Toward Metaphor-Fluid Conversation Design for Voice User Interfaces

[Submitted on 17 Feb 2025 (v1), last revised 14 Jul 2026 (this version, v3)]

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Abstract:Metaphors play a critical role in shaping user experiences with Voice User Interfaces (VUIs), yet existing designs often rely on static, human-centric metaphors that fail to adapt to diverse contexts and user needs. This paper introduces Metaphor-Fluid Design, a novel approach that dynamically adjusts metaphorical representations based on conversational use-contexts. We compare this approach to a Default VUI, which characterizes the present implementation of commercial VUIs commonly designed around the persona of an assistant, offering a uniform interaction style across contexts. In Study 1 (N=130), metaphors were mapped to four key use-contexts-commands, information seeking, sociality, and error recovery-along the dimensions of formality and hierarchy, revealing distinct preferences for task-specific metaphorical designs. Study 2 (N=91) evaluates a Metaphor-Fluid VUI against a Default VUI, showing that the Metaphor-Fluid VUI enhances perceived intention to adopt, enjoyment, and likability by aligning better with user expectations for different contexts. However, individual differences in metaphor preferences highlight the need for personalization. These findings challenge the one-size-fits-all paradigm of VUI design and demonstrate the potential of Metaphor-Fluid Design to create more adaptive and engaging human-AI interactions.

Submission history

From: Smit Desai [view email]
[v1] Mon, 17 Feb 2025 08:36:12 UTC (1,456 KB)
[v2] Thu, 23 Oct 2025 06:33:08 UTC (1,454 KB)
[v3] Tue, 14 Jul 2026 05:58:41 UTC (881 KB)