Title

AWS re:Invent 2022 - 10 things every voice application should do (ALX201)

Summary

• Do one thing really well: Focus on delivering a single feature excellently before expanding scope.
• Make your name memorable: Ensure the skill's name is easy to remember and invoke.
• Focus on intents, not commands: Design for natural language understanding rather than rigid commands.
• Simplify choices: Avoid overwhelming users with too many options.
• One-breath test: Keep device responses brief, ideally spoken in one breath.
• Include a variety of responses: Use randomization to keep interactions fresh and engaging.
• Handle the unexpected gracefully: Provide helpful error messages and redirections.
• Make enhancements based on data: Use user interaction data to improve the skill.
• Provide contextual help: Offer help that is relevant to the user's current task.
• Beta test with real users: Gather real-world usage data to refine the skill.
• Bonus - Monetize your stuff: Consider using in-skill purchasing, paid skills, Amazon Pay, and Alexa Shopping Actions to monetize the skill.

Insights

• User-Centric Design: The talk emphasizes the importance of designing voice applications with the user's experience in mind, ensuring ease of use and memorability.
• Data-Driven Development: The speaker highlights the necessity of using actual user data to inform decisions about skill enhancements, rather than relying on developer assumptions.
• Error Handling: The approach to error handling should be user-friendly, guiding users back to functionality rather than leaving them at a dead end.
• Monetization Strategies: The speaker outlines various ways to monetize Alexa skills, suggesting that developers should consider the value they provide and how to capitalize on it.
• Iterative Improvement: The talk suggests that launching a skill is just the beginning, and continuous improvement based on user feedback and data is crucial for success.
• Engagement Techniques: Randomizing responses and varying interaction patterns are recommended to keep users engaged and prevent predictability.
• Testing and Validation: Beta testing with real users is crucial for uncovering unforeseen issues and understanding the diversity of user interactions.
• Contextual Help: Providing help that is specific to the user's current context within the skill can significantly improve the user experience and reduce frustration.
• Simplicity and Clarity: The one-breath test for device responses and the simplification of choices are strategies to maintain clarity and prevent user overwhelm.
• Voice as a Unique Medium: The speaker notes that voice applications should leverage their unique strengths, such as convenience for tasks that are cumbersome on other platforms.