Digital Modeling for Everyone: Exploring How Novices Approach Voice-Based 3D Modeling

TL;DR

This paper investigates how novices understand and interact with voice-based 3D modeling, aiming to lower barriers for digital fabrication by analyzing user mental models and providing design recommendations for voice assistants.

Contribution

It presents a detailed study of novice mental models in voice-based 3D modeling and offers design implications for improving voice assistant interactions.

Findings

Novices struggle with vague and incomplete commands.

Effective voice assistants need straightforward commands for simple and composite objects.

Multiple strategies are required for object selection in voice interfaces.

Abstract

Manufacturing tools like 3D printers have become accessible to the wider society, making the promise of digital fabrication for everyone seemingly reachable. While the actual manufacturing process is largely automated today, users still require knowledge of complex design applications to produce ready-designed objects and adapt them to their needs or design new objects from scratch. To lower the barrier to the design and customization of personalized 3D models, we explored novice mental models in voice-based 3D modeling by conducting a high-fidelity Wizard of Oz study with 22 participants. We performed a thematic analysis of the collected data to understand how the mental model of novices translates into voice-based 3D modeling. We conclude with design implications for voice assistants. For example, they have to: deal with vague, incomplete and wrong commands; provide a set of straightforward commands to shape simple and composite objects; and offer different strategies to select 3D objects.