Insights
Strategy
Customer Experience

Navigating the New Frontier of Conversational Design

Peter McNulty
Head of UX
June 28, 2023

In the ever-transforming landscape of Customer Experience, Momentum finds ourselves continually drawn to the remarkably captivating, awe-inspiring, yet-to-be discovered potential of conversational AI. The foundational technologies include Natural Language Understanding (NLU), Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR), Text to Speech (TTS), and Machine Learning (ML).

We are driven by the purpose these technologies serve and the transformation they promise, fueling our commitment to push the boundaries of what’s possible. Their vast potential draws us in, like explorers drawn to a new frontier, eager to unearth and leverage their untapped potential in our constant quest to improve and innovate the digital product experiences we create.

We're on a thrilling journey at Momentum, steering through a substantial transition into the fresh, unexplored realms of AI-powered conversational design. This "time to value" juncture inspires the entire industry to push past limitations, to foster innovation, and to strike a delicate balance between current realities and visions of the future, And we need to do it swiftly.

Examining the current landscape

While conversational design isn't exactly new, it has notably impacted our digital world. It provides a medium for customers to converse with businesses via messaging apps, voice assistants, and the like. But the rise of AI, particularly advancements like ChatGPT, has added an unprecedented layer of sophistication and intelligence to potential interactions. It gives us the capacity to curate experiences that seem more human than ever, opening a world of possibilities for personalized customer engagement.

This sea change brings to light the crucial role of AI-driven customer journey orchestration in shaping these experiences. AI isn't limited to answering queries. It employs real-time data to keep every interaction current, relevant, and hyper-personalized. Any action by a customer, whether it's a credit card purchase or just a website visit, can trigger the AI to revamp the journey, suggesting the 'next best action' that dovetails perfectly with their needs.

AI-driven customer journeys are different from their conventional counterparts; they are flexible and customer-centric. They facilitate a multitude of tailor-made options based on the customer's profile or prompts, creating  a dynamic, responsive journey that adjusts to a multitude of variables. This approach ensures every interaction is fresh, relevant, and satisfies each customer's unique needs, strengthening the brand's commitment.

Designing for interface innovations

As we design for business strategies, services, or products, the challenge lies in creating interfaces that are adaptable, intuitive, and can incite engaging dialogues. Our goal is to construct a vast knowledge base using user data; understand customer behaviors, preferences, and challenges; and harness this data to provide personalized responses. The endgame is to guide the conversation effortlessly to accomplish the user's intended outcome, without unnecessary diversions.

Guided by the principle of simplicity, we strive to assist users in their decision-making processes. Whether customers are making a purchase, seeking information, or navigating a complex procedure like securing a mortgage, the AI-driven interface should anticipate user needs; provide precise, timely information; and guide users through the process with minimal friction.

An effective conversational interface is a virtual agent that interacts with users in an intuitive way. Important elements include understanding natural language; providing relevant and useful responses; managing complex dialogues; and learning and adapting over time. By incorporating these key elements, we can build a more efficient virtual agent that offers a seamless and engaging user experience.

Being responsible

Yet, as we innovate and create, we're always reminded of two indispensable themes - ethics and accessibility. We are committed to designing AI-powered experiences responsibly, ensuring our products respect user privacy, maintain transparency, and are universally accessible. This ethical, inclusive approach doesn't just fulfill our duties as designers; it also fosters trust with our users.

This is an exciting time for us at Momentum. Now armed with next-generation AI tools and a human-centered approach to customer journey orchestration, we are ideally positioned to redefine digital product design and promote more engaging, satisfying, and human-like interactions. As thought leaders, we aren't merely designing for the future, we're actively shaping it. The future of CX is here, and it is conversational.

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