29 Questions
What is the focus of linguistics?
The scientific study of language and its structure
What does it mean to be descriptive in linguistics?
Looking at what users are saying and trying to understand
Why is it important to embrace variation in language?
To be more inclusive
What does 'marked' mean in linguistics?
Deviating or standing out from the more common form
What is the purpose of using marks in conversation design?
To add extra meaning
Why is it important to decide on a common, unmarked format and stick to it?
To express different things in conversations
What is the third key to designing great conversations?
Start with a verb
Why is it important to consider the context of language in conversation design?
To be more inclusive
What is an example of a marked usage in texting?
Using a period
What is the importance of linguistics in conversation design?
Understanding how language works
What is the result of not embracing variation in language?
Alienating users
What is the primary reason why chatbots are important in a digital-first society?
To efficiently communicate with a large number of customers
What is the main benefit of using a well-designed chatbot in customer support?
Shortening the queues of folks waiting for a live service agent
What is conversational style?
How we talk, including our language, tone, and pace
Why is it important for a conversation designer to be inclusive?
To design a bot that accommodates a wide range of conversational styles
What is the primary goal of a conversation designer?
To design a chatbot that can efficiently communicate with many customers
What is the benefit of using linguistics in conversation design?
To check our biases and be strategic in designing inclusive conversations
What is the primary focus of this unit?
Strategies for designing great conversations
What is the result of people spending more time online now than ever before?
A need for more support from businesses in a digital-first society
What is the main purpose of designing conversations in relation to a topic?
To convey actions with words in relation to the topic
What is the fundamental aspect of actions in conversation?
Verbs
What is the purpose of labeling intents and dialogs with verbs in conversation design?
To help users understand what they can do in conversation
What are discourse markers used for in conversation design?
To structure the flow of a conversation
Why are discourse markers used more sparingly in text chats than voice conversations?
Because they work best when spoken aloud
What is the guiding principle for designing a conversation?
To pick a conversational style and stick to it
What is an example of a conversational style that leans more toward considerateness?
Using less intensifiers, emojis, and exclamation points with longer response delay
What is the significance of response delay in conversational style?
It informs the conversational style
What is the purpose of designing conversations in relation to user experience?
To design a great conversation like designing any other user experience
What is the main benefit of considering actions in conversation design?
To complete transactions at scale for users
Study Notes
Get Started with Conversation Design Strategies
Learning Objectives
After completing this unit, you’ll be able to:
- Define conversational style.
- Explain the importance of language variation in inclusive conversations.
- Identify the difference between topic and action in conversation design.
The Age of Chatbots
As digital-first experiences increase, businesses rely more on chatbots for customer support. Chatbots help streamline communication by directing customers to FAQs or self-help resources, reducing the load on live agents.
Conversational Style
Conversational style refers to the manner of speaking, which varies from formal to casual and is influenced by local vernacular. Inclusive design means creating bots that accommodate diverse styles to avoid alienating users.
Top 5 Greatest Hits for Conversation Design
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Be Descriptive
- Focus on understanding user language without judging it. Embrace language variation to be inclusive and avoid usability issues. Prescriptive means judging how your users are speaking and telling them how you think they should be talking.
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Be Purposefully Marked
- Use marked elements (like punctuation) strategically to convey different meanings. For instance, a period can imply distance or anger in text.
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Start with a Verb
- Actions in conversation are conveyed through verbs. Label intents and dialogs with verbs to clarify what users can do with the bot.
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Use Discourse Markers
- Discourse markers like "oh," "so," and "well" structure conversation flow and signify understanding. Use them thoughtfully, avoiding markers like "hmm" that imply cognitive processing.
NOTE: Don’t use these forbidden discourse markers: hmm, uh, umm. They signify cognitive processing, and can disrupt your conversation because users know that machines are incapable of doing that!
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Decide on a Conversational Style
- Choose and stick to a conversational style, whether it’s high involvement (more intensifiers and emojis) or high considerateness (fewer intensifiers and longer response delays).
More intensifiers, emojis, and exclamation points + Short response delay = High involvement style.
Less intensifiers, emojis, and exclamation points + Longer response delay = High considerateness style.
Conclusion
Designing great conversations involves understanding and accommodating diverse conversational styles. Use linguistic principles to create inclusive, natural conversations that build relationships with users. The next unit will delve deeper into strategies for effective conversation design.
Learning Objectives After completing this unit, you’ll be able to: Define conversational style. Explain how variation in language is important to inclusive conversations. Identify the difference between topic and action in conversation design.
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