Doctoral candidate Smit Desai successfully defended his dissertation, "Designing Metaphor-fluid Voice User Interfaces," on June 10.
His committee included Professor Michael Twidale (chair); Assistant Professor Jessie Chin; Professor Christopher Lueg; and Benjamin Cowan, professor of information and communication studies at University College Dublin.
Abstract: This dissertation explores metaphors in Voice User Interfaces (VUIs), focusing on non-human and fictional metaphors. It examines how these metaphors shape user expectations, perceptions, and functionality, revealing the complexities of human-VUI interactions. A multidisciplinary literature review contextualizes metaphors within Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), highlighting their traditional role in simplifying user interfaces and shaping expectations. Unlike graphical user interfaces (GUIs) that use metaphors like 'desktop,' VUIs have used the 'humanness' metaphor to engage users. This familiar approach often fails to capture the diverse and complex ways users perceive and interact with VUIs. The design experience of developing VUIs for social roles, such as teachers and exercise coaches for older adults, revealed a mismatch between designed personas and user expectations. Users perceive and interact with VUIs in fluid and context-dependent ways influenced by personal experiences and societal norms. The findings highlight user perceptions of VUIs are significantly shaped by the type of metaphor used, the context of the conversation, and the domain of interaction. The research suggests that VUIs should adapt based on these factors, moving towards contextually aware metaphor-fluid design.