Alexa Email

UX / Voice & Multimodal Lead Designer

Amazon | Launched 2018
Email on the Go
Santa Clara, CA

Purpose

Even with advanced email apps on mobile and desktop, checking email still requires users to switch focus. With Alexa email, users can seamlessly inquire about their emails without interrupting their current activities. Alexa provides a summary of new emails, allowing users to decide whether to delve deeper or continue with their tasks.

Interaction Design Leadership

I led the design of the conversation and multimodal interaction for email checking with Alexa. Collaborating with with linguistics experts, I crafted dialogue flows and the interaction design, aligned with Alexa's system design, ensuring a seamless experience across devices. Iterative testing refined the process, prioritizing user convenience.

Outcome

The result is a seamless email-checking experience that combines voice interaction with visual cues for efficient email management. This approach enhances users' productivity and control over their inbox, offering a conversational and intuitive way to check emails, particularly in hands-free environments.

Design Process

I developed Lo-Fi prototypes for initial dialogue creation, refining interactions through role-play sessions. I created user scenarios to set the vision and conducted tests with online users on UserTesting.com, iterating on wireframes and early prototypes to ensure a balanced integration of touch gestures and voice interactions.

Research Insights

Scenario & Storyboard

Mary hears an email notification on her phone while making breakfast. Instead of interrupting her flow, she says, "Alexa, check my email." Alexa responds promptly, "You have two unread emails and one important email from Susan about the upcoming meeting." Mary, knowing Susan's emails are usually urgent, asks Alexa to read it aloud. Alexa reads the email while Mary continues cooking. If the email is lengthy, Alexa pauses and asks if she should continue reading.

Online Interviews

Using UserTesting.com I conducted online interviews along with the UX Researcher using Multimodal Prototypes.

Response Pattern

The design of the response pattern is a result of the user insights and the iterative testing.

Final design on Multimodal devices

The outcome is a smooth email management experience. Combining a voice-forward interaction with visual support streamlines email sorting, boosting users' efficiency and empowering them with inbox control. Users can effortlessly browse through emails and respond while on the move, making multitasking a breeze in all Alexa devices.

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