User research and voice

Voice interaction technology has come a long way since Apple first introduced us to Siri in October 2011. However, the design of voice-based products and services is still largely driven by technological capabilities, rather than guided by user needs. There's an opportunity to understand how we could enhance people's lives and support their behaviours using these emerging technologies. This event will include talks that uncover how researchers are currently conducting user research for voice interactions, contextual and cultural differences around the world for voice interactions, and the role of voice interaction in the future.

Researching voice in the kitchen by Tom Walker (@WalkerUXRanger)
Tom will talk about how he led one of the very first research journeys into voice assistants for BBC UX&D, outlining the team's approach and method, what worked and what didn't. He’ll be openly sharing the mistakes they made early on which in turn helped them learn and discovered ways around them. As well as telling his research story, Tom will be demonstrating two quick and easy methods for prototyping and testing with voice assistants that anyone can replicate. Be warned, there will be audience participation.

The Power of Speech: the benefits and drawbacks of voice interfaces, by Tom Hoy (@thoy)
Voice is simultaneously one of our newest and oldest forms of interaction. The familiarity a voice interface provides is a great opportunity, but also give rise to its greatest tensions. Drawing on his experience of studying voice interfaces around the world Tom Hoy will share ethnographic insights into the benefits and drawbacks of platforms like Alexa, Siri and Google Assistant as experienced by people today. He will use these contemporary observations as a starting point for a wider discussion on the role voice might play in people’s lives in the future.

Talking with machines? — Voice UI and conversation design by Stuart Reeves (@5tuartreeves)
Is talking with Amazon Echo really much like an actual conversation? Stuart will use audio recordings of Echo actual use in the home to explore just how people ‘talk’ with machines. There is much excitement about conversation as a new material for design, driven in part by the increased accessibility of voice user interfaces and commoditisation of AI techniques. As part of increased adoption, devices like the Amazon Echo, Google Home and Siri are providing platforms for designers to interact with users in new ways. In spite of this (often hyped) anticipation of an AI-powered future, it is not always clear how the vision measures up to lived reality of ‘having a conversation’ with machines. Stuart will offer a window into work being done at the University of Nottingham that is empirically examining how voice UIs like the Amazon Echo actually come to be used in social settings.

Speaker bios: (https://www.meetup.com/researchthing/pages/26046425/Speakers_for_User_Research_and_Voice/)

Event schedule:

• 6:30pm: Doors open

• 6:30 - 7:00pm: Networking time

• 7:00pm: Welcome from the Research Thing

• 7:10 - 8:30pm (approx): Talks and Q&A

• 8:30 - 9:00pm: Networking time

We look forward to seeing you at this event!