Improving the Design of Telephone-Based Information Systems

Abstract

Telephone information systems using synthetic speech displays have become a common form of communication between a computer and a remote user. The purpose of this study was to examine five variables associated with the design of such telephone information systems: the rate of synthetic speech, the time allowed for user input, the structure of the menu hierarchy, the availability of a diagram of the menu structure, and the amount of augmented feedback provided as the user traversed the menus. Each subject completed 16 searches through the auditory database using the telephone keypad. After each search, the subject transcribed a message presented by synthetic speech. The search task was affected by all variables except feedback. The accuracy of transcription was affected only by the rate of the synthetic speech. Implications for the design of telephone information systems are discussed.