ETIP #258

A great Alexa skill needs a developer and a writer

A great Alexa skill needs a developer and a writer

Creating a useful Alexa skill is like writing a play in Javascript. That’s why you need a writer and a developer collaborating closely to create something your customers will love.

Plot the journey:

For instance, how can we get our user from launching the skill to ordering her favorite sandwich as quickly and easily as possible? All the interactions along the way are called Intents, and they’re the plot points along your user’s journey.

Create believable dialogue:

If you want your skill to be easy to use, you’ll need a writer with a good ear for human dialogue to write in all the ways a user could express her Intent at every stage of the journey. It’s the only way to ensure that Order ham and cheese, Can I have the ham and cheese?, Gimme ham and cheese – and everything in between – will accomplish what the user wants.

Write a relatable character:

People use voice assistants, like Alexa, because they’re convenient and conversational. Working together, a writer and developer can script the pace, timing, delivery and personality required for Alexa to deliver a relatable and brand-consistent experience to your users.