Building a Voice Assistant UI from Audio Command Video Demos

TL;DR: Replay allows you to generate a fully functional UI for a voice assistant application directly from video demonstrations of user interactions.

The challenge of building intuitive voice assistant UIs is significant. Developers often struggle to translate abstract audio commands into concrete visual representations and functional components. Existing solutions rely on static designs or manual coding, failing to capture the dynamic nature of voice-driven interactions. This is where behavior-driven reconstruction, powered by Replay, offers a revolutionary approach.

Understanding Behavior-Driven Reconstruction#

Traditional UI development often starts with static mockups or wireframes. With voice assistants, this approach falls short because the user interface is inherently reactive and driven by voice commands. Replay tackles this by analyzing videos of users interacting with voice assistants, understanding the intent behind each command, and then automatically generating the corresponding UI elements and logic.

Instead of just seeing what pixels are on the screen (like screenshot-to-code tools), Replay understands why those pixels changed based on the audio command. This allows for a more accurate and functional reconstruction of the UI. We call this "Behavior-Driven Reconstruction" - video as the source of truth.

Replay: From Video to Functional Voice Assistant UI#

Replay leverages the power of Gemini to analyze video demonstrations of voice assistant interactions and generate working code. This dramatically accelerates the development process, allowing you to focus on refining the user experience rather than writing boilerplate code.

Key Features for Voice Assistant UI Generation#

Replay offers several key features that make it ideal for building voice assistant UIs:

• •Multi-page Generation: Voice assistants often involve complex workflows spanning multiple screens. Replay can generate complete, multi-page UIs from a single video demonstration.
• •Supabase Integration: Easily connect your generated UI to a Supabase backend for data persistence and real-time updates. This is crucial for voice assistants that manage user data or connect to external services.
• •Style Injection: Customize the look and feel of your UI with custom CSS or Tailwind CSS. Replay allows you to inject styles directly into the generated code, ensuring a consistent brand experience.
• •Product Flow Maps: Replay automatically generates visual flow maps of the user interactions, providing a clear overview of the voice assistant's functionality.

Practical Example: Building a Smart Home Control UI#

Let's say you want to build a UI for controlling smart home devices using voice commands. Instead of manually coding the UI, you can simply record a video of yourself interacting with a prototype of the voice assistant.

Here's how Replay can help:

Step 1: Record a Video Demonstration#

Record a video demonstrating the following interactions:

1. •Say "Turn on the living room lights."
2. •The UI should display a confirmation message and update the state of the living room lights icon.
3. •Say "Set the thermostat to 72 degrees."
4. •The UI should display the current temperature and allow you to adjust it using voice commands or on-screen controls.
5. •Say "Play music in the kitchen."
6. •The UI should display the currently playing song and allow you to control playback.

Step 2: Upload the Video to Replay#

Upload the recorded video to Replay. The platform will analyze the video and identify the key user interactions and UI elements.

Step 3: Review and Refine the Generated Code#

Replay will generate the following code:

typescript
// Example code generated by Replay for the "Turn on the living room lights" command
import React, { useState } from 'react';

const LivingRoomLights = () => {
  const [lightsOn, setLightsOn] = useState(false);

  const toggleLights = async () => {
    // Simulate API call to control the lights
    await fetch('/api/lights/livingroom', {
      method: 'POST',
      body: JSON.stringify({ on: !lightsOn }),
      headers: {
        'Content-Type': 'application/json',
      },
    });
    setLightsOn(!lightsOn);
  };

  return (
    <div>
      <h2>Living Room Lights</h2>
      <button onClick={toggleLights}>
        {lightsOn ? 'Turn Off' : 'Turn On'}
      </button>
      <p>Status: {lightsOn ? 'On' : 'Off'}</p>
    </div>
  );
};

export default LivingRoomLights;

💡 Pro Tip: Review the generated code carefully and make any necessary adjustments to ensure it meets your specific requirements. You can also use Replay's style injection feature to customize the look and feel of the UI.

Step 4: Integrate with Supabase (Optional)#

If you want to store the state of the smart home devices in a database, you can easily integrate the generated UI with Supabase. Replay provides seamless integration with Supabase, allowing you to persist data and implement real-time updates.

typescript
// Example code for updating the light status in Supabase
import { createClient } from '@supabase/supabase-js';

const supabaseUrl = 'YOUR_SUPABASE_URL';
const supabaseKey = 'YOUR_SUPABASE_ANON_KEY';
const supabase = createClient(supabaseUrl, supabaseKey);

const updateLightStatus = async (deviceId: string, status: boolean) => {
  const { data, error } = await supabase
    .from('devices')
    .update({ status })
    .eq('id', deviceId);

  if (error) {
    console.error('Error updating light status:', error);
  } else {
    console.log('Light status updated successfully:', data);
  }
};

📝 Note: Make sure to replace

text

YOUR_SUPABASE_URL

and

text

YOUR_SUPABASE_ANON_KEY

with your actual Supabase credentials.

Benefits of Using Replay for Voice Assistant UI Development#

• •Faster Development: Generate working UI code in seconds, significantly reducing development time.
• •Improved Accuracy: Behavior-driven reconstruction ensures that the generated UI accurately reflects the intended user experience.
• •Enhanced Collaboration: Share video demonstrations and generated code with your team for seamless collaboration.
• •Reduced Costs: Automate UI development and reduce the need for manual coding.

Comparison with Existing Solutions#

⚠️ Warning: While Replay automates much of the UI development process, it's still important to review and refine the generated code to ensure it meets your specific requirements.

Optimizing Voice Assistant UI for Accessibility#

When building voice assistant UIs, accessibility is paramount. Here are some key considerations:

• •Clear Visual Hierarchy: Ensure that the UI elements are organized in a logical and intuitive manner.
• •Alternative Input Methods: Provide alternative input methods, such as touch or keyboard, for users who cannot use voice commands.
• •Screen Reader Compatibility: Make sure that the UI is compatible with screen readers, allowing users with visual impairments to interact with the voice assistant.
• •Sufficient Contrast: Use sufficient contrast between text and background colors to ensure readability.

css
/* Example CSS for improving contrast */
body {
  background-color: #121212; /* Dark background */
  color: #ffffff; /* Light text */
}

button {
  background-color: #333333;
  color: #ffffff;
}

Frequently Asked Questions#

Is Replay free to use?#

Replay offers a free tier with limited features. Paid plans are available for users who need more advanced functionality and higher usage limits.

How is Replay different from v0.dev?#

v0.dev primarily focuses on generating UI components from text prompts. Replay, on the other hand, analyzes video demonstrations to understand user behavior and generate complete, functional UIs. Replay excels at capturing the dynamic nature of user interactions, making it particularly well-suited for building voice assistant UIs.

What kind of videos work best with Replay?#

Clear, well-lit videos with minimal background noise work best. Focus on demonstrating the desired user interactions and UI changes. Avoid shaky camera movements and ensure that the UI elements are clearly visible.

What frameworks does Replay support?#

Replay currently supports React, Vue, and Svelte. Support for other frameworks is planned for the future.

Ready to try behavior-driven code generation? Get started with Replay - transform any video into working code in seconds.