From typing to talking: designing Nova's voice experience

Nova launched in 2023 as a text-based AI mental health coach. From day one, clients and users asked for voice mode. It's a more natural way to talk through difficult moments, and people speak around 3x faster than they type. In a mental health context, that meant taking extra care with safety and conversation quality, and making sure we weren't just recreating a common AI chatbot experience but building something that felt uniquely supportive. Done right, voice also had the potential to unlock deeper, more natural conversations and better support outcomes.