During a recent project, I noticed how frustrating it was for me to type long messages to AI assistants (ChatGPT, Claude). Some times, I would literally say "I wish I could just talk to it". That observation led me to experiment with voice input that felt natural and unintimidating.
The first iterations were quite clunky - too many buttons, confusing states, and users weren't sure when they were actually recording. I stripped everything back to its essence: one button, one purpose. The waveform visualization wasn't part of the original idea, but after several iterations, I added it as some kind of feedback that the voice was being heard.
What you see now is actually version 4 - each iteration got progressively simpler. The subtle animation of the waveform bars gives just enough feedback without being distracting, and the minimal timer keeps users aware of their recording length without making them anxious about time limits.
Implementation Details
Why This Design
Minimalist Interface: Single button interaction reduces cognitive load
Clear Feedback: Visual waveform shows active recording
Adaptive Design: Works across different screen sizes and themes