Managing audio lists

In general, audio menus should not contain more than a few items; recommended maximums are described in Table 1. There might be times when you have no choice but to present a list of more than the recommended number of items. If so, a good way to manage the list may be by using a “speak to select” strategy or list-scanning commands.

Using a “speak to select” strategy

When presented with a running list of items, users (even first-time users) typically say one of a small number of phrases to interrupt the list when they hear the item they want, including utterances such as “OK”, “Stop”, or “Yes”, or simply repeating the target item. For example:

System: 
When you hear the name of the desired video, please repeat it:
The Maltese Falcon
Gone with the Wind
The Nutty Professor
The War of the Worlds
User:

Yes.
System:

Adding “The War of the Worlds” to your shopping cart.
Note: The prompt still suggests that the user repeat the desired movie name (rather than just saying “yes') because this strategy takes some of the time pressure off the user. The user can choose an item even after several additional selections have been read.

Using list-scanning commands

For very long lists, you may want to consider providing list-scanning commands that permit bi-directional navigation, such as BACKWARD, FORWARD, NEXT, PREVIOUS, TOP, and BOTTOM.

Unless you have previously identified that the user has experience with the system, you should plan to announce these list-scanning commands before presenting the list. You may also want to consider using special audio tones as feedback for the recognition some of these commands. For example:

User:

List the stocks in my portfolio.
System: 
Your portfolio has fifty stocks. You can use the commands FORWARD, BACKWARD, 
NEXT, PREVIOUS, TOP and BOTTOM to control the playback of this list.
General Motors 
IBM 
General Mills 
Hannaford Brothers 
Eastman Kodak
User:

Backward.
System: 
(backward tone)
Eastman Kodak 
Hannaford Brothers 
General Mills
User:

Forward.
System: 
(forward tone)
General Mills 
Hannaford Brothers
User:

Price.
System:

The current price for Hannaford Brothers is 25 7/8, up 1/8.
User:

Next.
System:

The current price for General Mills is 87 3/4, down 1/4.
User:

Bottom.
System: 
(bottom tone)
The current price for Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is 54, unchanged.
User:

Backward.
System: 
(backward tone)
Wal-Mart Stores Inc.
Kellogg Company
Monsanto Company
(etc.)