and service ideas from conception through launch. Along the way, partner with Member stations to create a more informed public, reaching them wherever they are.
have a "mute" button ▫ You can use WireShark to verify that nothing said while muted is sent to e.g. Amazon ▪ Very little data is stored on the device; virtually everything is processed & stored in the cloud ▪ Communication happens over HTTPS
heavily sandboxed ▫ As a developer, I have no control over what happens if my app is not in active use ▫ I get no information about e.g. how many people are in the room, which room, etc. ▫ By default, user data is anonymized
NPR" skill on Alexa for the first time. They are asked to choose a member station in their area. They specify the location "Seattle, Washington" and are given 3 stations to choose from. The user selects KUOW, which we save as their default station for return visits.
"Seattle, Washington") ▪ The search results ▪ The last thing the voice assistant said/asked ▪ The user's default station ▪ The number of times the user has accessed the app
data ▪ Don't ask for login where it's not required ▪ When using login, don't store account data ▫ Use access token to retrieve on demand ▪ Remove all remaining user data when a user uninstalls the app
continues to be the case, with adoption growing more quickly among that segment These devices are particularly appealing to parents/families, and that continues to be the case, with adoption growing more quickly among that segment. - NPR + Edison Research Smart Audio Report
Alexa while their 5-year-old child is playing in the room. They have to step out for a while to make a phone call. When they come back, Alexa is playing an episode of a podcast featuring curse words.
start of a story if it features e.g. strong language or disturbing content ▪ Always make it easy to skip or stop playing audio; don't interfere with the user's choice ▪ Overall, we don't specifically target this audience; our content is aimed at adults
not require login ▪ Avoid retaining user data longer than necessary ▪ Simplify your voice interactions; kids are not going to remember complex commands ▪ Reward good behavior like saying "please" and "thank you"
voice at both the device/user and app level ▫ 8 new app-level voices are part of an opt-in Developer Preview program ▪ Can be renamed ("wake word") ▫ Amazon, Echo, Computer
▪ Provides 8 voice options at the device/user level (not labelled by gender, offers a range of voices) ▫ Defaults to a female-sounding voice ▪ Provides 4 voice options at the app level ▫ Defaults to male ("Male 1")
locks you into a female voice ▪ Should we care about cross-platform consistency? ▪ The dilemma: NPR has already received its fair share of criticism for putting too many cis male voices on the air Our approach
▫ Record real voices representative of the diversity of your user base ▪ Otherwise, be conscious of perpetuating gender roles and stereotypes ▫ Don't make the assistant overly subservient
Research Smart Audio Report ▪ Finding Your Voice: Building Screenless Interfaces with Node.js (my talk at jsDay 2018) ▪ Talking Back To Your Radio: How We Approached Voice UI (npr.design) ▪ How To Prototype For Audio-Rich Voice Experiences Without Really Trying (npr.design)
Future) ▪ Alexa Skill Blueprints (Amazon) ▪ Conversation design (Google) ▪ Designing Voice Experiences (Smashing Mag) ▪ Intelligent Assistants Have Poor Usability: A User Study of Alexa, Google Assistant, and Siri (Nieman Norman Group)
not just an engineering challenge ▪ Think of it as another form of front-end design ▪ Test with a diverse set of real users ▪ Remember being in the home is a privilege ▪ Empower everyone on the team to speak up and weigh in on design decisions
xiehan
rrreeeyyy
estie
mikit
fullkaiten
blueb
hiyanger
akexorcist
kaminashi
cmusudakeisuke
ken5scal
lmi
onk
shlominoach
sugarenia
cromwellryan
aki_iinuma
afnizarnur
skipperchong
productmarketing
erikaheidi
trallard
chrislema
addyosmani
tammyeverts
