Sample Dialogs: The Key to Creating Great Actions on Google

Cathy Pearl, Head of Conversation Design Outreach at Google, emphasizes the importance of writing sample dialogs as a fundamental step in designing conversational systems for Actions on Google. Sample dialogs, resembling film scripts, guide the development of user interactions by mapping out potential conversational paths before any coding begins. Pearl notes that many developers skip this step, mistakenly thinking that conversation design only pertains to the surface-level words users see or hear. However, she explains that it influences the entire structure of an experience, including backend integration and error handling. By drafting sample dialogs, developers can identify issues such as overwhelming users with information, failing to invite user input, and inadequate error prompts. Writing sample dialogs helps refine the interaction flow, ensures better user experience, and reduces the likelihood of future design flaws. Google provides guidelines for creating effective conversational designs, encouraging designers to read dialogs aloud, avoid branching paths, and iterate based on feedback.