About Face Design Frameworks and Refinement

Design Framework

Defines the overall structure of the user experience.

Interaction Framework Component

Rough sketches of screens and behaviors.

Visual Design Framework Component

Detailed rendering of a single screen archetype.

Industrial Design Component

Rough physical model developed with form language studies.

Service Framework Component

Models of information exchange for each touchpoint.

Form Factor

The physical hardware shape, like a phone or web desktop.

Posture

How much attention a user dedicates to interacting with a product.

Input Method

How users interact with a product, such as touch or keyboard.

Data Elements

Subjects of interactive products affected by users, like photos or records.

Functional Elements

Tools to visually and structurally manage data elements.

Functional Groups and Hierarchy

Grouping elements to best help the persona's taskflow.

Interaction Framework Sketching Phase

The 'rectangles phase' focusing on overall layout without details.

Key Path Scenario

Describes how a persona interacts with a product using interaction vocabulary.

Validation Scenarios

What-if questions used to check designs against edge cases and alternatives.

Validation Scenario Categories

Alternative, necessary-use, and edge-case use scenarios.

Experience Attributes

3 to 4 adjectives defining a product's tone, voice, and brand.

Visual Language Studies

Explores visual treatments like color, type, and dimensionality.

Screen Archetype Visual Application

Applying selected visual styles to key screens.

Industrial Design Collaboration

Early collaboration on form factor and input methods.

Form Language Studies (Industrial)

Exploring physical styles like shape, finish, and dimensionality.

Customer Journeys

Descriptive narrative of an individual persona's use of a service.

Service Blueprint

Describes touchpoints and 'backstage' delivery processes.

Refinement Phase

Translates the design into a final concrete form.

Developer Input in Refinement

Critical for translating sketched storyboards into full-resolution screens.

Visual Style Guide

A maintained document of the product's visual style standards.

Form and Behavior Specification

Document with screen renderings and detailed callouts for coding.

User Feedback Sessions

Informal sessions to identify major interaction framework problems.

Usability Test

Evaluates first-time use through predetermined tasks.

Naming Test Focus

Evaluates whether labels make sense and words resonate.

Organization Test Focus

Checks if info is grouped into meaningful categories.

Discoverability Test Focus

Determines if common items are easy for new users to find.

Effectiveness Test Focus

Measures if customers can efficiently complete tasks without mistakes.

Summative Evaluations

Tests of completed products used in comparisons and return investigations.

Formative Evaluations

Quick qualitative tests conducted during the design process.

Carolyn Snyder's Contribution

Paper prototyping framework aligned with goal-directed design.

Timing for Formative Tests

Late enough for solid design, early enough for adjustments.

Think-Aloud Protocol

Having participants explicitly state thoughts while performing tasks.

Moderator Bias Reduction

Using a moderator not previously involved with the project.

Designer Involvement in Testing

Crucial for planning studies, observing, and analyzing findings.

Developer vs Marketing Bias

Developers build for experts; marketers focus on beginners.

Perpetual Intermediates

Most users who are neither beginners nor experts most of the time.

Inflecting the Interface

Organizing an interface to minimize typical navigation steps.

Commensurate Effort

People work harder for things that are more valuable to them.

Progressive Disclosure

Hiding advanced or less frequently used controls in an expanding pane.

Frequency of Use Attribute

How often controls or functions are used in daily patterns.

Degree of Dislocation

Amount of change in an interface caused by a specific function.

Degree of Risk Exposure

Dangerous or irreversible functions should be harder to find.

Beginner Needs

Quick instruction focused on operation, not internal mechanics.

Expert Needs

Faster access to working tools and shortcuts to everything.

Target Design Focus

Design primarily for perpetual intermediates while supporting beginners and experts.