Introduction

The SUI guidelines presented here are just that: guidelines. In some cases, the requirements and objectives of particular VoiceXML applications may present valid reasons for overriding certain guidelines. Furthermore, these guidelines address the design points we have found to be the most important in producing speech/audio user interfaces, but are not as comprehensive as those found in a book dedicated to the topic. Finally, keep in mind that while the following guidelines can help you produce a usable application, they do not guarantee usability or user satisfaction; you should plan to conduct usability tests with your application. (See Design methodology.)

Note: The guidelines and referenced publications presented in this information are for your information only, and do not in any manner serve as an endorsement of those materials. You alone are responsible for determining the suitability and applicability of this information to your needs.

The goals of the guidelines presented in this section include:

Helping you create standardized, well-behaved VoiceXML applications
Reducing development time by teaching current best practices in SUI (SUI) design
Increasing the usability of the SUI and reducing the end user's learning curve by promoting consistent computer output and predictable user input
Decreasing the amount of rework required after prototype testing