Why you need to consider designing for multimodal interfaces

Multimodal interfaces combine smart displays with smart speakers, providing users with multiple modes of input and output. This shift in user experience is driven by the increasing popularity of smart home devices, in-car assistants, and voice games. Multimodal design requires consideration of context, inputs and outputs matching, and expanding designer skillsets to accommodate visual and touch interfaces. The impact of visuals in the voice space is significant, with examples like Snapchat's Voice Scan showcasing the benefits of voice input for specific use cases. As conversational assistants become more popular, multimodal design will open up opportunities for adding varying layers of context to conversations, enhancing user experiences across industries such as banking and customer support. To prepare for large-scale multimodal adoption, conversation designers must integrate visuals and multi-modalities into their work, while visual/UX designers must consider how to bring conversation design into their work. Ultimately, this will lead to a merging or partnering of these functions, resulting in a more comprehensive user experience discipline.