Voice user interface design or VUI is one of the fastest evolving UX trends of these past years. After keyboards and touchscreens, a new way to interact with the devices of today has come into play. But what does this all entail e how can a company benefit from implementing a voice user interface design? How does a UX agency create a quality VUI?
Read on and find out in this article about the benefits of using a voice user interface!
Voice user interface design – What is it?
A voice user interface allows people to interact with their devices or an app by issuing voice commands. Essentially, it has turned speech into a new way of interacting with technology. This has broadened the way companies can shape their user experience, providing new and immersive ways for their target audience to interact with their digital products.
The most popular examples include Google Assistant, Alexa from Amazon, Cortana from Microsoft, and Siri from Apple.
How are voice user interface design and user experience (UX) related?
Voice user interface design is also a service that companies can request from UX agencies. UX design focuses on researching user needs in order to create seamless and enjoyable interactions with websites and other digital products. This plays a key role in customer satisfaction, which in turn increases customer acquisition and retention rate. This means UX design is directly related to increasing your conversion rate – turning visitors into loyal customers.
Voice user interface design was also born of such a user need that needed to be met. In the 21st century, people are surrounded by screens all day, every day, whether it’s for work or entertainment purposes. While it is a natural part of technological progress, this has led to screen fatigue among many users. This was only further exacerbated during the years of the Covid pandemic when a lot of people couldn’t leave their homes and had to rely on screens even more.
Voice user interface design – What benefits can I expect from implementing it?
The benefits of a quality voice user interface design are perfectly in line with the benefits of a good UX design: increased customer acquisition and retention, reduced bounce rates, an extra edge in setting you apart from the competition, and a way to directly support your business goals.
Of course, this means you have to be able to offer VUI as a viable alternative to your users There are quite a few reasons why certain people may be more receptive to a voice user interface design.
Here are some of the main benefits your potential customers may perceive:
- Ease of use. Speech is a basic form of communication, and getting to operate a device through voice commands can feel much more instinctive compared to typing or touch screens. For some users, it is simply more practical.
- Accessibility. Offering a voice user interface to your target audience also makes your digital product more accessible to children, the elderly, those who are visually impaired and even people with special needs.
- Speed. A deciding factor in the 21st century – the fastest users can find a solution to their problem, the better. Voice commands can be much faster than typing, allowing users to spend even less time formulating their queries.
- No eye contact needed. Another notable benefit for your users is that they don’t need to give their constant attention to the screen to issue a voice command. This makes it much easier for them to multitask in situations where reaching for their phone or table would be impractical (e.g. housework) or even dangerous, such as driving.
- An alternative solution to screen fatigue. Since users don’t need to look at the screen of the device they are using during voice commands, this can help alleviate the screen fatigue many people are feeling in the digital age.
- Shared use. Products that rely on voice user interface design can be accessed by more than one user at a time.
- Fun factor. An often underrated factor, but this is also what UX design is all about – providing users with a memorable and enjoyable user experience. VUIs can play a great role in making your platform more fun to use for your target audience, which will only help the image of your brand.
How does a UX agency create a quality voice user interface design your company can benefit from?
Creating a quality voice user interface design is a complex project that requires the input of experts from various fields. A UX agency is responsible for managing such a team and conducting appropriate research to map out the needs of your users.
In practice, this means creating customer and brand personas, the tone of voice, writing dialogue trees and storyboards, and more.