Introduction
Voice User Interfaces have massively revolutionised the way people interact with technology. They have opened up a universe of possibilities for creating inclusive user experiences, including those with disabilities.
Voice technology is all about making devices and applications listen and communicate with users. Many people wish that they could just speak to their devices and applications and have them understand what they want and provide the required assistance. That’s what Voice User Interfaces and app development do.
Why is this amazing for your mobile/desktop app or website? Well! Imagine being able to use an application without having to touch your device. You could be just relaxing on your couch, cooking, or driving. Voice technology in app development makes it possible.
This article dives deeper into the world of voice technology and app development to enable you to understand how they help create more accessible and intuitive user interfaces. Let’s read on to unearth more.
Voice Technology in App Development: What Does it Mean?
Call it Voice User Interface or VUI. This technology allows users to interact with applications, laptops, desktops, and mobile devices using spoken language. The spoken language comes in the form of voice commands and stimulates a conversation-like interaction between machines and humans.
Voice technology is designed to recognise, interpret, understand, and process human language. It helps translate spoken words into text and then into responses or actionable commands. This helps the application or device complete the task or perform the action requested.
In recent years, VUI has gained massive prominence thanks to established companies like Microsoft, Amazon, and Google having their own voice-enabled devices and assistants. Approximately 50% of the UK and US population use voice interface features each day. This staggering usage rate has resulted in the rise of smart speakers and virtual assistants that people know and love today.
The applications use voice technology to:
- Gather, analyse, understand and translate user queries
- Perform specific tasks
- Provide customised and relevant information
- Manage other smart devices
They complete all these tasks via the natural spoken language of users. This increasing popularity of voice technology is also partly as a result of unmatched convenience it provides to its users. It achieves this by substituting traditional and uncomfortable gestures with simple voice commands like:
- Typing
- Touching
- Swiping
Users also have a hands-free, user-friendly, intuitive, and highly accessible way of interacting with devices and applications; so, what isn’t to love about voice technology in app development?
How Voice Technology Creates More Intuitive and Accessible User Interfaces?
Incorporating voice technology in app development helps align with the increasing demand for voice-activated technologies. Also, it comes with a massive array of benefits that businesses, developers, and end-users can enjoy. Let’s find out how voice technology creates more intuitive and accessible user interfaces.
Reduce Cognitive Load
Voice technology in app development helps reduce the cognitive load on users. The technology achieves this by minimising the need for complex visual elements or navigational structures and simplifying interactions.
Support Multiple Languages
Applications that use Voice User Interfaces can serve users from multiple or different linguistic backgrounds. That means they’re more versatile and accessible to a worldwide audience.
Increase Application Engagement
Apps that utilise voice technology offer personalised, efficient and contextual voice interactions. That means they can capture and retain the attention of users. This results in increased app engagement levels, contributing to increased retention and satisfaction.
Improve Accessibility
Voice technology opens doors to more inclusive application experiences for disabled users. This provides them with the opportunity to enjoy the same features and functionalities as other users. It fosters a positive brand image while, at the same time, ensuring that applications adhere to accessibility guidelines and standards.
Enhance User Experience
Compared to their traditional touch-based counterparts, voice interactions are more natural. That means they’re more user-friendly and intuitive. Users can easily interact with an application without prior experience or knowledge.
Wrapping Up
Integrating voice technology in app development is poised to disturb traditional user interaction paradigms. At the same time, it paves the way for a brand new age of voice-driven applications.
As voice technology becomes more and more mature, software creators, businesses, and users must be ready to embrace voice-based applications and harness their full potential to drive app engagement and enhance user experience. Partner with a knowledgeable software provider to create applications that will offer intuitive and more accessible user interfaces.