conversational ui: talking loud and saying plenty

CONVERSATIONAL
UI: TALKING LOUD
AND SAYING
PLENTY
DANIEL HARVEY & KIERON LEPPARD
Software is eating the world. That’s
what famed venture capitalist Marc
Andreessen said in a Wall Street Journal article in 2011. Fast forward five
years and it’s clear that he was correct
– software is indeed ubiquitous. But
not all software is equal. Messaging
apps are experiencing a meteoric rise
above all others.
Flurry, a mobile analytics firm, says that
messaging app sessions saw a 103
percent rise globally as far back as
2014, and sustained a 51 percent rise
in 2015.1 General-purpose chat app
WhatsApp had 50 percent greater
traffic than all global text message use.2
And Snapchat, once the domain of
Millennials only, now has a daily
average user count of 100 million.3
Furthermore, 50 percent of the top
eight downloaded apps in the UK are
messengers, while two out of the top
three are chat apps from Facebook.4
And it’s not just social chatter that’s
commanding such inspiring figures.
WeChat, the dominant chat app in
China, had more mobile transactions
over the 2016 Chinese New Year than
PayPal had during all of 2015.5 The
users of Slack, the darling of the
enterprise, engage with the app on
average ten hours per day during
the work week.6
This evolution of messaging platforms
and the rise of chatbots represents a
paradigm shift in our always-on world.
Marketers now have the opportunity
to be more plugged in to their target
consumers’ conversations. And, as a
business today, it is critical to understand this mega-trend and respond
in short order. This is the dawn of the
“post app” era and will be as transformational for businesses and consumers
as apps were a decade ago.
Messaging as an operating
system
Snapchat, once
the domain of
Millennials only,
now has a daily
average user count
of 100 million.
Big numbers in conversation
Creators of operating systems have
long had a competitive advantage in
the software industry. In the personal
computer era, Windows’ dominance
afforded Microsoft much success.
In the desktop Internet era, Google
functioned as an operating system
(OS) of sorts for the web. In the
mobile era, iOS and Android are
critical components of the Apple and
Google ecosystems.
¥3.8 billion
WeChat’s revenue
in 20157
$3.8 billion
Slack’s 2016 valuation8
1
Flurry. “Shopping, Productivity and Messaging Give Mobile Another Stunning Growth Year.” http://flurrymobile.tumblr.com/post/115194992530/shopping-productivity-and-messaging-give-mobile.
2
Evans, Benedict. “WhatsApp Sails Past SMS, But Where Does Messaging Go Next?” http://ben-evans.com/benedictevans/2015/1/11/whatsapp-sails-past-sms-but-where-doesmessaging-go-next.
3
SocialTimes. “Snapchat Is the Fastest Growing Social Network (Infographic).” http://www.adweek.com/socialtimes/snapchat-is-the-fastest-growing-social-network-infographic/624116.
Ofcom. The Communications Market 2015 (August). http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/market-data-research/market-data/communications-market-reports/cmr15/.
4
The Drum. “WeChat Had More Mobile Transactions Over Just Chinese New Year than PayPal Had During 2015.” http://www.thedrum.com/news/2016/02/09/wechat-had-moremobile-transactions-over-just-chinese-new-year-paypal-had-during.
5
TIME.com. “How E-Mail Killer Slack Will Change The Future Of Work.” http://time.com/4092354/how-e-mail-killer-slack-will-change-the-future-of-work/.
6
Bloomberg. “Tencent Climbs as Ad Surge Boosts WeChat Earnings Outlook.” http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-03-18/tencent-earnings-surge-50-percent-on-higheronline-game-sales.
7
Fortune. “Slack Raises $200 Million at $3.8 Billion Valuation.” http://fortune.com/2016/04/01/slack-raises-200-million-at-3-8-billion-valuation/.
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But, in the cloud era, all that could change.
What’s important to realize is that
messaging apps are often becoming
platforms. Think of them as stealth
operating systems on top of your existing OS. They’re one-stop portals
to everything you need on your smartphone, infiltrating your life through the
notifications panel.
The most successful, like WeChat or
Facebook Messenger, are facilitating
more than just chat. WeChat supports
peer-to-peer (P2P) payments, shopping,
booking taxis and restaurants, and
more. Facebook Messenger – with its
virtual assistant, M – will be able to do
all of that and who knows what else.
As messaging apps grow more ubiquitous and powerful, the need to have
standalone apps for these individual
functions becomes questionable. What
impact could this have on Venmo, Jet,
Hailo, OpenTable, and the like? What
about Google Now, Cortana, and Siri?
More important, what does this do
to other types of app experiences?
The average smartphone user downloads zero apps per month and, with
users spending more and more time
in chat apps, things look bleak for
traditional apps.9
The aforementioned examples show
that a chat user interface (UI) can
work in a variety of situations. But
why is it preferred?
Chat UI has a zero learning curve
First, there’s a similarity across the
user interfaces of chat apps, so there’s
no need to learn a new UI or pattern.
Chat boils down to text on the right/left
and input on the bottom – it's digital
second nature now for many. This instinctual understanding gives brands a
head start when designing an engaging
experience for their consumers. As
Nir Eyal, author of Hooked, puts it,
“We already know how to chat, so
making requests is easy.”10
The average smartphone
user downloads
zero apps
per month
Second, chat can be instantaneous or
asynchronous. If you want a bus time,
then bots, artificial intelligence (AI), and
schedules can share a schedule in real
time. If you want to buy luchador finery,
then humans can take some time to
find you the best deal.
Unlike the telephone or web, messaging affords us constant communication.
For example, it gives customers quick
access to information while on the
go and can grant them answers
even when brand representatives
are not available.
comScore. The 2015 U.S. Mobile App Report. https://www.comscore.com/Insights/Presentations-and-Whitepapers/2015/The-2015-US-Mobile-App-Report.
9
Eyal, Nir. “Human + A.I. = Your Digital Future.” http://www.nirandfar.com/2015/07/the-message-is-the-medium-3-reasons-apps-as-assistants-work.html.
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As renowned tech strategist Ben
Thompson puts it, “Conversations are
never-ending, and come and go at a
pace dictated not by physicality, but
rather by attention.”11 Brand service,
therefore, becomes even more continuous and dependable.
In a post-Snowden
era, messaging
apps seem to be
the last great
refuge for privacy.
Third, it’s an ideal medium for customer
service. If social media has taught us
anything, it’s that people love to engage
with brands for everything from satisfied
reviews to customer service complaints.
Chat apps allow customers the same
opportunity, but in a discreet venue
that's more personal for the consumers
and less damaging to brands. It's also
just more helpful to have a one-on-one
service experience.
Last, in a post-Snowden era, messaging
apps seem to be the last great refuge
for privacy. Apple and the FBI have
been embroiled in a 21st-century
version of the crypto-wars, while similar
rows will likely erupt in the UK thanks
to the Snoopers’ Charter.12 Messaging
apps, when compared to social media,
pose a safer communication stream for
consumer data. Most major chat companies now have encryption enabled by
default. For example, while Telegram’s
encryption has long been lauded by
privacy advocates, competitor
WhatsApp recently made headlines
when it enabled end-to-end encryption
on all communications.
Thompson, Ben. “Snapchat’s Ladder.” https://stratechery.com/2016/snapchats-ladder/.
11
The Telegraph. “Snoopers’ Charter: Government Wins Vote on Investigatory Powers Bill.” http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/12194441/Snoopers-Charter-Parliamentaryvote-on-the-investigatory-powers-bill-live-updates.html.
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Infinite chat integrations
into branded ecosystems
Brands have always fished where
the fish are. Today, that means expeditions into messaging apps. Facebook
Messenger has successful integrations
with Uber to reserve a car, and KLM
to provide boarding passes and
flight updates, among other brands.
Thanks to these advances, consumers
who need to get to the airport can
now do so without ever leaving the
Facebook app.
Millennial favorite Kik has seen over
eighty “promoted chats” with bots for
brands like MTV, the Washington Post,
and Skull Candy. Perhaps its most successful bot campaign was with NBCUniversal to promote the horror film
Insidious 3. A bot with the personality
of the haunted main character Quinn
exchanged on average sixty-nine messages across nearly 350,000 participants.13
What’s a bot? Put simply, a bot (also
known as a chatbot) “is a computer
program which conducts a conversation via auditory or textual methods.”14
Kik, Facebook, and WeChat aren’t the
only ones using this technology.
Snapchat, the poster child for intimate
messaging, has expanded its brand
tools including its “Discover” section.
Several brands have created animated
filters that overlay animation on video.
Similarly, WhatsApp has created bot
characters to help Clarks promote its
Desert Boot product.15
These integrations will only increase
as each of the major players creates
its own “bot store.” Kik and Skype
both launched their own versions of
bot stores in early 2015. WeChat is
already home to over 10 million “official
accounts” which are thin apps (light
versions that don’t require installation)
or bots. More so, there’s a third-party
opportunity here (as we saw with app
stores) for new businesses to emerge.
For example, you can play poker,
explore restaurant menus, and receive
travel advisories via chatbots.17
What’s a bot?
Put simply, a
bot (also known
as a chatbot)
“is a computer
program which
conducts a
conversation
via auditory or
textual methods.”
Facebook is anticipating this explosion of bot development. At the most
recent F8 conference, Mark Zuckerberg announced Facebook’s entrance
into the bot store arena.18 Media and
commerce were the dominant examples, including demonstrations from
CNN and 1-800-Flowers. While people
are sharing less on Facebook, they are
talking more than ever before on Facebook Messenger (900 million people
per month, to be exact). In fact, this
platform will be the first experience that
many people will have with bots.19
Forbes. “Kik Battles Facebook with Bots in the New Messaging Wars.” http://www.forbes.com/sites/parmyolson/2016/02/10/kik-bots-messaging-facebook-wechat/.
13
Wikipedia. “Chatterbot.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chatterbot.
14
The New York Times. “As Messaging Apps Boom, Brands Tiptoe In.” http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/04/business/media/as-messaging-apps-boom-brands-tiptoe-in.html.
15
The Drum. “Why Clarks Hopes ‘Calculated’ WhatsApp Risk Will Improve Brand Perception.” http://www.thedrum.com/news/2015/03/31/why-clarks-hopes-calculated-whatsapprisk-will-improve-brand-perception.
16
17
Forbes. “Get Ready for the Chat Bot Revolution: They’re Simple, Cheap and about to be Everywhere.” http://www.forbes.com/sites/parmyolson/2016/02/23/chat-bots-facebooktelegram-wechat/#657f9a942633.
Facebook. “Messenger Platform at F8.” http://newsroom.fb.com/news/2016/04/messenger-platform-at-f8/.
18
The Verge. “Facebook Launches a Bot Platform for Messenger.” http://www.theverge.com/2016/4/12/11395806/facebook-messenger-bot-platform-announced-f8-conference.
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APPLICATIONS ACROSS INDUSTRIES
The tables below explore examples across six major industry verticals, and comment
on the strategic fit of chat-driven interfaces. Some executions are fairly straightforward, while others require a dedicated app and have significant complexity. The
wide variety of examples illustrates the potential of this technology.
FINANCIAL SERVICES
Integration with platforms seems unlikely due to privacy, security, and
regulatory concerns. Folding chat functionality into your own apps
seems more fit-for-purpose.
Easy request
Voice
“What’s my balance?”
Moderate request
Text
“I need to change my address.”
Difficult request
Card
“How much mortgage can
I afford?”
Complex request
Micro-app
“Will my children be better off if
I give them everything?”
RETAIL
As a category, retail is vast. Some fashion and sports brands already
have strong ties to Snapchat and Facebook, while some electronics
and software brands have strong adoption for their own apps.
Easy request
Voice
“What are your store hours?”
Moderate request
Text
“I need to return these jeans.”
Difficult request
Card
“What goes with this jacket?”
Complex request
Micro-app
“I need to replace the video card
in this old laptop.”
CONSUMER PACKAGED GOODS
Low app adoption has long plagued this category. That makes the sector
a strong candidate for integration with Facebook.
Easy request
Voice
“How many calories in just one Twix?”
Moderate request
Text
“Send me a box of diapers/nappies
ASAP.”
Difficult request
Card
“What stores nearby carry your
products?”
Complex request
Micro-app
“I’d like a custom blush to suit my
skin tone.”
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AUTOMOTIVE
As the category continues to adopt the Internet of Things, it’s easy to
imagine apps having a greater role than they do today in customer
interaction.
Easy request
Voice
“Play Father John Misty.”
Moderate request
Text
“Did I lock the door?”
Difficult request
Card
“Where did I park you?”
Complex request
Micro-app
“Why does the ‘check engine’ light
keep blinking?”
TELECOMMUNICATIONS
Many apps in this category already feature customer service and usage
prompts. Adding chat functionality into the mix seems an obvious evolution.
Easy request
Voice
“How much data have I used this
month?”
Moderate request
Text
“I’ll be traveling this month and need
data/voice roaming services.”
Difficult request
Card
“Which apps hog the most data?”
Complex request
Micro-app
“I want to suspend my account for
three months.”
TRAVEL
Travel apps are already woven into native functionality on iOS and
Google/Android. Tighter integration with them seems a given.
Easy request
Voice
“Is my flight on time?”
Moderate request
Text
“I’d like to use my points to upgrade
my seat.”
Difficult request
Card
“Where exactly is my departure gate?”
Complex request
Micro-app
“Show me tomorrow's flights from
LHR to JFK.”
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DESIGNING CHATBOT INTERFACES FOR BANKING
What might a chatbot interface look like in banking? These images show
how a conversation about a change of address, a transaction alert, and
sending money might occur between consumer and brand.
Change of
address
Transaction
alert
Send money
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Bots are the Trojan horse for
artificial intelligence
Bots are a preoccupation in tech because they're exploring artificial intelligence (AI) at scale.20 AI comes in two
broad flavors: causal reasoning (general AI) and machine learning (specific
AI). The former is recursive and can
contend with a wide set of questions
with open-ended answers. The latter,
on the other hand, responds to narrow
sets of questions with scripted answers.
We don’t have widespread adoption of
causal reasoning AI yet, but the current
generation of bots is a good example of
machine learning AI.
The concern that some people have
with bots is the risk of a tedious backand-forth. No one wants an interactive
voice response system in their pocket.
To reduce such risk, many bot experiences are complementing text with
cards and micro-apps. Both are ways
to deliver thin, but robust, interactions
inside of chats. “Show flights” within
Google Now or ordering an Uber in
Slack are both great examples.
Today’s bots are often a combination of
algorithms and/or human turks. Google
Now and Siri are the former, while
on-demand delivery services like Magic
in the United States and Fetch in the
United Kingdom are the latter. Facebook’s virtual assistant M, on the other
hand, is a hybrid.
Given the limitations of machine learning-based AI (those of narrow question
and answer sets), we need both context and precision. Brand engagements
are an interesting way to provide both
because they are industry, product,
or service specific. For example, you
can trust that someone won’t ask a
banking bot a question about football.
And methods such as onboarding and
prompts can help people further
understand what they can ask each
bot. Niche domain expertise – such as
bots for mortgages or asset management – are another way to focus a conversation and avoid awkward failures.
Please see “Artificial Intelligence: Applying Big Data, Machine Learning and Causal Reasoning to Digital Transformation” for more details.
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Branded chat personas at work
Many people already use services like
Nike+ or Moves for fitness tracking.
But it’s easy to imagine those apps
becoming more like real coaches via
the addition of chat behaviors and bots.
Likewise, your banking app could become a financial advisor that answers
basic questions about mortgages.
While it won’t take the place of your
real banker, the chat bot offers more
intuitive and efficient ways to answer
standard questions, filter requests, and
gather more information for a customer
service specialist.
The requirements of designing a
successful chat experience are different
than building websites or delivering
apps. Figuring out the personality of
the brand is key. Is your brand voice
funny, smart, or authoritative? How
is the bot going to behave when a
customer asks an unrelated question
or isn’t able to clearly communicate his/
her issue? Those are questions that
we’ve always asked when creating
branded experiences, but now they
take real prominence.
Writer John Pavlus recently said,
“When the conversation is the interface, experience design is all about
crafting the right words.”21 That’s
exactly why AI companies like x.ai,
makers of personal assistant chatbots
Amy and Andrew, are hiring writers
with acting and improv backgrounds
as their designers.
an emerging sense of best practices:
For example, avoiding rhetorical questions and gendered pronouns are both
examples of advice offered by the x.ai
design leads. They also encourage
building in “kill switches” to give users
control. In their case, telling Amy or
Andrew to “shut up” causes the bot to
retreat from the current conversation.
So, what’s your chat strategy?
If software is eating the world, then it’s
clear that messaging is eating software.
Or to paraphrase another venture
capitalist, Benedict Evans, “It used
to be that all software expands until it
includes messaging. Now all messaging expands until it includes software.”
When the
conversation is
the interface,
experience design
is all about crafting
the right words.
– John Pavlus,
writer and filmmaker
As with any new era, there's a lot of
experimentation. Companies ranging
from Facebook and Google to CNN
and Gatorade are paving the way
forward. Whether that is through
platforms or activations, these nascent
cases can – and are – teaching us a lot.
The rise of chat gives marketers the
unparalleled opportunity to align what
their brands do with what they say.
The right chat strategy, when executed
well, will merge a brand’s persona with
consumer expectations to create a
seamless, intuitive experience. Whether
that means adding chat functions to
proprietary apps or creating branded
bots on big platforms, organizations
can now have more personalized conversations with their customers.
Navigating stories and dialogue are
tricky businesses. Fortunately, there’s
Co.Design. “The Next Phase of UX: Designing Chatbot Personalities.” http://www.fastcodesign.com/3054934/the-next-phase-of-ux-designing-chatbot-personalities.
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Daniel Harvey
Creative Director & Global Practice Lead,
Experience Design, SapientNitro London
[email protected]
Daniel is Creative Director & Global Practice Lead, Experience Design at SapientNitro in London. Before that he was
Executive Creative Director at R/GA in New York. He’s led
innovative work for clients like HBO, NatWest, and Verizon.
Kieron Leppard
Creative Director, Experience Design,
SapientNitro London
[email protected]
At heart, Kieron is an experience designer and a lover of all
things digital. Since joining SapientNitro in 2010, he has
worked for clients like Saks Fifth Avenue, British Airways, and
RBS – and has picked up numerous awards along the way.
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