What is Zero UI?
We all know about UI (User Interface), which enables users to navigate around digital devices to perform tasks and use the device. UI is one of the most important fundamentals when designing a product in order to allow users to use the device efficiently and effectively. It’s not helpful when it takes 10 clicks to turn the wifi off. However, the introduction of home assistant that doesn’t have any visual interface poses a different task for product and UI designs as these devices have no visual cues to help navigate the device as these devices are about verbal instructions. Here is where Zero UI comes in. Zero Ui focuses on the verbal UI ensuring the correct steps and questions are asked at the correct time to make sure that the user is not lost when a question is asked. Even the responses to answer will need to be correct in order for the user to acquire the information they require. For example, you ask for a recipe for chicken pie and the instructions to create the dish. When reading the instructions to the recipe, the home assistant would need to wait for the user to finish producing the current before moving on however the home assistant would need a response. Therefore the instructions between the user and home assistant would need to be efficient in order to complete the task in a timely manner or even have the home assistant prompt the user whether they are finding something difficult and they the home assistant to display a visual tutorial on the television screen. Some home assistants may be paired with televisions which could help with the visual UI as the user can see however if the customer started with voice search then the user is most likely want to continue with their voice to navigate the website, service or product.
What Does This Mean For Digital Marketers?
For digital marketers, it poses a difficult task to ensure they become the best answer to a question and that certain phrases make sure that their brand is spoken/recommended first. From SEO to customer reviews and being relevant. Digital marketers will also have to pay for their brands to be the first brand that the home assistant recommends but it could be according to a phrase. The result is that phrases will be heavily invested to ensure that their brand is recommended first.
It is estimated that by 2020, 50% of all searches will be conducted by voice and 30% of all browsing sessions will be done without a screen.