About me @VoiceflowHQ | #VFJUG Kuniaki Shimizu (@kun432) ● Freelance Infrastructure engineer ● Kobe, Japan ● Kubernetes/AWS/Terraform, etc. ● 4 years experience of Voiceflow ● attend/organize communities ○ #VoiceLunchJP ○ #AAJUG (Amazon Alexa Japan User Group) ○ #VFJUG (Voiceflow Japan User Group)
『Voiceflow ＆ VUI』 ● first Voiceflow fan book in Japan ● A wide range of topics covered: Introductory/intermediate/advanced, prototyping, VUI design, IoT/cloud integration, and more! ● Authored by Top VUI professionals in Japan ● Including preface by Voiceflow officially! Price: 1500JPY @VoiceflowHQ | #VFJUG *End of sales, sorry.
Updates 2022 @VoiceflowHQ | #VFJUG ● Voiceflow is evolving soooo fast! ● Wil introduce some of the major new features/changes released in 2022 (as an User)
@VoiceflowHQ | #VFJUG Disclaimer ● Information in this document is as of the beginning of December 2022. It may be subject to change in the future. ● The information is based on my personal research. Please note that the contents may be incomplete or wrong.
@VoiceflowHQ | #VFJUG New Features/Changes in 2022 1. New User Interface 2. User Persona 3. Web Chat Project 4. Custom NLU for custom assitant *Based on https://www.voiceflow.com/category/product-release *There are more!
@VoiceflowHQ | #VFJUG 1. New User Interface Challenge of GUI: ● Lots of blocks, lots of lines... ● Unmanageable when project is large/complex ● Similar/same blocks in multiple places
@VoiceflowHQ | #VFJUG 1. New User Interface ● make it even easier for designers to design. ● My favorites ○ Actions ○ Topics / Components / Libraries ● Important changes for Alexa
@VoiceflowHQ | #VFJUG Actions ● What we often do at a branch: ○ Change contexts for each branch ○ Set variables for each branch ● More branches, more lines and blocks. Repeat the same things for each branch. ● Using Actions, we can make these simple in 1 block!
@VoiceflowHQ | #VFJUG Topics/Components/Libraries feature meaning Use case: ex: banking app Topics Separate flows for each intent Keep each small and manageable. ● from the Main flow to… ・balance inquiry flow ・transfer flow Components Make typical/frequent processes into a re-usable component. *can call it anytime. ● Initializing for API ● API requests ● result dialog Libraries Make typical/frequent processes into a re-usable component. *can copy it anytime. ● make basic API request process into a template. ● copy from its template and fix for each processes such as balance inquiry or transfer.
@VoiceflowHQ | #VFJUG Important Changes for Alexa ● Alexa-specific blocks and settings are sunsetting: ○ Purchase/Cancel（ISP） ○ Reminder ○ UserInfo ○ Permissions ○ Account Linking ○ Skill events… For these features, how can we implment?
@VoiceflowHQ | #VFJUG Alexa APIs by Amazon, IMO ● Before ○ each API for each feature. ○ the more features, the more “various” APIs. ○ need to implement differently for each block ● Now ○ seems to commonalize those into “Skill Connections” ○ A single endpoint, different JSON object for each feature. ○ Required user interactions and necessary processing outside of skills. ○ Skills just receive its response.
@VoiceflowHQ | #VFJUG Alexa APIs by Amazon, IMO ● Before ○ each API for each feature. ○ the more features, the more “various” APIs. ○ need to implement differently for each block ● Now ○ seems to commonalize those into “Skill Connections” ○ A single endpoint, different JSON object for each feature. ○ Required user interactions and necessary processing outside of skills. ○ Skills just receive its response. Directive Event
@VoiceflowHQ | #VFJUG ● Personalized conversation flow ○ I am using it for the first time / I have used it many times ○ I live in Tokyo / I live in Osaka ○ Today is my birthday/other than that ● need to test for each different condition set up user personas, then we can test specific conditions! 2. User Persona
@VoiceflowHQ | #VFJUG 3. Web Chat Project ● Quickly create a website-embedded chatbot using only Voiceflow! ○ Create a "Web Chat" type project ○ Create a conversation flow ○ HTML/JavaScript will be output ○ Just paste it into your website! Sooooo easy!!!
@VoiceflowHQ | #VFJUG 4. Custom NLU for custom assitants ● Can choose NLU for custom assitant ● Import/Export models and deploy for Dialogflow ES/CX. Import/Export models for others. ○ Voiceflow (default) ○ Dialogflow ES/CX ○ IBM Watson ○ Microsoft LUIS ○ Rasa ○ Salesforce Einstein ○ Amazon Lex ○ Nuance Mix
@VoiceflowHQ | #VFJUG 4. Custom NLU for custom assitants ● My favorite is Dialogflow ES/CX! ○ 1-click deploy ○ More Japanese-language support such as various and rich built-in entities. ○ Easy integrations with SNS, phone, web chat, etc using Dialogflow Integrations. ○ need GCP account and GCP usage fees.
@VoiceflowHQ | #VFJUG ● Actually, using Dialog Management API, we have been able to create Web chatbots ever. ● Dialog Management API ○ For custom assistant. ○ enable to access your conversational flow in Voiceflow via API. ● However… ○ need to code for frontend UI（JavaScript/CSS, etc） ○ need to code for backend app ○ CORS, Same-site Cookies, etc… Web Chat Project is easier than ever! About Web Chat Project and Dialog Management API
@VoiceflowHQ | #VFJUG ● OTOH, Dialog Management API expands the possibilities! ○ SNS bot (Slack/FB Messagener/MS Teams,etc) ○ Phone/IVR (Twilio) ○ Smartphone Apps, Web Apps, etc. ○ Enable to connect every interfaces to Voiceflow! ● 2 APIs for each use-cases ○ State API - simple and easy ○ Stateless API - enable to manage sensitive data on your own. About Dialog Management API, See Apendix. About Web Chat project and Dialog Management API
@VoiceflowHQ | #VFJUG ● State API ○ Request with User ID only. ○ Voiceflow manages conversational “State”. ○ Response varies everytime. ○ Simple and Easy. ● Stateless API ○ Request with whole “State” object. ○ manage conversational “State” on your own. ○ With same “State” object, always same response. ○ Enable to manage sensitive data on your own. Important for business use-cases. 2 APIs for Dialog Management API
Phone＋ Voice/Text converts @VoiceflowHQ | #VFJUG ex2: Phone/IVR Integrations (Twilio,etc) Customers IVR Platform/Phone Gateway Voiceflow Conversational Model Backend processes A P I API Access PaaS ASR+STT TTS State Data NLU/NLP, Backend processes
@VoiceflowHQ | #VFJUG ex3: Web Chatbot Integrations Customers Web site Voiceflow Conversational Model Backend processes A P I API Access PaaS INPUT RESPONSE Web Chatbot Ajax Client State Data NLU/NLP/ Backend Processses
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