Speech is still a relatively new interface. Technology is
finally starting to catch up to the dreams that we've had since
the invention of the computer itself: dreams of having natural
conversations with computers—something portrayed in countless
science fiction movies, TV shows, and books. But from a UX
standpoint, what does "natural" even mean? The most popular
conception of a natural conversation with a computer is one in
which the user can say anything they want and the computer will
understand and respond appropriately. In commercials, Apple
advertises Siri as a personal assistant that you can seemingly
say anything to. This, however, is far from reality. It’s a
speech designer's job to make it seem as if users can say
anything, when that’s not actually the case. Designers must
develop ways to shape and constrain a user's interactions with
their device. Users must be trained to communicate in an
understandable manner that doesn’t make them feel like they’re
tailoring the way they speak to their devices.