Practical Speech User Interface Design (Human Factors and Ergonomics)

• Discusses design practices consistent with the most recent research
• Provides VoiceXML code examples to aid in developing prototypes
• Presents complete sample VoiceXML mini–application illustrating design principles
• Includes description of associated research

Description

Although speech is the most natural form of communication between humans, most people find using speech to communicate with machines anything but natural. Drawing from psychology, human–computer interaction, linguistics, and communication theory, Practical Speech User Interface Design provides a comprehensive yet concise survey of practical speech user interface (SUI) design. It offers practice–based and research–based guidance on how to design effective, efficient, and pleasant speech applications that people can really use.

Focusing on the design of speech user interfaces for IVR applications, the book covers speech technologies including speech recognition and production, ten key concepts in human language and communication, and a survey of self–service technologies. The author, a leading human factors engineer with extensive experience in research, innovation and design of products with speech interfaces that are used worldwide, covers both high– and low–level decisions and includes Voice XML code examples. To help articulate the rationale behind various SUI design guidelines, he includes a number of detailed discussions of the applicable research.

The techniques for designing usable SUIs are not obvious, and to be effective, must be informed by a combination of critically interpreted scientific research and leading design practices. The blend of scholarship and practical experience found in this book establishes research–based leading practices for the design of usable speech user interfaces for interactive voice response applications.

From the back cover:

Although speech is the most natural form of communication between humans, most people find using speech to communicate with machines anything but natural. Drawing from psychology, human–computer interaction, linguistics, and communication theory, Practical Speech User Interface Design provides a comprehensive yet concise survey of practical speech user interface (SUI) design. It offers practice–based and research–based guidance on how to design effective, efficient, and pleasant speech applications that people can really use.

Focusing on the design of speech user interfaces for IVR applications, the book covers speech technologies including speech recognition and production, ten key concepts in human language and communication, and a survey of self–service technologies. The author, a leading human factors engineer with extensive experience in research, innovation, and design of products with speech interfaces that are used worldwide, covers both high– and low–level decisions and includes VoiceXML code examples. To help articulate the rationale behind various SUI design guidelines, he includes a number of detailed discussions of the applicable research.

The techniques for designing usable SUIs are not obvious, and to be effective must be informed by a combination of critically interpreted scientific research and leading design practices. The blend of scholarship and practical experience found in this book establishes research–based leading practices for the design of usable speech user interfaces for interactive voice response applications.

About the Author:

Dr. James R. (Jim) Lewis, PhD is a senior human factors engineer (at IBM since 1981), with a primary focus on the design and evaluation of speech applications. He is a Certified Human Factors Professional with a PhD in Experimental Psychology (Psycholinguistics), an MA in Engineering Psychology, and an MM in Music Theory and Composition. Jim is an internationally recognized expert in usability testing and measurement, contributing (by invitation) the chapter on usability testing for the 3rd edition of the Handbook of Human Factors and Ergonomics and presenting tutorials at professional conferences. He was the technical team lead for the human factors/usability group working in IBM speech product development from 1999 through 2005, and has experience in all areas of speech system usability (including desktop systems, embedded systems, text–to–speech systems, speech interactive voice response applications, and natural language understanding technologies).

Jim wrote IBM‘s guidelines for speech user interface design, and has consulted since 2001 on speech projects in the United States and internationally for major customers in diverse areas such as consumer electronics, 401K plan management, insurance, reservations, telecom, banking, emergency road service, entertainment, state benefits, HR, and telematics. Jim is an IBM Master Inventor with 70 patents issued to date by the US Patent Office (142 worldwide). He has published 19 journal articles, 5 book chapters, 43 professional conference papers, and over 160 IBM technical reports. He currently serves on the editorial boards of the International Journal of Human–Computer Interaction and the Journal of Usability Studies, and is on the scientific advisory board of the Center for Research and Education on Aging and Technology Enhancement (CREATE). He is a member of the Usability Professionals Association (UPA), the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society (HFES), and the American Psychological Association (APA).