Echo Dot.
Need an even cheaper option? Don’t forget, most of you will already have access to digital assistants via your phones either on Android with the Google Assistant or with Siri on iOS. It’s also possible to download the Google Assistant on iOS or you can check out Alexa by downloading the app for iOS or Android.
Research suggests people often first talk to an assistant after buying a smart speaker and then become more likely to look for more places to continue to interact with it like a smartphone. And remember, some of these other devices have screens.
2. Master the basics
Nothing can replace hands-on experience to build your understanding of how assistants can fit into your daily life. Try out the core abilities of your assistant, such as listening to music or playing a podcast. Build a routine or a habit around your usage.
Stumped for what to try? Check out this Edison Research to see what people are doing with these devices. Here are some common tasks people perform:
- Get a sports score or update.
- Get the traffic.
- Add an item to your to-do list.
- Receive reminders.
- Check the time (we know.)
Don’t forget to take time to use the companion apps for Google Home or Alexa. Make sure you set up default providers for things like music and news. Both apps have significantly improved over the years and can unlock richer and more nuanced functionality. You’ll start to understand what digital assistants are good at and maybe even more importantly, where they are lacking.
3. Explore third-party actions and skills
Once you’ve explored the basics, it’s time to try out what other people are making for these platforms.
Explore third-party “skills” (for Amazon Alexa) or “actions” (for Google Assistant) There’s nothing to install, simply use the requisite command to launch the skill or action usually by saying “Hey Google, talk to [THE NAME OF THE ACTION].”
- Hidden Cities
- Small Foot
- Finding Dolores
When inside an action, notice how you are made to feel involved in the experience and how the designer has structured key functions. Is there a menu? Does the action just start? Is there music? What are the small design details that contribute to the overall user experience?
When inside an action, notice how you are made to feel involved in the experience and how the designer has structured key functions. Is there a menu? Does the action just start? Is there music? What are the small design details that contribute to the overall user experience?
4. Find the easter eggs
Discovering the capabilities of these devices is still a challenge for most people. There are loads of less obvious things you can do with them.
We’ve been trying out trivia games like Fun Tricks. It will show you what is possible with the voice-match feature to have several players in a gameshow scenario. If you’re musically inclined, try out something like the “tune your guitar” function. Give a classic game like Mad Libs or Tic-tac-toe a go. Or use the camera to have the assistant on your phone to identify dogs or plants.
These are just some of the hidden functions found within the assistants. What others are out there? How would you even find new ones? Are they useful or just a novelty?
5. Learn the lingo
Decoding the differences between “utterances”, “intents” and “entities” can be tricky. It’s a whole new dictionary of terms to talk about and feel comfortable with. Learn them, use them and design for them. Having these shared terms will allow you to work out user journeys and work with your team to get the best out of designing your action.
Remember to use the right terminology for the right platform. Here’s a roughy mapping between the different terms from Google and Amazon: We hope this helps you get started designing for the world of digital assistants. There is lots to take in but you’ve got to start somewhere. For more insights you might want to follow our weekly blog entries on our journey to design for the Assistant platform.
