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A master's thesis from Aalborg University
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Ok, Google: Designing information architecture for smart speakers

Author

Term

4. Term

Publication year

2017

Submitted on

Pages

77

Abstract

Dette speciale undersøger, hvilke udfordringer brugere møder, når de skal finde og håndtere information via smarte højttalere, og hvad en informationsarkitekt (IA-designer) kan gøre for at forbedre brugeroplevelsen. Smarte højttalere med stemmestyrede personlige assistenter (fx Google Home og Amazon Echo) er først for nylig blevet udbredt, og forskningen i dem—særligt om deres informationsarkitektur—er stadig begrænset. Specialet ser informationsarkitektur som den strukturelle støtte, der hjælper mennesker med at navigere i et informationsrum, frem for et fast sæt regler. Fordi interaktionen er samtalebaseret og foregår i folks hjem, er kontekst, indhold og den enkelte bruger afgørende for designet. Denne forståelse understøttes af arbejde af Joseph Weizenbaum, Herbert H. Clark, Terry Winograd og Lucy Suchman. For at belyse brugernes hverdagssituationer og udvikle praktiske designretningslinjer gennemgik jeg den eksisterende litteratur om smarte højttalere og beslægtet teknologi og gennemførte 19 brugerinterviews via Skype eller i brugernes hjem. Målet er at bidrage til, hvordan informationsarkitektur kan designes for smarte højttalere og intelligente personlige assistenter, med anbefalinger forankret i brugernes stemmer og erfaringer.

This thesis examines what makes it hard or easy for people to find and manage information when using smart speakers, and what information architecture (IA) designers can do to improve the user experience. Smart speakers with voice-controlled personal assistants (such as Google Home and Amazon Echo) have only recently become widely available, and research on them—especially on their information architecture—remains limited. The thesis treats IA as the structural support that helps people navigate an information space, rather than a fixed set of rules. Because the interaction is conversational and happens in people’s homes, design must be sensitive to context, content, and the individual user. This perspective aligns with work by Joseph Weizenbaum, Herbert H. Clark, Terry Winograd, and Lucy Suchman. To understand everyday contexts and inform practical design guidelines, I reviewed existing literature on smart speakers and related technologies and conducted 19 user interviews over Skype or in users’ homes. The goal is to help shape how IA is designed for smart speakers and intelligent personal assistants by grounding recommendations in users’ voices and experiences.

[This abstract was generated with the help of AI]