The art of noise (keep talking)

Léonie Watson

The art of noise (keep talking)

BBC GAAD, London May 2019

Léonie Watson, TetraLogical

Keep talking

Voder synthesizer (1939)

Bell Labs IBM704 (1961)

Texas Instruments Speak & Spell (1978)

Mego Toy Corp 2-XL robot (1978)

DECTalk Text To Speech (TTS) synthesizer (1984)

Apple MacInTalk (1984)

Apple voice recognition (1993)

Dragon Naturally Speaking (1997)

Apple Siri (2011)

Microsoft Cortana (2014)

Amazon Echo (2014)

Google Now context awareness (2015)

Speech is powerful

We use speech to:

Speech is strange

We use:

Speech isn't always needed

We use:

Making synthetic speech sound human

Synthetic speech must be:

Formant synthesis

Concatenative synthesis

Parametric synthesis

Voice XML (1999)

Used to specify dialogues between humans and computers via voice browsers
w3.org/tr/voicexml21/

Speech Synthesis Markup Language (2004)

Used to define speech characteristics
w3.org/tr/speech-synthesis

CSS Speech module (2012)

Used for aural design of web content
w3.org/css3-speech

Web Speech API (2014)

Used to provide voice input and voice output for web applications
w3c.github.io/speech-api/webspeechapi.html

CSS Speech + Web Speech API demo

Inclusive Design Principles

Putting people first
Inclusive Design Principles logo
inclusivedesignprinciples.org

1. Provide comparable experience

Ensure your interface provides a comparable experience for all so people can accomplish tasks in a way that suits their needs without undermining the quality of the content.

Conversation transcripts

Provide a way to view the conversation in text

2. Consider situation

People use your interface in different situations. Make sure your interface delivers a valuable experience to people regardless of their circumstances.

Don't

User
"Open Learn About Tequila"
App
"Opening Learn About Tequila"
User
"Um..."

Do

User
"Open Learn About Tequila"
App
"You can learn about Joven, Blanco, or Reposado tequila. Which one do you want?"
User
"Reposado tequila please"

3. Be consistent

Use familiar conventions and apply them consistently.

Don't

User
"Initiate Flight Status and report on flight ZZ1050"
App
"Flight ZZ1050 is delayed due to system fault X32-G. Reposted time of departure is 15.30 hours"

Do

User
"Ask Flight Status about my flight to Amsterdam"
App
"Your flight from Bristol to Amsterdam is delayed due to a mechanical fault. It will now depart at 3.30pm"

4. Give control

Ensure people are in control. People should be able to access and interact with content in their preferred way.

Don't

User
"Ask the Tea Shop about the most popular teas"
App
"Here are the most popular teas:
1. English Breakfast
2. Darjeeling
3. Assam
4. Earl Grey"

Do

User
"Ask the Tea Shop about the most popular teas"
App
"The most popular tea is English Breakfast. Would you like to hear more?"
User
"Yes please"
App
"2. Darjeeling
3. Assam..."

5. Offer choice

Consider providing different ways for people to complete tasks, especially those that are complex or non standard.

Don't

User
"Order a milkshake from the Burger Place"
App
"You can order chocolate, strawberry, vanilla, banana, or peanut butter.
For chocolate say 'chocolate', for strawberry say 'strawberry'..."

Do

User
"Order a milkshake from the Burger Place"
App
"Would you like chocolate, strawberry, or another flavour?"
User
"Another flavour"
App
"There is also vanilla, banana, or peanut butter. Which would you like?"
User
"Peanut butter please"

6. Prioritise content

Help users focus on core tasks, features, and information by prioritising them within the content and layout.

Don't

User
"Open my Recipe Book"
App:
"You can add a recipe, delete a recipe, edit a recipe, find a recipe, or choose an ingredient. Which one do you want?"

Do

User
"Open my Recipe Book"
App
"Do you want to find a recipe, or something else?"

7. Add value

Consider the value of features and how they improve the experience for different users.

Don't

User
"Ask Score Keeper for an update on the Bristol game"
App
"Bristol 35 - 20 Harlequins
Time remaining 00:30:30"

Do

User
"Ask Score Keeper for an update on the Bristol game"
App
"With 35 minutes to go, the score is Bristol 35, Harlequins 20"

Privacy

Can we make conversations with technology private?

Security

How do we secure our conversations with technology?

Identity

How do we identify ourselves in conversation with technology?

Trust

What happens if the speaking technology is too convincing?

Keep talking (with technology)