Designing Interactions

why is it challenging to design interactive system?

have to think about both usability and functionality
there are different contexts that a system may be in

what are the 3 components that make up system context?

safety
performance
satisfaction

each weighted differently depending on the context

what is the context for high-risk domains?

high safety
low performance
low satisfaction

what is the context for workplace systems?

high safety
high performance
low satisfaction

what is the context for cuonsumer products?

high safety
low performance
high satisfaction

what do we ned to consider when designing interactive systems?

empathy for user
anticipate the view of the user
motivations
actions to complete the task
the context (eg. consumer? focus on satisfaction)

why is achieving good design hard?

hard for designers to be objective since they know so much about their product already
focus too much on functionality which may not be what the consumer wants
subjective and dependant on the content

what an we do to achieve good design?

follow design principles
evaluate and test

what are design principles?

guidelines to assist the thought process when designing

what are design principles based on?

theory (cognitive science/ understanding human though processes)
common sense
experience (consultancy)

What are the 5 main design principles?

visibility
feedback
constraints
consistency
affordance

what is visibility?

the more visible a function the more likely the user will use it + use easily and correctly

what is an example of visibility?

(eg. controls for a car - horn)
sensor technology (taps with sensors) are hard for people to learn to control as sensors hard to see

what is feedback?

give feedback about the action a user takes lets them continue the activity, make them awake of mistakes, correct their mistakes
feedback can help visibility

what is an example of feedback?

audio (haptics and haptic sounds) tactile, verbal, visual, combination of feedback
error messages with clear instruction (check connectivity) vs just a 404 error code

what is contraints?

determine/ restrict user interactions at given time
con: can constrain a users interpretation of a problem

what is an example of constraints?

eg. GUI to deactivate certain menu options by grey them out

can be ambiguous (click something by mistake causing things to grey out)
USB designed to only go in one way - physical constraint

what is consistency?

interfaces with similar elements and components for achieving similar tasks - follows rules

easier to learn, use, apply to simple designs
harder to apply for complex designs (word processor that goes through refinement)

what is an example of consistency?

eg. colour scheme for a site, same type of buttons on a physical device

what is affordance?

attributes of an object that allows people to know how to use it (gives clue) - designed to be intuitive

designers must create objects that conform to user needs based on physical and perceptual capabilities, goals and past experience

what is an example of affordance?

eg. mouse invites clicking, computer recycle bin - integrates past experience of real life, buttons to turn light on or off, a handle on a teapot

what other design principles can be considered?

simplicity/ functional minimum
cognitive
engagement
perceivability
learnability
mapping

what is simplicity/ functional minimalism?

functionally simplistic - simple things more likely to be used, task focused per page rather than overload on one page

what is cognitive?

reduce cognitive load (eg. too much info in one setting to process) to understand application

what is engagement?

developed to be interactive, happiness to interact, linking to feedback but on emotional level

what is perceivability?

affordability, interactive media
engagement on a media basis

what is learnability?

interactions easy to learn and remember, link to simplicity and cognitive load

what is mapping?

process that narrows gap between user/ customers' needs and the product - eg. knobs on buttons map to each hob, screen gestures match what our hands are doing (scroll up and down using touchpad)

what happens as a result of applying design principles?

trade-offs

what are trade-offs?

balancing conflicting requirements, dependant on the purpose of the system
not every design principle useful to the concept being designed

what are examples of trade-offs?

eg. multiple types of knives instead of consistent array of knives
too much constraint limits visibility
affordance can make interface cluttered

what is accessible design?

made to target a specific group but does not reach everyone the same
targets those with disability

what is universal design?

accessible to all - disability or not

how is accessible design related to universal design?

a design can work for one target group (accessible design) but doesn't mean that everyone can use (universal design)

what is accessible and universal design based on?

affordance and context

what is the accessible design dilemma?

accessible design can restrict creativity or be complex

how do we create accessible design?

add video captions, transcriptions, always an alternative description to the original content
structural mark up
logically organised content with headings - headings create affordance as users read headings before text
provide feedback text

what is alternative text (alt text)?

auto displayed when images don't load - alt text included on each element under 150 characters

who is alt text used by?

some people who rely on assistive technology (screen-readers) can't perceive information in images without a text or audio alternative

blind
cognitive disability
rely on assistive tech
slow internet
search engines

what makes good alt text?

Is brief
Depends on the image context
Describes the content and function of the image
Should not be redundant or provide same information as the text
Do not use phrases like "image of" or "picture of"
Decorative images still need text

what are the main principles of accessibility?

80% accessibility issues based on blindness
tag hamburg menus so screen readers don't skip them
place important content in view of user
test for accessibility with real uses - not personals
enable zoom on mobile interface
accessibility cheaper done upfront
be aware of visual bias - good design
check mobile accessibility separately
aim for universal design