This log entry is part of an ongoing series documenting the development of our voice-to-text tool at can.code. For more insights and updates, visit til.lincolnix.org regularly.
*PS, this is Anderson; Outside of this very comment, the article was composed with rubberDucky speech-to-action(TM;) tool, currently in development. I love how the language model quoted me in my rambling, including a section with a handful of “…, you know, … you know…” :D
Creating and Developing a Voice-to-Text Communication Tool This instruction set is based on the transcript of a developer discussing their progress and plans for a voice-to-text communication tool. Let’s break down the key points and steps involved in creating and improving such a tool.
- Initial Deployment and Testing
The first step is to deploy a rudimentary version of the tool for testing purposes.
“I’ve finally deployed this and made it just in a rudimentary way available to test out, I’ve shared with Ethan and my mom and Haley.”
Deploy a basic version of the tool
Share it with a small group of testers (friends, family, or colleagues)
- Recognizing Potential Use Cases
As you develop the tool, be open to discovering new possibilities and use cases.
“My mind is continually just glowing from various possibilities. And one I realized was like kind of a fun messaging system.”
Brainstorm potential applications for the tool
Consider how it can be used for communication in various contexts
- Gathering Feedback
Encourage testers to provide feedback on their experience with the tool.
“For anyone testing this out would like you to try your own recording and give feedback on your thoughts, things that you could see as possibilities for neat tools, but also user interface flow.”
Ask testers to create their own recordings
Collect feedback on:Potential features and toolsUser interface and flowOverall usability
- Improving User Interface
Focus on enhancing the user interface to improve usability and organization.
“I added, you know, just toggle buttons to, you know, display or hide the output and the transcript because, you know, obviously it starts to pile up and there will be other organization efforts for various outputs.”
Implement toggle buttons for displaying/hiding outputs and transcripts
Plan for future organization features for various outputs
Consider different ways to combine and present information
- Implementing a User System
Develop a user authentication system to secure the tool and manage user access.
“The next thing I really need to develop or to implement is a user system right now. This basic auth is just to make sure that the world can’t just start using it or messing with our things.”
Create a basic user authentication system (sign up, log in)
Plan for future enhancements:OAuth integration (Google, GitHub, Facebook, etc.)User access control and permissions
- Addressing Technical Debt
Identify and resolve potential conflicts in naming conventions or code structure.
“I have a technical depth problem already, and that is I should have stopped myself earlier. My spidey sense was going off. There’s this funny thing with some keyword names and I think this will come into an issue when I try to implement a user system.”
Review code for potential naming conflicts (e.g., “session” keyword)
Rename components as necessary to avoid conflicts with user authentication system
- Continuous Improvement
Keep iterating on the tool based on feedback and new ideas.
“Everything else is now going to go into that kind of development where the surface and how we use the tool, different ways that we could combine things, but also just simple usability will be improved pretty quickly.”
Regularly update the tool based on user feedback
Explore new features and combinations of existing functionality
Focus on improving overall usability
Resources for Further Research Voice Recognition APIs - For implementing voice-to-text functionality
UI/UX Design Principles - For improving user interface and experience
OAuth 2.0 - For implementing third-party authentication
By following these steps and continuously improving based on feedback, you can develop a robust and user-friendly voice-to-text communication tool.