Tomahawk Blog

Voice commands, the future or a bygone dream?

byMarij Beun

While talking to the computer used to be only possible in science fiction movies, today it is increasingly part of our reality. Giving voice commands to our mobile device is not something we are very surprised about these days. It once started as voice dialling for car drivers in traffic jams or waiting at traffic lights. Now voice command is widely promoted by electronics companies like Apple. Siri (Apple's virtual assistant) is already nicely integrated. All the "easter eggs" (hidden messages/jokes) have probably already been voiced. Just try "Knock knock" and "What's your favorite color?". The possibilities go beyond your mobile device these days, but is that already necessary?

How does voice command work on your website?

Not only your iPhone or iPad are equipped with a voice command feature, but Windows 10 with Cortana and Mozilla with web browser Firefox make it possible to work with voice recognition. Slowly but surely, moreandn more toolanden scripts are starting to appear, such as Annyang, that make voice recognition available on Web sites. These tools can be linked to Web sites without having to change much on site.

Optimizing the user experience

As a UX designer, I think voice commands could make significant contributions to the user experience of certain sites in the future, at least if you apply it intelligently. Despite being able to fill out entire forms with voice commands, we won't soon leave our bank account number to our dear Siri, nor will filling out exams and tax forms necessarily be faster. But with some sites, it can actually provide a delightful user experience. Consider "search for women's t-shirts size small," "children's clothing" or "Nike shoes for men" at Web shops like Bol.com. Should it be known in the search query that it is shoes for men, Bol.com will be able to display the resultsandn then ask what size you are looking for. This creates a conversation between the customeanden the online store so that as a user you remain involved in the process of purchasing. This combined with sitting on the couch with a driand en your TV as a display, clothes shopping becomes a relaxing activandy en takes on a new dimension.

The problem of current voice commands

The big problem with current voice commands is not the technology but the application, think for example:
The navigation: the time it takes to activate the correct link. Now all links are numbered where you have to list the correct number.
The ambient noise: giving commands outside or with music in the background is often awkward.
The limited number of applications on the Internet: right now it stops at search.
And the experience of the user in the present time, "Who talks to their computer, phone, glasses or watch?". It still feels a bit uncomfortableandn sometimes embarrassing.

Voice commands in the future

As Siri gains more and more new peers, it will also be more natural for voice recognition to become possible on more websitesandn the functionality of voice recognition tools will improveAndEn most things take getting used to, including talking to your computer or smartwatch, so the feeling of shame will disappeand en we will unabashedly order those cute new Nike's on the train via voice command. Until then, just enjoy "Knock Knock" jokes on your phone.