Sound Barriers
Sound Barriers is an open research project publishing an initial industry analysis in September 2009.
It seems that speech recognition technology, may have come of age as there are more and more applications and services accessed via voice or speech on the market. Yahoo! oneSearch, Google’s app for iPhone, and ReQall. These go beyond the simple voice tagging that’s been available in handsets for some time. What happens when we start talking to products and services? Does it change our relationship with the brand, the service provider, our devices. Sound Barriers will answer some of these burning questions, and will seek to understand what impact this most natural of UI’s will have on users, products and service providers in the sector.
The research method apart from the usual exhaustive internet searches, are
a) Interviews with industry professionals from the voice and mobile eco-systems
These are conversations I hope I can extend to the blog to get the widest possible range of views, but this may be over-ambitious. I have already been impressed with the range of experts from industry and acadaemia who have agreed to participate in the research. It seems the questions are pertinent and the lure of voice is very real.
b) Online consumer and user survey
What most intrigues me about VUI is the intimacy this develops between user and service or device. I first became interested in VUI in my work on inclusive design, developing products and services for people with special needs. Working with people who can’t use their sight emphasises the accessibility that voice brings to users in hands-free, eyes-free environments. It also enables multi-tasking. Voice has tried and failed in the past. Consider the Orange system ‘Wildfire’ revolutionary for its time. It seems that users demand extremely high quality (and intelligence) in their apps if they’re going to use voice. So there are lots of questions for users and consumers like you and me that we’re going to ask online in a short consumer survey.
Results of the research will be freely shared with participants and collaborators. Ideas and comments welcome
1.
Andrew | 23/07/2009 at 3:29 pm
Just following the Bee (once I’d recognised it as a bee).
As a contact you could use I’ll ask Paul Began of Sabio if he’s open for an interview – or would recommend a contact – to talk about the intelligence behind IVR systems – not just voice recognition but also how the answers to say two questions add up to a more informed response.
And we have UM-Labs – so VoIP security could important if people are now speaking their input rather than typing in a password or credit card number.
ttfn
Andrew
07920 001122
2.
inglisjane | 23/07/2009 at 5:05 pm
Sorry that the Bee wasn’t obvious, busy pollinating great ideas with his research ;0)
Thanks for the link – lots of people are being very generous with their time, so I’ll hold fire on contacting Paul Began. We have decided for the time being to focus on doing the consumer research via web and mobile first. Voice is going to be pricey and this is shoestring-stuff in terms of both time and money at the moment.
Many thanks for your help, the Bee appreciates it.
3.
dremrhymn | 12/12/2009 at 4:36 am
Kick-ass blogpost, great looking blog, added it to my favs!