Crowdsourcing the User Experience
How many times have you been frustrated with a telephone or customer service experience? Some people opt for making their feelings public, and hence we often find videos and recordings of those experiences out in the media. Some others (myself included) like to keep them as “war-stories” that can then be shared during parties or presented at conferences.
But we know that even if those experiences make it back to the companies, chances are improving them is not one of their priorities, and if they are, sometimes any *fixes* are implemented based on their interpretation of what the problem is and what the solution might be (“Please listen careful as our options have recently changed…”).
So here’s an idea. I found out about a Dutch web site called RedesignMe that is applying the concept of “crowdsourcing” to refine and revise product designs of mass-produced consumer goods. They believe that most products can always benefit from at least a little bit of improvement. So what I’m suggesting is expanding that concept to include not only products but services as well.
They propose submitting a photo or video of a product along with a description of what the frustrated user thinks needs redesigning. So for our exercise, I would love to expand that to include submitting a recording of a bad self-service interaction or customer service experience along with any design suggestions for redesigning and improving the experience.
Users and VUI designers could then rate each other’s submissions and add other comments or suggestions, and why not, involve the companies affected which could in return sponsor these efforts and offer award prizes for the best (and sound) design suggestions.
Hey, if companies are using crowdsourcing to solve problems and do corporate R&D, I definitively think our industry could benefit from a similar practice. What do you think?
Eduard – I completely agree. So much can be learned from so little in our field. Just a few grains of information from a few different resources and help us as VUI Designers and Tuners to get to the real problems with our systems. This would also be a great way for us to “throw up the flag pole” application and design ideas that we don’t have the time or money to fully investigate on our own. Lots of bang for the buck here I think. Just look at what InfoToday’s David Myron did this month with his open call for VUI comments on his own system? We need more of it! You were volunteering to get it started, weren’t you?
Simonie – Absolutely. That’s what I love about VUI design. You always find that new developments from various fields (Internet, Branding, Advertising, Retail, etc.) can be expanded to VUI design with a few tweaks. About your idea, I agree with you in that we could involve crowds to investigate new ideas. And not only that, we could take that to the next level where potential users could not only submit suggestions but also vote on certain features so that only the top ones get implemented (mmm, wouldn’t that make it User-Centered?).
Thanks for the top on David Myron’s exercise, do you happen to have a link we could share?
And as for volunteering, I think I’ll add it to my New Year’s Resolutions list
I came back to your site because i just happened to read David’s editorial in December’s CRM magazine. My previous comment was on his editorial in Speech Tech Mag (http://www.speechtechmag.com/Articles/Column~Editor's-Letter~'Your-Call-Automation-Sucks'-40048.aspx). In the CRM editorial, he talks about social networking and a community page Dell recently built to take in random customer criticism exactly as you’re describing. Maybe we’re at a tipping point for this idea… I’ve always taken the standpoint that at some point, we need to just finalize our design and get it to the user for better or worse. Some people are scared their designs will fail. I fear mine will get no comments at all. Please do bring on the attacks and negativity. I love it. Also, here is the “o” I left off your name in the previous post
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Thanks for the link (and the “o”
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It certainly gives hope to our industry when we ‘eat our own food’ and openly accept criticism. I particularly liked the way he’s not only challenging everyone to provide design suggestions but also offering something in return (which most callers going through bad experiences never get).
I’m with you in that we might be a tipping point, but in my humble opinion, I think it’s probably a little wider than straightforward social networking and community reviews. I believe the next wave of new developments will have to do with social media and the tools we’re getting accustomed to thanks to services such as LinkedIn, Facebook, MySpace, YouTube, Twitter, etc. I think all the features that are making them popular and ‘viral’ will find their way into intranets, commercial software, and of course self-service.
I know we’re having our own private little convo here now, but you should take a look at my blog at http://www.openmethods.com (there is a moderator backlog soon to be rectified). Since SpeechTEK, I’ve been working with the idea that the tipping point will come when we find a new service or repository of information that people want so desperately they don’t notice or care about the method to access it. If we find that “thing” and partner with it, provide best in business speech design, software and hardware and make the only access to it through speech, users won’t care. That will simply be the way they get to their heart’s desire, not focusing on the method itself. I got a glimpse of that in the megaphone videos you posted when a room of people is standing around yelling over each other and into their cellphones to attempt to win a game on the big screen with a “community” of strangers. Normally, users complain about bad recognition, noisy environments, being overhead, feeling stupid talking to a computer, having to repeat what they say, etc., but not here. This time it was actually fun.