Designing Voice User Interfaces: Principles of Conversational Experiences

Voice user interfaces (VUIs) are becoming all the rage today. But how do you build one that people can actually converse with? Whether you’re designing a mobile app, a toy, or a device such as a home assistant, this practical book guides you through basic VUI design principles, helps you choose the right speech recognition engine, and shows you how to measure your VUI’s performance and improve upon it.

Author Cathy Pearl also takes product managers, UX designers, and VUI designers into advanced design topics that will help make your VUI not just functional, but great.

• Understand key VUI design concepts, including command-and-control and conversational systems
• Decide if you should use an avatar or other visual representation with your VUI
• Explore speech recognition technology and its impact on your design
• Take your VUI above and beyond the basic exchange of information
• Learn practical ways to test your VUI application with users
• Monitor your app and learn how to quickly improve performance
• Get real-world examples of VUIs for home assistants, smartwatches, and car systems

Cathy Pearl is Head of Conversation Design Outreach at Google. She's been designing and creating Voice User Interfaces (VUIs) for nearly 20 years and is passionate about helping everyone make the best conversational experiences possible. Previously, Cathy was VP of User Experience at Sensely, whose virtual nurse avatar helps people stay healthy. She has worked on everything from programming NASA helicopter pilot simulators to designing a conversational iPad app in which Esquire magazine's style columnist tells users what they should wear on a first date. She has an MS in Computer Science from Indiana University and a BS in Cognitive Science from UC San Diego.