The Elements of Voice First Style

Appendix C. Useful Matrices

The Assessment Matrix Cheat Sheet

Use this cheat sheet to quickly assess the quality of a voicebot.

Functionality	What does the voicebot do and does it deliver concrete value to the user? If you can explain this value in one short sentence, then you have started with a good foundation. Here’s an example of well-defined functionality: “This voicebot helps you remove stains on your shirt.” Another one: “This voicebot gives you tips on how to cook a great spaghetti meal.” Here’s an example of a not-so-good functionality statement: “This voicebot helps you use Tide products.” Here’s another one: “This voicebot is your meal preparation companion.”
Modality fit	Is the target use case a good fit for voice and voicebots? Start with the basic question: given the use case, can the user do this just as easily, or even more easily using, say, a smartphone? If the answer is yes, then the modality fit is probably weak.
Invocation	In the case of far-field speech, how easy is it for someone to start an interaction with the voicebot? Do they need to remember a name—e.g., a wake word followed by the name of the voicebot? If so, how easy is that wake word/voicebot name combination to remember? Can it be made easier?
Closing	When you say “Quit,” “Stop,” or “Goodbye,” does the voicebot stop or does it go on talking? For example: “Great. I hope I was able to help you. Thank you for using Coffee Mugs Are Us. Please visit us at www.coffeemugsareus.com. That’s www.coffeemugsareus.com ...