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Create prototypes using voice commands and playback

Last updated on Jan 27, 2022

Adobe XD User Guide
Introduction
Design
1. Artboards, guides, and layers
2. Shapes, objects, and path
3. Text and fonts
  1. Work with drawing and text tools
  2. Fonts in Adobe XD
4. Components and states
5. Masking and effects
6. Layout
7. Videos and Lottie animations
Prototype
Share, export, and review
Design systems
Cloud documents
Integrations and plugins
XD for iOS and Android
1. Preview on mobile devices
2. Adobe XD on mobile FAQ
Troubleshooting
1. Known and fixed issues
  1. Known issues
  2. Fixed issues
2. Installation and updates
3. Launch and crash
4. Cloud documents and Creative Cloud Libraries
5. Prototype, publish, and review
6. Import, export, and working with other apps

Learn how to design and prototype using voice commands, speech playback, and audio playback.

You can use voice commands to trigger an interaction between artboards or component states, or for playing speech, audio, video, or Lottie.

Set Voice as the trigger, and enter the voice command. As action type, choose Transition, Auto-Animate, Overlay, Scroll To, Previous Artboard, Audio Playback, Speech Playback, Video Playback, or Lottie Playback. For example, if you are integrating voice search in a mobile app, you can use Voice and Speech Playback to automatically transition between artboards.

Add a voice command to a prototype

Switch to Prototype mode.
To define an interaction, click the blue connector on the source object, component state, or artboard. Set the following options in the Property Inspector:
- Trigger: Set to Voice.
- Command: Enter the voice command as text.
- Action: Set to Transition.
- Destination: Set the destination artboard or component state.
- Animation: Set animations based on the available options.
- Easing: Set easing based on the available options.
- Duration: Set the duration in seconds.
Set voice triggers for artboards

A. Set Trigger to Voice B. Enter voice command as text

Set voice triggers for component states

A. Set Trigger to Voice B. Enter voice command as text C. Set Destination to a component state
To define more than one interaction for an object, component state, or artboard:
1. Select it and click + on it. Alternatively, click + in the Property Inspector.
2. Set the properties in the Property Inspector.
You can apply Tap, Drag, Hover, and Time triggers only once, and Voice, Keys & Gamepad many times.

Use multiple triggers to define more interactions
To view the changes you have updated, select the Desktop Preview button .
To preview the transition to the next artboard or component state, hold down the spacebar and repeat the voice command.

Add playback to a prototype

Add an audio playback
- Add multiple actions on a single trigger

Add a speech playback

Add an audio playback

Use the Audio Playback action to add sound effects to your prototypes. For example, an audio confirmation after the successful delivery of an email. You can import an audio as an MP3 or a WAV file.

To add audio playback on an object or artboard, perform the following steps:

In Prototype mode, select the object or the artboard.
In the Property Inspector, set the following options:
- Click + to add the interaction.
- Trigger: Set to Tap.
- Action: Set to Audio Playback, and then browse and add the audio file.
Auto-play of audio works on Safari only if you have enabled auto-play in Safari settings. To enable auto-play for XD prototype links, see Enable auto-play of sound on Safari.

Add multiple actions on a single trigger

You can add a non-transitional action such as an Audio Playback with a primary transitional action such as Transition or Auto-Animate on a single trigger. For example, a mouse-clicking sound when you transition from one artboard to another.

To add multiple actions to your prototype, perform the following steps:

In Prototype mode, select the object or the artboard on which you want to add multiple actions.
In the Property Inspector, set the following options:
- Click + to add the interaction.
- Trigger: Set to Tap.
- Set the first Action + button (transitional action) to Transition, Auto-Animate, Overlay, Scroll To, or Previous artboard.
- Set the second Action + button (non-transitional action) to Audio Playback or Speech Playback.
Set multiple actions to an object or an artboard

The second Action + button in the Property Inspector is enabled only when you set Tap as the trigger. In addition, if you set a non-transitional action such as Audio Playback or Speech Playback as the first action, the second Action + button is not enabled.

Add a speech playback

To add speech playback on an object or an artboard, perform the following steps:

Drag a wire from the source artboard to the destination artboard.
To add a speech playback, in the Property Inspector, set the following options:
- Trigger: Set to Time.
- Delay: Set the time delay (in seconds) to define when the speech playback should start.
- Action: Set it to Speech Playback.
- Voice: Choose a voice for the speech playback.
- Speech: Type in the text you want for the speech playback.
Use speech playback

A. Set Trigger to Time B. Set time delay in seconds C. Set Action to Speech Playback D. Set Voice E. Type in the text for the speech playback
To preview the changes, click the Desktop Preview button .
To preview the speech playback transition to the next artboard, hold down the spacebar and repeat the voice command.

Preview speech playback

Add a voice narration to a prototype

In Prototype mode, select the Home screen where the start of the flow is set and click the Desktop Preview button.
Select the drop-down arrow next to the record button and select Enable Microphone (macOS). If you are on Windows, enable microphone through an OS-level control in Gamecenter. When recording, watch out for the red icon that flashes on the interface.
Save the recording as an MP4 file, and share it with your stakeholders or post it in social media.

This doesn't directly capture audio output from XD, such as speech playback. The mic overhears or records the output depending on the user setup (the system mic would hear the system speakers play the speech playback).

Share and review the prototype or design specs link on the web

In the desktop app, click the Share icon at the upper right and choose Design Review(for prototypes) or Development(for design specs).
When previewing a prototype on a:
- Desktop or laptop: Hold down the spacebar.
- Adobe XD Mobile app (iOS/Android): Use a long press gesture anywhere on the screen. Place your finger on the screen (without moving it) and use the voice command before lifting your finger back.
- Mobile browser on a smartphone: Hold down the microphone icon in the lower right-corner of the screen.
When previewing design specs, developers can read or view the voice commands and speech playback as text.

Design specs do not support voice interactions.

Enable auto-play of sound on Safari

By default, auto-play of sound is disabled on Safari. To enable auto-play of sound on XD prototype links, follow the steps given below:

Open an XD prototype link on Safari.
On the macOS menu bar, navigate to Safari > Preferences.
In the Websites tab, select Auto-Play in the left pane.
In the Allow the websites below to automatically play media window, choose Allow All Auto-Play next to xd.adobe.com

This setting ensures that sound on XD prototype links works automatically in future.

Enable sound on Chrome

When running a prototype on Chrome, if you get an error that there was a problem with the playback action, enable sound in Chrome settings.

Follow the steps given below to enable sound on XD prototype links in Chrome settings:

In the Chrome address bar, type chrome://settings/content/sound. Press Enter.
In the Customized behaviors section, click Add next to Allowed to play sound, and add https://xd.adobe.com.

This setting ensures that audio plays on XD prototype links in the future.

Enable sound for XD prototype links in Chrome settings

Troubleshoot voice interactions using notifications

You can now troubleshoot voice triggered interactions during prototype previews on the desktop or web. Stakeholders, who review the design specs can also use this feature to better understand how to interact with your prototype in Adobe XD.

Before talking to your prototype during preview, ensure that the Show Notifications menu option is checked. By default, this menu option is in checked state when you launch Adobe XD.

Each command you speak to XD is matched against all the voice triggers present on that current artboard or component state. If no match is found, you receive a notification stating No match found for: {the command you spoke}. Seeing what XD heard helps you determine why a match is not being made each time you speak.

There can be different reasons a match can’t be found. Perhaps the voice command spoken isn’t being used in any interactions on that artboard or component state. Or maybe the speech-to-text service is returning an unexpected result.

For example, you may decide to add the phrase two dollars as a voice command in an interaction. But when spoken, the speech-to-text service may return a result of $2.00. Because numerals replaced words in the notification, you will now know to change the interaction to use numerals instead of words.

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