Some Challenges to Designing for Voice

As opportunities to use VUI expand, challenges are inevitable as are questions.

 

Accessibility

What does accessibility mean when it comes to voice experiences? What are the considerations for those who cannot speak or whose speech does not interact well with VUI? What about those with hearing loss?

 

Platforms

Much like the future of streaming video services, will the future be cross device? Cross platform? Or will it be siloed by a vendor?

 

Privacy/Security

What information are these platforms gaining and gathering? What is the expectation for privacy? Voice is a biometric identifier unique to each person. Can it be compromised on these platforms? How will data be secured?

 

Limitations

What are the limitations of the experience? The devices? The platforms? Just as there are some things that can be done via conversation and some that require other interaction methods, there will be limitations on what these can offer, even as technology improves.

 

Regulation

What is the regulatory environment like or projected to be? Is government even watching? Should it be?

As with any new technology, we can expect more questions as VUI improves and advances. While some questions we can anticipate, many more will only be revealed through use and experience.