How to design conversational AI agents

Remember when online shopping meant typing specific keywords into a rigid search bar and endlessly scrolling through irrelevant results? Traditional e-commerce search, while common, helps only about 1 in 10 consumers find exactly what they're looking for. 

For designers and developers, this opens up possibilities to deliver on what users expect in the AI era. But what exactly are they looking for, and how can you design an experience that both delights, and helps get them what they need?Conversational AI is a significant leap in online search and shopping, moving towards more natural, personalized, and efficient interactions. By focusing on design principles that prioritize multimodal input, intelligent query handling, rich visual presentation, transparency, and accessibility, retailers can build AI experiences that meet user expectations and transform the online shopping journey. 

Here are seven ways building conversational AI agents can improve the online shopping experience for shoppers– and how ...