VUI Design

Abstract

This project examines voice-based user interfaces (VUI) for information systems and the design challenges that they present. The architecture of a voice activated information system is complex and understanding human speech is no small task for a machine. However, the ability to identify the spoken word and produce text is largely a utility today; available freely in open source projects or baked into popular platforms. Thus, software developers find themselves with the means to build into their solutions another dimension of input mechanisms should they be able to wield it. To explore the design challenges that must be overcome once an application has finished listening, this project relies on two experiments to provide insight into how domain and context shape natural language understanding and drive human interactions by a machine. In the process, implications for future systems and potential interactions will be uncovered and discussed