The never ending VUI battle: Complexity vs. Simplicity – Round 1
How many times have we heard that we should focus on our users (customers), that systems should be easy to navigate and callers should be able to find what they are looking for… as long as we include the things a current system is doing, what the website offers, and what the marketing department wants to let caller know the company offers as well.
Sounds familiar?
It is the continuous battle between companies’ interests and serving the customer. Between more features and improving the basics. Between simplicity and complexity.
The argument of course is that with more companies offering some sort of self-service solution, most companies believe the only way to differentiate themselves is to throw in more features/services/products than the competition. But then reality kicks in when those callers attempt to use the system…
Furthermore, as Gerry McGovern points out, there are a lot of pressures to create a complex system. “Designers like a complex challenge, complicated technology keeps
IT busy, and your boss may be impressed with all this extra smart stuff. The initial impression of customers might even be that they love these clever, cool features.”
On top of that, we have the user. We are all users of something, right? And if you’re honest with yourself, you’ll find that the last time you purchased something (new cell phone, plasma TV, car, etc.), chances are you found yourself comparing ‘features’ side-by-side to help you decide which one to pick (and no, I wasn’t standing behind you 
But then, once you had a chance to use that product, weren’t you satisfied with the simpler version, the one that worked out of the box, the one that didn’t need a PhD to turn it on?
And we are not alone in this. According to a study released by Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland, it’s an effect called “Feature Fatigue” in which consumers/users first “give more weight to a product’s capability benefits and less weight to a product’s usability before they use the product than after they use the product-despite the fact that a product’s usability strongly influences their satisfaction with the product.”
So how do you deal with a user that claims to want more simplicity, yes it sold on more complexity?
I would say the real question should be: “Do you want to be a one-time wonder, or would you rather be the one that gains market share and consistently and systematically deliver a good experience that makes happy and returning users?”
VUI Designers need to balance first impressions against long-term satisfaction. Even though simplicity is hard to sell in the short-term, it is in the use of that thing that simplicity shines. Tools such as Usability and Live Call Monitoring allow us to show our designs in action and should be enough to convince higher management to let us focus more on improving the basics, which will result in a better investment of time and money for everyone.
Hi there.
There’s one big difference though between the voice apps that we design and an mp3 player or stereo that people buy in the store. Generally, callers don’t choose where they will do business based on the telephony infrastructure of the business. If a caller is a customer of the company, they have little choice but to deal with the company (through one channel or another) or take their business elsewhere. They may decide to interact with the company through various channels depending on certain circumstances.
There can be a lot of functionality in an application, but the company’s business rules will really determine how complex or simple the application is.
Todd
Agree. Nevertheless, I believe that the same things happened in the retail world a few years ago and have evolved over time. Therefore it is fair for things to evolve in the world of voice apps as well.
For example, the iPod wasn’t the first mp3 player to reach the market (either the second, third or even fifth), yet its success comes from the fact that Apple was one of the first companies to attempt to understand the entire “music listening” experience. They understood customers expected a certain level of features but by the same token they knew success would come from making the entire process simple and straightforward.
The integration with iTunes, the innovative navigation mechanisms, the simplicity with which you can upload and download songs, even the fact that it works and you can listen to music out of the box all add up and translate into what I would consider a great experience.
I know some customers don’t have a choice but to deal with a certain company, but with a world that is shrinking as it becomes more and more connected, it should become apparent that differentiation will not come solely from price or features but from service.