Voice First Use Cases
Ahmed Bouzid
Helping senior living communities leverage cutting edge technology safely and cost effectively.
This document is a work in progress and is meant to compile a running list of use cases where the Voice First Conversational interface is the best interface fit for the use case. (For some context, please read, "Voice First Suck!")
If you have a use case where value can be delivered best, or a problem can be solved most effectively, using Voice First, please send me an email to via [email protected], detailing your use case using the following simple process:
- Clearly identify your target primary user.
- Clearly identify what problem you are solving for them, or what value you intend to deliver to them.
- Provide additional context that may be relevant to the delivery of the experience.
- For your use case, for each of the 6 dimensions below, answer with “Yes,” “No” or “Not relevant” and provide a brief explanation of your answer. Add 1 point if it’s a “yes,” subtract 1 point if it’s a “no”, and add nothing if it’s “not relavant”. Then tally up your score.
Here are the 6 dimensions:
- The user needs to respond quickly (Time Sensitivity)
- The user needs to listen carefully (Attention)
- The user needs to speak loudly (Speaking up)
- The user needs to enunciate clearly (Enunciating)
- The user needs to remain focused (Focus)
- The user needs to be patient (Patience)
NB: A related but separate working thread, this one focused on Voice UX design, can be followed here.
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User Case 1 — Memorizing Facts
Contributor: Ahmed Bouzid.
Who is the primary target user?
The primary target user is a high schooler.
What problem are you solving for them?
We are helping them memorize a set of facts.
Additional context
The facts can be solicited by a simple verbal question and the answer to which can be given, wether by the assistant when in drill more or by the human when in quiz mode, by simply speaking.
Key Voice First Dimensions Fit
1.Time Sensitivity — The user needs to respond quickly
Yes. This is a quizzing and learning skill and the user is required to answer within a few seconds. The skill helps the user respond quickly.
2.Attention — The user needs to listen carefully
Yes. In order to answer the question, they need to listen carefully to what the assistant is saying. The skill helps the user build their listening muscles.
3. Speaking up — The user needs to speak loudly
Yes. The user is expected to bring energy to the interaction and to remain alert. Speaking up is a way to keep up the energy.
4. Enunciating — The user needs to enunciate clearly
Yes. The user is expected to be confident with their answers. The skill helps the user build their enunciation muscles and learn how to answer forcefully, even if they are not sure about their answer.
5. Focus — The user needs to remain focused
Yes. In order to learn and memorize, the user needs to listen carefully and remain focused. The skill helps the user build their focus muscles.
6. Patience — The user needs to be patient
Yes. To learn and absorb, the user need to be patient. One cannot learn in a hurry. The skill helps the user build their patience muscles.
Total Score: +6/6.
Video demo of an Alexa skill implementing this (more quizzing skills here):
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User Case 2— Seniors helping themselves
Contributor: Gildie Nazari
Who is the primary target user?
The primary target users are residents in assisted living facilities.
What problems are you solving for them?
Among other problems, we want the residents to be able to procure their own entertainment using the product.
Additional context
Please see the presentation of product along with a demo here (13 mins):
Key Voice First Dimensions Fit
1. Time Sensitivity — The user needs to respond quickly
Yes. Cognitive impairment tends to make people impatient, so they need a quick response. Given that voice assistants need the user to respond quickly, the user can train to respond quickly, since that they are motivated in procuring their own entertainment.
2. Attention — The user needs to listen carefully
Yes. Both the assistant and the user need to listen to each other. The assistant to provide the right experience with the least cognitive load. The user, in order to get to where they want to get.
3. Speaking up — The user needs to speak loudly
Yes. This is part of the training. Note, however, that users might not be able to speak as loudly and as clearly, given their physical condition. Additionally, the assistant needs to speak clearly and loudly.
4. Enunciating — The assistant needs to enunciate clearly
Yes. The users might not be able to enunciate as clearly, maybe because they have an accent, maybe because of some other impairments, but this will force them to enunciate.
5. Focus — The user needs to remain focused
Yes. This is part of the training.
6. Patience — The user needs to be patient
Yes. This is part of the training(see #1 above).
Total Score: +6/6.
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User Case 3— Daily Conversations with Patients
Contributor: Tomasz Jadczyk
Who is the primary target user?
The primary target user is a patient with cardiovascular disease
What problem are you solving for them?
CardioCube supports remote home monitoring of patients with chronic diseases to optimize long-term follow up and treatment.
Additional context
CardioCube is a voice-based AI system performing automated conversations with patients. It has a low barrier of entry for people of all ages and works on a variety of devices, from smartphones, desktops, to smart speakers. The AI system runs daily conversations asking patients sets of questions specific for the needs and treatment goals of a given patient. All patient answers are then analyzed and uploaded to the Virtual Care by the CardioCube platform or Electronic Health Record. Collection of high-quality medical data allows physicians to obtain up-to-date information about patient health status for better informed and faster decisions. Moreover, optimized patients’ treatment, lower amount of unnecessary ER visits and unplanned readmissions reduces costs for health systems. This module is most effective as an everyday companion helping to manage patients with heart failure and other chronic cardiovascular diseases.
Common use cases encapsulate:
- Clinical follow-up helping to evaluate and red-flag patients at-risk
- Symptom check-ins before visits optimizing outpatient logistics
- Preventive care with reminders to close care gaps and educate patients.
Here's a run down of CardioCude along the 6 dimensions:
1. Time Sensitivity — The user needs to respond quickly
Yes.
2. Attention — The user needs to listen carefully
Yes.
3. Speaking up — The user needs to speak loudly
Not relevant.
4. Enunciating — The assistant needs to enunciate clearly
Yes.
5. Focus — The user needs to remain focused
Yes.
6. Patience — The user needs to be patient
Not relevant.
+4/6 points
Ahmed Bouzid, previously Head of Product at Amazon Alexa, is Founder and CEO of Witlingo, Inc., a McLean, VA-based B2B Saas company that helps brands launch voice first solutions and experiences on platforms such as Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Samsung Bixby, and beyond.