Winter is Coming
A Voice User Interface takes form as a trivia game based on the show "Game of Thrones", for the Amazon Alexa.
Think you know everything about the popular show Game of Thrones?
In an attempt at exploring the world of Voice User Interfaces and wanting to learn the Alexa Skills Kit, I created this game. It was part of Alexa’s first 2500 skills, and has averaged 200 users per day at its peak.
It's fun to test your own knowledge, or play with friends and family. Compete answering 5 questions and try to see who gets the most answers right, or to find out if "You know nothing!".
Personal project : Available in the Amazon Alexa store.
Available in the Amazon Alexa Store
Here's what I created
Inspired by my interactions with the Amazon Echo, I developed and published an Alexa skill, which is a voice interface on Amazon's Alexa voice service. I worked to design the voice interactions with Alexa.
I started off by developing on the idea for a game based on my favorite TV show. I carefully curated the trivia questions I wanted in the app. I then created the interactions, intents and utterances for the VUI. The next step was developing the skill in NodeJS using AWS Lambda. I spent some time creating and refining a personalized dagger logo for the app as well.
Glimpse into the Amazon Alexa Store
Insights
1. Every interaction has a goal in mind
Digital product design must be goal-oriented and goal driven. Every interaction begins with an end goal in mind. Knowing how to incorporate user personas and user journeys is key.
2. The user experience should feel natural
Conversing is a more natural interaction than typing. Text is unnatural, but voice is not. With that in mind, how can you design your interactions to take advantage of this? Alexa skill's need to be designed to be a little more informal and conversational, rather than specific and rigid voice commands.
3. Minimize Gulf of Execution
When designing for a voice-based system, designers have to be up front about a system’s capabilities. User on-boarding and a high quality help system play key roles in helping users accomplish their goals.