Chatbots are a natural extension of the revolution that took place when the web moved from a static state to interactivity. They combine the simplicity of artificial intelligence, beautiful design and exceptional customer experience.
But there is a fine line between good and bad chatbots. That line is defined by the principles of interactive design.
To the end user, "unusable UX" means "I'm out." No matter how visually beautiful your chatbot is, if customers can't easily interact with it, it becomes unnecessary.
If you advocate just a few interaction design principles in your chatbot's UX, even if the aesthetics aren't up to par, your product will still be profitable. Do more, and your chatbot will have a great chance of success.
In this article, we'll look at a few basic interaction design principles that define exceptional design. Armed with them, we'll show you how it applies to creating better chatbots for a more enjoyable and hassle-free user experience.
What is interactive design?
Interactive design, done well, plays a vital role in the user experience and is undoubtedly one of the foundations of any digital product.
John Kolko, author of Thoughts on Interaction Design, describes interaction design as follows:
"...creating a dialogue between a person and a product, system or service. This dialogue is physical and emotional in nature and manifests itself in the interaction between form, function, and technology that is felt over time."
In other words, interactive design is about creating a meaningful relationship between the customer and the product, to the point where the experience is natural, effortless and, if done right, memorable. In the end, the definition of design is not just how an interface looks and feels. It's also how it works.
The superpowers of interactive design
The purpose of interactive design is to attract attention and foster interaction - both of which are good for sales and marketing. Some of the benefits of interactive design are as follows:
Effective communication: Visual representation is a powerful and meaningful communication tool. When used properly, you can effectively communicate with the user with an icon, symbol or graphic that communicates more than hundreds of words in a few pixels.
Influences emotional response: Great design can affect the perception of usability. For example, just the color you use in your chatbot graphics can inspire a sense of calm and serenity or evoke a sense of urgency.
Saving Resources: Interactive design is based on a set of principles, conventions and rules that have been tried and tested to make sure they achieve the desired goal. This is not to stifle creativity, but to create foundational guidelines that save time and money.
IxD's 3 winning principles for chatbot design
Undoubtedly, chatbots have a large number of benefits for companies. Perhaps the biggest of these is better and faster customer service.
But remember, these benefits only come when the chatbot works well and efficiently. If it doesn't work as well as it should, it can have the opposite effect and have a negative impact on customer satisfaction.
1. Consistency
Consistency is usually a key UX principle in most basic product scenarios. This is because consistency allows you to harmonize the elements in your chatbot.
By maintaining consistency and synchronizing input and output formats throughout the conversation, you can improve the teachability of the chatbot.
In other words, chatbots that are consistent across all phases are more quickly learned by users because they require less cognitive load. If each new page, interaction or visual led to different effects, users would have to re-learn how to use the chatbot before moving on.
By using consistent elements throughout the chatbot user interface, you can reduce these risks. It can also increase engagement, eliminate confusion, and reduce user churn.
Ensure internal and external consistency!
Be careful how you use visuals.
In addition to using bold, visible, and aesthetically pleasing visuals, make sure they are relevant. Users should not be faced with a situation where they see a button or image whose purpose is unclear to them.
The buttons and layout should be consistent with your brand. Choose something unique and favor an easy-to-understand button layout that can be used consistently across all chatbot pages. Users should be able to navigate easily when interacting with the bot.
2. Limitations / Prevent errors
The concept of limitations in design is based on the fact that human errors are often unavoidable - and chatbots must be prepared for these unexpected factors. Even if systems are designed perfectly, machines and any artificial intelligence source are still prone to error because humans are involved.
But while the possibility of error is part of the deal, there are ways to mitigate and reduce it.
Provide users with the ability to re-engage with the bot when necessary.
It's easy for people to get interrupted while interacting with a chatbot. Maybe they're having trouble connecting to the Internet, an uninvited guest dropped by, or a dog stopped by. They end up hitting a button or typing something random.
In this case, the chatbot has to solve the problem. The idea is to eliminate conditions fraught with errors and provide users with an easy way out of the situation before they take any negative action, such as leaving the bot.
You can also provide the ability to re-engage with the chatbot if necessary. This is important because it gives users control over the situation. It reminds them that they are in charge and the chatbot is only there to help them achieve their goals.
Preventing mistakes with clear warnings.
The best way to reduce the number of mistakes a user makes is to anticipate possible mistakes and prevent them from occurring by setting a number of limits.
While it is important for the user to feel comfortable and in control, some skillfully placed restrictions allow users to trust the system and trust that the chatbot will prevent them from making mistakes.
Here are a few methods to prevent errors:
Disable irrelevant features - Programming a chatbot to perform multiple functions is not a bad thing. But if those features don't add quality to the user experience, it's better to drop them.
Use buttons that make navigation easier - Use context-sensitive and simple buttons that unmistakably tell you what will happen when the user clicks on them.
Provide clear instructions and proactive help - offer guidance and walk users through the process. And if they have questions or feedback, make sure your chatbot can provide quality answers and gather open-ended information.
Provide clear warning messages - draw the user's attention to a mistake they've made. But try to do this only as a last resort, so as not to annoy the user unnecessarily.
3. Teachability
How easy is it for a new user to navigate your chatbot?
Aren't they left frustrated and confused?
People have a hard time learning new ways of doing things if they don't add significant value. And yet, people often encounter untested and misunderstood chatbots, giving them a bad reputation.
The best interactive designs don't try to reinvent the wheel, but make effective and new use of patterns.
Users don't want to turn to a chatbot for help, only to then ask another person for help. This will only make them feel insulted or mentally retarded.
Remember that people have hardwired behavior, and most of them operate interfaces based on instincts.
When they encounter a button, their instinct tells them to press it. If they push the button, their instinct tells them that their needs will be met. If their needs are not met after they push the button, their instinct will tell them that they are victims of bad design.
Here are some tips on how to incorporate learnability into your chatbot design:
Include fun elements - Use game patterns and engaging visual elements. Engaging interfaces make it easy for users to learn and remember interactions.
Include familiar elements - Common patterns and components help users feel more comfortable. And the more comfortable they feel with the interface, the more engaged and responsive they will be.
Add options for predictive elements - Some users prefer to interact with chatbots with a set of predefined answers. Others prefer to input responses freely. Take note of this and design your chatbot according to your audience's preferences.
Share progress - After completing an action, show users the progress they've made toward their goal. You can create progress indicators or inform users about what happens next.
If you follow the above three interaction design principles, we have no doubt that your chatbots will not only positively impact your business bottom line, but also delight your customers by turning them into brand advocates.
