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Conversations with Things: UX Design for Chat and Voice
Welcome to the future, where you can talk with the digital things around voice assistants, chatbots, and more. But these interactions can be unhelpful and frustrating—sometimes even offensive or biased. Conversations with Things teaches you how to design conversations that are useful, ethical, and human–centered—because everyone deserves to be understood, especially you.
- GenresDesignNonfiction
321 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 20, 2021
54 people are currently reading
295 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
May 26, 2021
I love that this book is so useful and practitioner-oriented. With each chapter I found new techniques to try. Conversations with Things is staying within reach as it will be a valuable reference for my work. And it was humorous and fun to read!
January 22, 2022
This is quite possibly one of the best books on conversation design to date. Not only do the authors go into detail on the various practices involved in conversation design, they discuss ethical issues around UX design and how conversations could go (very) wrong. On top of the great content is the strong voice that shines through, making an instructional text the antithesis of dry and boring. It’s a great read, and should be on the bookshelf of all current and aspiring conversation designers.
August 29, 2023
Truly one of the best conversation design books out there. A great balance of principles and practical advice, while keeping the topics centered on the humans interacting with your bot.
Whether you’re a current conversation designer or someone who wants to break into the field, this is an invaluable resource.
Whether you’re a current conversation designer or someone who wants to break into the field, this is an invaluable resource.
August 25, 2021
This is a fantastic introduction to the world of conversational design. The authors take a wide view of the conversational design space, but offer practical, actionable advice on how to create high-quality, high-performing, and above all beneficial conversational experiences.
October 10, 2025
The book one of the most thoughtful, human-centered books on conversational UX I’ve read. It blends research, ethics, and practical design guidance to help anyone building chatbots, voice assistants, or AI-driven interfaces craft truly human experiences.
The authors start by grounding conversation design as its own discipline, distinct from traditional UX, where words are the interface. They stress designing for people, not technology, and highlight the ethical implications of bias, accessibility, and inclusivity from the start.
𝗘𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘁:
• Talking Like a Person explores how real human dialogue works, turn-taking, repair, cultural nuance, and how to make systems “talk” naturally.
• Crafting Trustworthy Personalities is a standout, offering a six-part framework (interaction goals, tone, traits, power dynamics, etc.) for creating believable, bias-aware personalities.
• Designing Prompts dives into the craft of writing effective bot lines, clear, concise, and contextual, with examples of how subtle word choices shape user experience.
• Defining User Intent reveals the complexity of understanding what users really mean, and why collaboration between designers and data scientists is essential.
• Documenting Conversational Pathways turns what could be dull flowchart work into a living design tool that keeps teams aligned.
• Throughout, Deibel and Evanhoe weave in ethics, inclusion, and the social impact of “talking tech.” They don’t just teach how to design conversations, they show why it matters.
𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆: This book will save you countless trial-and-error hours and make your conversational experiences more natural, trustworthy, and respectful of real people. A must-read for UX designers, product owners, and anyone curious about the intersection of language and technology.
More: Conversations with Things: UX Design for Chat and Voice
The authors start by grounding conversation design as its own discipline, distinct from traditional UX, where words are the interface. They stress designing for people, not technology, and highlight the ethical implications of bias, accessibility, and inclusivity from the start.
𝗘𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘁:
• Talking Like a Person explores how real human dialogue works, turn-taking, repair, cultural nuance, and how to make systems “talk” naturally.
• Crafting Trustworthy Personalities is a standout, offering a six-part framework (interaction goals, tone, traits, power dynamics, etc.) for creating believable, bias-aware personalities.
• Designing Prompts dives into the craft of writing effective bot lines, clear, concise, and contextual, with examples of how subtle word choices shape user experience.
• Defining User Intent reveals the complexity of understanding what users really mean, and why collaboration between designers and data scientists is essential.
• Documenting Conversational Pathways turns what could be dull flowchart work into a living design tool that keeps teams aligned.
• Throughout, Deibel and Evanhoe weave in ethics, inclusion, and the social impact of “talking tech.” They don’t just teach how to design conversations, they show why it matters.
𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆: This book will save you countless trial-and-error hours and make your conversational experiences more natural, trustworthy, and respectful of real people. A must-read for UX designers, product owners, and anyone curious about the intersection of language and technology.
More: Conversations with Things: UX Design for Chat and Voice
March 22, 2026
Conversations with Things: UX Design for Chat and Voice by Diana Deibel and Rebecca Evanhoe, with a foreword by Kat Vellos, is an exceptionally insightful and forward thinking guide that explores the rapidly evolving world of conversational design.
This book stands out for its ability to bridge the gap between technology and human experience. Deibel and Evanhoe don’t just explain how chatbots and voice interfaces work they dive deep into how they should work. Their emphasis on creating interactions that are ethical, inclusive, and human centered is both timely and essential in today’s digital landscape.
One of the most impressive aspects of this book is its clarity and structure. Complex UX principles are broken down into practical, easy to understand frameworks that designers, product teams, and even non technical readers can apply. The authors’ attention to real-world challenges such as bias, miscommunication, and user frustration adds depth and credibility to the content.
What truly elevates this work is its strong advocacy for empathy in design. The idea that every interaction should make users feel understood is woven throughout the book, making it not just a technical guide but a thoughtful reflection on responsibility in technology.
Conversations with Things is a brilliantly written, highly relevant, and impactful resource. It’s a must-read for anyone involved in UX, product design, or digital communication and a powerful reminder that great technology starts with understanding people.
This book stands out for its ability to bridge the gap between technology and human experience. Deibel and Evanhoe don’t just explain how chatbots and voice interfaces work they dive deep into how they should work. Their emphasis on creating interactions that are ethical, inclusive, and human centered is both timely and essential in today’s digital landscape.
One of the most impressive aspects of this book is its clarity and structure. Complex UX principles are broken down into practical, easy to understand frameworks that designers, product teams, and even non technical readers can apply. The authors’ attention to real-world challenges such as bias, miscommunication, and user frustration adds depth and credibility to the content.
What truly elevates this work is its strong advocacy for empathy in design. The idea that every interaction should make users feel understood is woven throughout the book, making it not just a technical guide but a thoughtful reflection on responsibility in technology.
Conversations with Things is a brilliantly written, highly relevant, and impactful resource. It’s a must-read for anyone involved in UX, product design, or digital communication and a powerful reminder that great technology starts with understanding people.
February 26, 2022
Simply brilliant
If conversational design is of interest or your job, you could do no better than read this book. Thoughtful, well researched, well written and human, I loved this from beginning to end and will not doubt use and reread it many times, a genuine gem. Whether brand new to the field or a seasoned veteran, there is much to learn and enjoy here.
If conversational design is of interest or your job, you could do no better than read this book. Thoughtful, well researched, well written and human, I loved this from beginning to end and will not doubt use and reread it many times, a genuine gem. Whether brand new to the field or a seasoned veteran, there is much to learn and enjoy here.
September 21, 2022
This is a must for anyone interested in conversational AI solutions from a design and ethics perspective.
March 12, 2023
Lot of good points, but it takes ages for me to get through. Just curious how much this Voice UX gets obsolete with ChatGPT.
October 27, 2023
valuable CUI principles even in the area of LLMs
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews