UI is a huge part of creating a website that’s user-friendly in terms of its appearance and interactivity. However, with the rise of AI, this has gone one step further, with something called conversational UI coming into play. Together, graphic design and conversational AI features such as chatbots can ensure that your website’s UI is slicker and more intuitive than ever.

Want to improve your UI? Here’s all you need to know about conversational UI.

What is conversational UI?

Conversational UI is a design approach that puts communication between humans and machines at the forefront of user interactions. It’s a way of designing interfaces that feels natural and intuitive to the user, and it encompasses the use of chatbots, voice assistants, and other conversational technologies to facilitate interactions.

With conversational UI, users can engage with digital experiences in a way that feels like having a conversation with a real person. This approach emphasizes a user-centered design, making it easier for people to interact with technology and accomplish their goals.

This kind of UI has become increasingly important, as it enables businesses to provide more personalized and engaging user experiences that are more likely to keep customers returning to their websites.

How do chatbots and graphic design work together?

Graphic design is a crucial element in creating effective user interfaces for conversational technologies such as chatbots. Automated chatbots, by their very nature, rely on text-based interactions with users; however, incorporating visual design elements into chatbot interactions can enhance the user experience and make it even more engaging.

For example, using graphics, images, and icons in chatbot responses can help to convey information more effectively and make interactions more visually appealing. Additionally, carefully chosen typography, color schemes, and layouts can create a sense of personality for the chatbot and help to establish a brand identity.

The combination of graphic design and chatbots can create a user experience that is functional, visually appealing, and engaging. By designing chatbots with a focus on graphic design, companies can create user experiences that are memorable, fun, and effective in helping their users achieve their goals.

3 tips for improving conversational UI

1. Reduce the amount time users spend typing

It’s natural to think that a conversational interface would use typing as its primary interaction, but typing out a query in full can be pretty time-consuming for a user, especially when making an accidental typo or missing out a word, for instance. A quick resolution is to provide the user with a set of easily-selectable options in addition to the ability to type a custom response, which may make their interaction simpler and more satisfying.

2. Give your chatbot some personality

To personalize conversations, using graphics, charts, images, GIFs, and maps to relay information can make communication feel a little more natural. If you want to make your bot appear more lively and human-like, it’s a good idea to infuse the bot with a little personality and some level of ‘emotion’; give it a name, instruct it to use a tone of voice that will chime with your target audience, and program it to respond to certain interactions using empathy.

3. Combine questions

Conversational UIs often need to gather information before completing a task, but it can become tedious for users to provide one piece of information at a time. If multiple questions can be grouped together, why not present them in a condensed form within the conversation? This way, you can break from the illusion of a natural conversation and save users from the agony of a lengthy back-and-forth.

Integrating conversational UI into your website is a great way of complimenting your UI graphic design. With a site that’s easy to use and looks great, you’ll deliver a consistently satisfying experience to your visitors.