Engaging with the Google Assistant
GDG Bronx DevFest
1 Dec 2018
Audio and Photo Credit: CBS Studios
Allen Firstenberg
Software developer / Consultant
Google Developer Expert for Assistant, IoT, Wearables, Identity
http://spiders.com/
http://prisoner.com/
http://prisoner.com/ubi/
Tell me about you
- Mobile or web?
- Alexa or Assistant?
- Mac vs Windows?
- JavaScript?
- Kirk? Picard? Sisko? Janeway? Archer?
What are we talking about?
Photo Credit: CBS Studios / Paramount
What is the Google Assistant?
A conversation
between you and Google that helps you get things done
in your world.
What are Actions on Google?
Actions on Google is the API
that lets you engage in conversations
with other services
through the Google Assistant.
Where Actions Run
Photo Credit: CBS Studios
Who can use Actions?
| en-US | es-US | es-409 | de-DE | ja-JP |
| en-UK | es-EU | es-MX | da-DK | ko-KR |
| en-AU | fr-FR | pt-BR | no-NO | zh-TW |
| en-CA | fr-CA | it-IT | nl-NL | |
| en-SG | th-TH | id-ID | sv-SE | |
| en-IN | hi-IN | ru-RU |
Photo Credit: CBS Studios
How do we build an Action?
- Design
- Develop
- Deploy
Photo Credit: CBS Studios
What can Actions do?
- Query databases based on what the user is asking.
- Collect information for some reason, such as a form.
- Fun things: Quizzes, personality tests, RPGs, quotes.
Can you express it as a conversation?
Photo Credit: CBS Studios
Increased focus on Design
https://actions.google.com/design/
Conversation Design
You're doing it wrong
- Figure out what you want your code to do.
- Decide how you're going to present those results.
- "Build a screen" to get inputs.
Photo Credit: CBS Studios
Conversation Design
Personality
Photo Credit: CBS Studios
Conversation Design
Scripting
Photo Credit: CBS Studios
- Keep in mind how people talk - not how they write.
- Don't make "audible buttons".
- Users may not respond for many reasons.
- There are no errors.
- Users have intent - help them get there.
Test it with developers back to back - one of them acting as the Assistant.
Simple Conversation
- User: Talk to Color Magic
- Action: Welcome to Color Magic, what's your favorite color?
- User: Green
- Action: Your magic number is 5. Goodbye.
Simple Conversation
Deep Linking
- User: Ask Color Magic about green
- Action: Your magic number is 5. Goodbye.
Simple Conversation
"Happy Path"
- User: Talk to Color Magic
- Action: Hi there, to get to know your better, I'll just need to get your name from Google. Is that ok?
- User: Yes
- Action: Hi <name>. What is your favorite color?
- User: Blue
- Action: Your magic number is four. Would you like to hear some fake colors?
- User: Yes
- Action: Which color: Pink unicorn, indigo taco, or blue grey coffee?
- User: indigo taco
- Action: Here is what indigo taco looks like. <display color>
Simple Conversation
"Unhappy Path"
- User: Talk to Color Magic
- Action: Hi there, to get to know your better, I'll just need to get your name from Google. Is that ok?
- User: Yes
- Action: Hi <name>. What is your favorite color?
- User: Blue
- Action: Your magic number is four. Would you like to hear some fake colors?
- User: Yes
- Action: Which color do you want to see: Pink unicorn, indigo taco, or blue grey coffee?
- User: indigo taco
- Action: Here is what indigo taco looks like. <display color>
Building Intents
Fulfillment
app.intent('tell.greeting', (conv, { color, num }) => {
conv.ask(`Dialogflow likes ${color}`, new Suggestions('Ok', 'Cool'))
conv.ask(new BasicCard({
title: 'Card Title',
image: { // Mostly, provide anonymous Objects
url: 'https://www.google.com/images/branding/googlelogo/2x/googlelogo_color_272x92dp.png',
accessibilityText: 'Google Logo',
},
buttons: new Button({ // Wrapper for complex sub Objects, but can also use Objects when needed
title: 'Button Title',
url: 'https://www.google.com',
}),
display: 'WHITE',
}))
})
Photo Credit: CBS Studios
Other Surfaces
Photo Credit: CBS Studios
Discovery
Photo Credit: CBS Studios
https://spiders.com/
https ://prisoner.com/ubi/
Photo Credit: CBS Studios / Paramount
https://actions.google.com/design
https://developers.google.com/actions
Stack Overflow: actions-on-google
https://codelabs.developers.google.com/
(Category: Assistant)
Engaging with the Google Assistant
By Allen “Prisoner” Firstenberg
