8 Directing conversation flow
This chapter covers
- Using questions and limiting choices to guide user interaction
- Creating a dialog with the dialog interface
- Confirming user input
- Handling errors
Ultimately, there is no user interface—on the web, mobile, voice, or anywhere else—that does not benefit from guiding users and helping them land where they want to go. This applies to voice more than other interfaces, because there is no persistent menu to help if a user gets lost, and there is no limit to user input. Compare that with a mobile app: a user can only tap on what’s on the phone, and well-established UI patterns show the user what can be used and what can’t.
Previously, we’ve looked at providing user guidance on what actions are available. In this chapter we’ll build a new skill to see how you can encourage users to give responses the skill can handle once the interaction has already started.