Sina Kahen is a positive and energetic guy. 

Only once during his podcast interview does he express exasperation. And that’s when he thinks about businesses wanting a chatbot or voice interaction interface without considering the reasons why.

Sina is a voice strategist and owner of voice strategy consultancy Vaice. Based in the U.K., Sina is big on understanding the ‘Why’ behind a business's desire to implement a voice interface.

Voice interfaces aren’t the cure to everything

“Some businesses do think that voice is the cure to everything,” he observes. 

“It kind of reminds me of when the microwave came out. It was like: ‘You don’t need an oven, you don’t need fire anymore. Just chuck it in the microwave and it will do everything.”

Sina says that many businesses think this way because the voice community initially pushed the voice-first message. Not web first, not mobile first, but voice first. 

...

What makes a great conversational interface? 

Keri Roberts is uniquely qualified to answer this question. She is a branding specialist and content marketing professional who also develops conversational interfaces. 

With Keri’s expertise in branding, she is able to quickly identify a brand’s voice and how that voice can be best presented in an interface.

Culture and the human element

Keri says she has spoken to others in conversation design and one of the things that comes up often is cultural nuances and differences in languages. 

“This is a big reason why people who are in linguistics come into conversational design – this idea that you could say something in English and say it in Japanese, for example, and you're saying the same thing but the tones are different,” she explains. 

“With your interface, if it's something that is speaking, does it have that tone correct?” she asks. “We're really thinking about not...

If you have a left-brain-right-brain thing happening, a way of thinking that allows you to engage creatively and logically - chances are you will excel at conversational design, also known as voice interaction design.

Many people who enter that conversational design have the advantage of left-brain-right-brain thinking, although this isn’t essential to succeed in this field. .

Most of all, Curiosity is the key to success for a career in conversational design, says Rebecca Evanhoe, a conversational designer based in Brooklyn, New York. 

“Be curious and be interested in teaching yourself,” she says.

Be curious and love learning

In a recent podcast interview, Rebecca said: “An example of that is I don’t have a linguistics background. I never studied it, but it’s really important to understand how people talk to each other, so that’s something I have studied on my own.”

Rebecca’s career in voice tech began with a plane trip from...

Did you know people are hard-wired to anthropomorphize?

It’s true. I usually talk to my plants. I will say something like “Tommy, you look stylish today.” That’s a compliment I bestow on my finest-looking tomatoes. “Buds, did you miss me?” I ask my basil sprouts. When one of them slows down or seems on the verge of dying, I ask them, “What’s your issue?”

Photo from Pixabay

There is a perfectly rational explanation for our tendency to anthropomorphize. Not only is it reasonable, but it’s also intelligent.

When we anthropomorphize inanimate objects — naming cars, seeing faces in street signs, greeting our couches and beds — we are forming bonds with them, impressing our concept of bonding onto them. It is the same reason that we will describe a dog as “friendly” and a storm of “vengeful.” We ask our lawnmowers why they always have to aggravate us, and we wonder how snow always...

The Digital Assistant Academy launches its first ever course in October - Voice Interaction Design. 

The Academy’s founder, Shyamala Prayaga, says its launch signifies an exciting news step forward in the world of conversational design and voice technology.

“Wherever you are in your career, you’ve decided to take a big step, learn some new skills and position yourself to take advantage of the growing opportunities in voice design,” she said. 

A standardized approach to voice interaction design

“Perhaps you want to design for some of the most well-known companies on the planet. Maybe you want to start your own design business. Whatever your dream is, the Digital Assistant Academy can help.”

There are some important reasons behind the Academy’s launch. Currently there is no standardized approach to courses available for voice interaction design. The Academy has worked hard with key people in industry to create a standardized...

The Digital Assistant Academy’s very first course, entitled Voice Interaction Design, launches in October, 2020.

This ground-breaking learning opportunity is a self-paced course with access to ongoing support. It allows you to become a Certified Voice Interaction Designer.

Demand for voice technologies has never been greater, and there is a real need for qualified voice interaction designers who can address every aspect of the voice technology design process.

The Digital Assistant Academy is founded by Shyamala  Prayaga, a voice technology thought-leader with more than 20 years experience in the industry. Shyamala has designed for mobile, web, desktop, and voice-based interfaces.

By taking the Voice Interaction Design course, you will access all of Shyamala’s knowledge and experience as a thought leader and influencer in the world of voice technology. And you will learn voice interaction design from active industry leaders and practitioners!

Pre-registration course...

Meet Your New Assistant

The New Species among Us

Bot: Hello, Stacy, I am Ava, your museum assistant. I can provide museum information and book tickets, among other things. How can I help you today?

User: I need to book tickets.

Bot: Okay, I can help you with that. How would you like to book your tickets: online or at the museum?

User: Online.

Bot: Got it. Online tickets for how many people?

User: Two adults, two kids.

Bot: Okay. Your total for two adults and two kids tickets to the museum would be $55.60. Do you want me to proceed?

User: Yes

Bot: You got it! I have booked your museum tickets for two adults and two kids. Your tickets will be in your inbox shortly. Is there anything else I can help you with?

User: Can you give me some info about kid-friendly exhibits?

Bot: Absolutely. We have many kids friendly exhibits. The top ones are bird world, discovery center, and nanotechnology. Do you want more information on any of these?

User: Can you tell me more about nanotechnology?...

What Is a Digital Assistant?

A digital assistant is also called a virtual digital assistant or a mobile assistant. It is a computer program that performs basic tasks and answers to the queries of the user. With the advancement in the world of the internet, people are using different digital assistants on Smartphones, such as Siri on iPhones and iPads, Mycroft or Google assistant on Android smartphones, and Bixby on Samsung phones. Voice-enabled smart speakers like Google Home and Amazon Echo are examples of a digital assistant. People who are using computers and have installed Window 10, they must be familiar with Cortana. Cortana is Microsoft's digital assistant for computers. 

Rise of the Digital Assistant Domains

More than 4.1 billion users around the world are using chat and instant messaging apps. In the past, people were using these digital assistants at homes or cars, but in recent years, the digital assistant has become part of customer care and call centers. The reason...