Table of Contents

Preface.

I. THE BACKGROUND.

1.On Telephones, Touchtones, and Business Needs.
Speech Recognition versus Touchtone Functionality.Problems with Touchtone, and a Speech Recognition Remedy.What Kinds of Companies Are Using Speech Recognition?Why Are Companies Using It?Speech-Recognition Applications: A Typical Example.Where We've Been-Where We're Going.2. Technology Primer: About Speech Recognizers.
What the Recognizer Hears (and the Need for Confirmation)When the Recognizer Listens.Why Designing a Speech-Recognition Application Is Challenging.Where We've Been-Where We're Going.3. The Psychology of How People Interact with Speech-Recognition Systems.
Social-Psychological ResearchAsk “Dr.” Blade.Where We've Been-Where We're Going.

II. THE PROCESS OF DESIGNING SPEECH-RECOGNITION SYSTEMS.

4. Research.
Clients' Objectives.Callers' Objectives and Needs.Aspects of Research.Assembling a Requirements Specification.Anticipating Change.Where We've Been-Where We're Going.5. Developing the Design.
Conceptualizing and Brainstorming.Congruence of Style.Defining the Call Flow.Vision Clips/Sample Calls.The Design Specification-Conveying the Details of the Design.Constructing a Design Specification.Following Through on the Initial Design Phase.Where We've Been-Where We're Going.6. Writing Effective Prompts.
The Language of Asking Questions.The Art of Writing Perfect Prompts.Writing Prompts for Elegance, Speed, and Value.Getting Callers to Focus on the Essentials.Some Subtleties of Prompt Writing.Top Five Good Tenets for Writing Prompts.Top Five Mistakes When Writing Prompts.Where We've Been-Where We're Going.7. Production and Branding.
Notes About Implementation and Programming.Production.Prompt Creation-Text-to-Speech and Recorded Voices.Casting.Directing Voice Talents.The Art of Recording Prompts.Other Thoughts on Directing.Concatenative Prompt Recording.Some Metrics and Technical Notes.Audio Icons.Branding.Where We've Been-Where We're Going.8. Usability Testing.
The Value of Usability Testing.How We Test an Application.Objectives of Usability Testing.Preparing for the Test.The Test Subjects.How to Get Test Subjects.The Test Environment.Types of Tests.The Test Is Over-Now What?Interpreting Test Results.Where We've Been-Where We're Going.9. Deployment.
The Importance of Multi-Phase Deployment.The Three Phases of Deployment.Pilot Deployment.Partial Deployment.Full Deployment.Where We've Been-Where We're Going.

III. APPLIED KNOWLEDGE.

10. Case Studies.
United Airlines: Shortcuts for Frequent Fliers.United Airlines: Providing Extra Help for Those Who Need It.Continental Airlines: A Different Approach to Flight Information.A Top-Five Investment Management Company: Handling Complex Two-Choice Questions.An Online Brokerage Firm: Managing More Complex Tasks.An Online Brokerage Firm: Preferences and Other Rarely Used Functions.A Regional Telephone Company: Dealing with Legal Notices and Disclaimers.Wildfire: List Navigation.Wildfire: Small Header, Large Body Lists.A Top-Five U.S. Bank: Large Header, Small Body Lists.The “Race Condition”.FedEx: Scaffolding Prompts.Amtrak: Implicit Confirmation and the “Ellipses/and” Question Form.AirTran: Reducing the Information Burden.Guessing Right.Semantics: When “Problem” Was a Problem.Where We've Been-Where We Must Go.Postscript.
Suggested Reading List.
Glossary.
Index. 0321154924T01032003

Promotional Information

Automated speech recognition (ASR) applications are poised to grow at a phenomenal pace. These systems allow you to speak naturally on the phone, while a computer system both understands what you say and answers knowledgeably. We all increasingly experience such applications when we telephone airline or financial companies for information. Other industries experimenting with these systems include automotive, security, and consumer goods companies. The key to the success of these systems is the design and development of effective voice user interfaces (VUIs). This is both an art and a science that requires an understanding of language, user needs, business requirements, and digital technology. This book provides an overview of this emerging field. It explains, both for managers and developers/designers new to VUIs, what the issues, challenges, and opportunities are, and gives a clear sense of what a well-designed system requires. Using real-world examples from successful, large-scale systems, it shows how a good speech recognition system can save a company money, increase customer satisfaction, and even grow revenue.

About the Author

Blade Kotelly is the Creative Director of Interface Design for SpeechWorks International, a leading provider of automated speech-recognition software products and services. In addition to United Airlines, he has worked on applications for Apple Computer, E*TRADE, McKesson, Fidelity Investments IBG, FedEx, and others. A frequent conference speaker and university lecturer, Blade has had his work and ideas featured byThe New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, the BBC, and National Public Radio.

0321154924AB12242002