Smarter Siri

Siri that understands context

Own ideation and design - This is one of those 3AM ideas that you frantically jot down so you don't forget

CONTEXTUAL CONVERSATION

Traffic

Hey there, there was an accident on the route you usually take, why don't you take a different route today?

Thanks a lot Siri, I have a meeting I can't be late for. You might have just saved my job

Battery

Hey there, you have a lot of apps open that's draining your battery. Why don't you close a few you are not using?

Thanks a lot Siri, I had no idea I have too many applications open and I could save battery by closing them

Weather

Hey there, looks like it's going to rain soon, maybe you should grab an umbrella or coat if you plan on being outside?

Thanks a lot Siri, I am actually outside right now so I'll go to a place where I won't ruin my favorite suit

IMAGINE THIS

This is Mr. Chan

Mr.Chan is late and rushing and is not paying attention to what's happening outside

Little does he know that there is a storm heading his direction

Siri alerts Mr.Chan about the weather so he can prepare for it

Now that Mr. Chan is aware, he takes an umbrella to not get wet. He is also eternally grateful to Siri

WHAT MAKES A GOOD CONTEXTUAL MESSAGE?

Knowing your user

Understanding your user even to some basic level can help a lot when you are designing for them. Having information like when their birthday is, what kind of food they like, what kind of shows they enjoy watching can help design a beneficial user experience for the user.

Knowing the immediate environment

Understanding the environment the user is in can help capture the day, time, location and send messages appropriate to the situation.

Knowing what the world is upto

Understanding what is happening somewhere else may help identify the situation the user is in and respond accordingly.

The true magic of a perfect contextual message comes into play when not one or two but all three of the above mentioned points combine together. Understanding the user, the situation they are in and how it is tied to the outside world is where the magical user expereince lies

INFINTE USE CASES

No personal information

Siri can still be provide valuable suggestions to the user even if the user has given no information to Siri. Using the users location and events surrounding the location, Siri can come up with a few context based messages.

This is my favorite example, imagine if it is about to rain and you are completely unaware of it due to whatever reason. Having this information at the right time can help you from not being stuck in traffic to not falling sick

Usually an alert is sent when the battery is low, Siri lets you know before hand how to avoid a low battery situation

Providing preemptive traffic alerts always saves time for the user, especially for the kinds who don't use navigation apps

If Siri knows you are a regular Uber user, then Siri can keep track of the surge pricing trends and let you know when they are high or low

With user personal information

Siri can become really smart if she has some basic information about the user, looking up the user's calendar let Siri provide suggestions for birthdays and recommendations for dinner