A talk for World Information Architecture Day about the intersection of information architecture and voice user interface design. It goes through the mechanics of creating Voice User Flows, the blueprints for VUI applications.

1. IA for VUI
The Blueprints of Conversation
Jeff Humble
Head of Design
JeffBumbles

2. Jeff Humble
Head of Design
JeffBumbles
• Abbreviations Made For Each Other
• Building Blocks of VUI
• Shaping Your Voice Architecture

3. I AM NOT AN EXPERT

5. • Abbreviations Made For Each Other
• Building Blocks of VUI
• Shaping Your Voice Architecture

6. IA
Abbreviations Made
For Each Other
VUI

7. Information Architecture

9. Information Architecture:
1. The structural design of shared information environments
2. The synthesis of organisation, labelling, search, and
navigation systems within digital, physical, and cross-
channel ecosystems
3. The art and science of shaping information products and
experiences to support usability, findability, and
understanding

10. I.A. is all about ease of use
through planned structure

11. What’s the structure of a voice experience?

12. How would an information architect structure a conversation?

13. Voice
User
Flow

14. Voice User Flows = Blueprints for VUI Design

15. Voice
User
Flow

17. Voice
User
Flow

18. Voice
User
Flow

21. Smart Assistant companies
claim their speech recognition
software is now at 5.5% word
error rate.
Humans average around 5.1%

22. DEVICE APP PLATFORM
Siri
Google Assistant
!
!!
!
!
!
!!
!

25. • Age
• Gender
• Regional Background
• Personality
• Current Emotional State

26. Hey Joe. You sound sick. Shall I cancel your 9AM
meeting and make you a hot tea?
Ugh…Morgen, Google

28. • Abbreviations Made For Each Other
• Building Blocks of VUI
• Shaping Your Voice Architecture

29. Voice Flow Foundations

30. The
Building
Blocks

31. Terminators

32. Decision Nodes

33. States

34. Hang in there…

35. Prompts and Loops

36. System Actions

37. Notes

38. Responses

39. The
Building
Blocks

42. • Abbreviations Made For Each Other
• Building Blocks of VUI
• Shaping Your Voice Architecture

43. Shaping Your Voice Architecture

44. Start With Good User Stories

45. Start With Good User Stories
• Story 1: As a user, I want to set an alarm for any time so I wake up when I need to.
• Story 2: As a busy traveler, I want to set multiple alarms so I don’t miss my flight in case I sleep through the first one.
• Story 3: As a user, I want to cancel an alarm if I decide I want to sleep in the following morning.
• Story 4: As a user, I want to be able to finish setting an alarm even if I forgot some information at the beginning
• Story 5: When I have an early meeting later in the week, I want to be able to set an alarm for the future so I can plan ahead easily.
• Story 6: As a user, I want to be able to snooze an alarm with my voice so I can get a little more sleep.
• Story 7: As a user, I want to be able to turn off an alarm with my voice so I can stop the buzzing without having to get out of bed.

46. Group These User
Stories Based on Intent
• Story 1: As a user, I want to set an alarm for any time so I wake up when I need to.
• Story 2: As a busy traveler, I want to set multiple alarms so I don’t miss my flight in case I sleep through the first one.
• Story 3: As a user, I want to cancel an alarm if I decide I want to sleep in the following morning.
• Story 4: As a user, I want to be able to finish setting an alarm even if I forgot some information at the beginning
• Story 5: When I have an early meeting later in the week, I want to be able to set an alarm for the future so I can plan ahead easily.
• Story 6: As a user, I want to be able to snooze an alarm with my voice so I can get a little more sleep.
• Story 7: As a user, I want to be able to turn off an alarm with my voice so I can stop the buzzing without having to get out of bed.

47. Set Alarm
Set Alarm
Cancel Alarm
Set Alarm
Set Alarm
Snooze Alarm
Cancel Alarm
• Story 1: As a user, I want to set an alarm for any time so I wake up when I need to.
• Story 2: As a busy traveler, I want to set multiple alarms so I don’t miss my flight in case I sleep through the first one.
• Story 3: As a user, I want to cancel an alarm if I decide I want to sleep in the following morning.
• Story 4: As a user, I want to be able to finish setting an alarm even if I forgot some information at the beginning
• Story 5: When I have an early meeting later in the week, I want to be able to set an alarm for the future so I can plan ahead easily.
• Story 6: As a user, I want to be able to snooze an alarm with my voice so I can get a little more sleep.
• Story 7: As a user, I want to be able to turn off an alarm with my voice so I can stop the buzzing without having to get out of bed.
Group These User
Stories Based on Intent

48. Set Alarm
Set Alarm
Cancel Alarm
Set Alarm
Set Alarm
Snooze Alarm
Cancel Alarm
• Story 1: As a user, I want to set an alarm for any time so I wake up when I need to.
• Story 2: As a busy traveler, I want to set multiple alarms so I don’t miss my flight in case I sleep through the first one.
• Story 3: As a user, I want to cancel an alarm if I decide I want to sleep in the following morning.
• Story 4: As a user, I want to be able to finish setting an alarm even if I forgot some information at the beginning
• Story 5: When I have an early meeting later in the week, I want to be able to set an alarm for the future so I can plan ahead easily.
• Story 6: As a user, I want to be able to snooze an alarm with my voice so I can get a little more sleep.
• Story 7: As a user, I want to be able to turn off an alarm with my voice so I can stop the buzzing without having to get out of bed.
Group These User
Stories Based on Intent
A. Set Alarm
B. Cancel Alarm
C. Snooze Alarm

49. A. Set Alarm
B. Cancel Alarm
C. Snooze Alarm

50. YES
NO

51. Voice User Flow to Script

52. Scripts
Based
On
Intent

53. Dialogs

55. VUI
Inform
ation
Architecture

58. Thanks
Jeff Humble
Head of Design
JeffBumbles