Where We ve BeenWhere We Must Go

Where We've Been ”Where We Must Go

The only way to improve as a designer is to design ”a lot. As the number of speech-recognition applications multiply, some styles will emerge as standards. We've already begun to see that happen with particular commands and phrases. However, great designers ”iconoclasts ”will know when to break these standard conventions (because they know them so well), producing new ones that will capitalize on both our instincts as humans as well as the common parlance of their society.

Examine things that are seemingly disparate from speech interfaces so that you can learn the underpinnings of how other people communicate in other ways. Learn about sign language to understand a language that has radically different syntax, examine painting to understand how the idea of rhythm is expressed without sound, examine how other people criticize things you love, to learn why they've come to their conclusions, then design. Design a lot.