Conversation design is bridging the gap between humans and machines with a more personable approach to communicating with systems. Humans are able to interact with each other and find common ground in a simple conversation, so why can’t that be the premise for all digital systems that interact with humans?
Well, this is exactly what conversation design aims to achieve, with a language specifically designed to mimic and learn human behaviour in order to improve an experience.
Conversation design is articulately curated to enhance a user’s overall interaction with technology. Humans rely on technology for a number of reasons, and sometimes it can be a painful experience to endure. For example, chatbots on insurance or eCommerce websites often feel impersonal and annoying, which leaves a bad impression on the exchange and most often the feeling of distrust.
Conversation Design with Voice Assistants
On the other hand, voice assistants such as Alexa or Siri can add to a user’s experience with their natural language processing capabilities and their human-like responses.
Although Alexa and Siri aren’t perfect. They are some examples of how ubiquitous conversational systems are advancing in the right direction. With many faults in their responses such as the limited recall, both voice assistants have, making it a frustrating experience having to repeat yourself in order for the technology to really understand you.
Designers are a key factor in creating a more human experience with technology so that the exchange between systems and users becomes less robotic through conversation. As hand free tech is booming, that means the way we communicate and interact with technology is changing.
A good approach for conversation design would be to get multiple testers to go through a conversation and see what the common responses are. Then you can design the conversation out to follow common conversation paths.
Also, including replies that are human-readable. Being too technical could lose the customer's interest and understanding. So keep responses simple and with a bit of character.