Great article. Great topic. I certainly agree that less is more nowadays when it comes to human computer interaction. To me, conversational as outlined here is not going far enough. Typing is itself a heavy interaction. Having a dialogue is good, but, I shouldn’t have to type. I should just respond. Applications that will have profound change on our future will get this.

I would challenge designers to think beyond designing a conversation. Instead, design the language the machine uses when it interacts with the human. Design ways for the machine to pick up nuances in your everyday vocabulary to adapt its own language to speak more pursuasively to its audience.

To me this is the real promise of the smart watch. I shouldn’t have to type. The product should predict my needs based on the data it has about me, proactively reach out to me to see if he/she is right, and allow me to simply choose from a handful of potential paths. It should happen in an instant and without a second lost from what I was currently doing.

Once this happens machines will be in the background. We will live in the moment. And the machines will silently handle all of the legwork we used to do on a daily basis.