What makes a good conversational user experience? One of the goals of a conversational experience is to shorten the process of getting the information a user asks for. And, just like a human conversation, the back and forth should be in a format and length that’s digestible and to the point. Therefore, while conversational experience may make sense for certain use cases, it should be avoided for others.

Use this checklist to figure out if a use case will benefit from conversation design. Not all items need to be checked off, but a good use case should have some items from each category.

Checklist

Conversations are Efficient and they Increase Productivity

• Will the task take less time to complete?
• Will the task take fewer steps to complete?
• Is the information difficult to find?
• Does the task span multiple apps?
• Do users perform the task frequently?

Conversations are Natural and Clear

• Can the output be understood in short form, whether by voice or with a visual?
• Can the task be completed with minimal back­ and ­forth dialogue?
• Will the conversation make the information easier to understand?

Conversations Move Users Towards Completing their Task

• Can the task be started and picked up later?
• Does the task have a clear beginning and end?

Conversations Provide Flexibility

• Can users perform the task while multitasking?
• Can users perform the task hands­free?