Voice reads out without warning. "Time to go to the dentist." Privacy concerns,

Think about GPS directions, and how much its become a joke. Make it better!

Alison's phone announces (badly!) callers with a text-to-voice. Use that as a good sample where it sorta crosses with reminders (it's a notification, with privacy etc. issues) as well as on onscreen readout, but also as an anti-pattern since it launches into it, and is un-understandable).

Needs to probably be after you ack that a message has arrived, so are paying attention, but a valid method for low-vision, or otherwise cog disabled folks. We designed these for PillPhone, so have some of it, but do be prepared to tell me if it's not to the level of pattern, and is wishful thinking.

Problem

Certain classes of users, or any user in certain contexts, must be informed of conditions, alarms, alerts and other contextually-relevant or timebound content without reading the device screen.

Solution

Much as Notifications appear on the device screen (and sound alarms and blink the LED) when messages arrive or other such alerts activate, Voice Reminders read the content of a notification so they can be used when the device is not in the hand, or cannot be viewed.

These can be especially useful for users or contexts in which reading would be difficult. A common case is turn-by-turn directions. The reminders are based on telemetry information instead of time (like alarms) or remote information (like messages), but the principle is identical; a message is read, without specific user input, at the relevant time.

Voice Reminders also allow the screen to remain available for the display of other content. It may be able to be glanced at to retrieve certain types of data (such as a map, in the navigation example), but not to the detail that text can be read easily or safely.

Variations

In context - like turn by turn directions

Change of context - Alerts, out of the blue

Voice output that is requested to be presented, or the use of voice to navigate the device UI is discussed under the Voice Readback pattern.

Interaction Details

just happens, no control over the initiation at the moment it begins

but can be cancelled... think of snoozing an alarm clock: the alarm must remain in some format...

display on screen, or allow access to the text. also allow access to reading it again.

and volume must work!

Presentation Details

"Uh..." equivalent, such as a tone, to make user aware the device is going to make a sound, and so on... look it up...

and "uh" acclimation issues (look up research, people understand each other due to a tone/volume/accent level setting by our "uh's").

Use syntax that makes it clear what is being communicated...

Use caution when choosing what sort of content will be read -- and to what level of detail. Alerts will generally be sent through the speaker, so have minimal privacy. Since anyone nearby can hear, messages must be formatted to be general or have no explicitly secret information, and the user should be reminded of this risk when setting up Voice Reminders.

Use a consistent voice and tone of voice, so the user can become accustomed to the reminder, and be able to comprehend the intent without listening as closely to opening phrases.

Antipatterns

Give users a moment to acclimate to the voice, even after any notification tones. Directions such as "Turn Right in 500 yards" are often not useful, as the user is still acclimating to the voice speaking through the direction statement; they may only hear "... in 500 yards." An alternative example would be "Turn coming up... turn right in 500 yards."

The voice used must be as understandable as possible. Text-to-voice translation of names, especially, can be difficult to understand or improperly pronounced. If quality is too low with the available hardware and software, do not implement the solution.

Examples