Chapter 2: Understanding and conceptualizing interaction

1. Chapter 2: Understanding and conceptualizing interaction Question 1

2. Understanding the problem space • What do you want to create? • What are your assumptions? • What are your claims? Right – In science it’s usually much easier to define the “problem space” you are working in. In ID, however, understanding “the problem” takes as much time as solving it!

3. A framework for analyzing the problem space • Are there problems with an existing product or user experience? • Why do you think there are problems? • How do you think your proposed design ideas might overcome these? • When designing for a new user experience how will the proposed design extend or change current ways of doing things? Problem: How to help students have a green dorm room? Step 1: How do they try to solve that problem now?

4. Conceptual model • “a high-level description of how a system is organized and operates.” (Johnson and Henderson, 2002, p. 26) Question 2

5. Main components • Metaphors and Analogies. • Concepts • Relationships • Concept  User Experience Goals.

6. Benefits • How do users understand the interaction model? • Not to become narrowly focused early on • Establish a set of common terms they all understand and agree upon • Reduce the chance of misunderstandings and confusion arising later on

7. A classic conceptual model: the spreadsheet www.bricklin.com/history/refcard5.htm

8. The Star interface

9. Interface metaphors • Designed to be similar to a physical entity but also has own properties • e.g. desktop metaphor, search engine Question 3

10. Benefits of interface metaphors • Makes learning new systems easier • Helps users understand the underlying conceptual model

11. Problems with interface metaphors (Nelson, 1990) • Break conventional and cultural rules • e.g., recycle bin placed on desktop • Can constrain designers in the way they conceptualize a problem space • Conflict with design principles • Forces users to only understand the system in terms of the metaphor • Designers can inadvertently use bad existing designs and transfer the bad parts over

12. Interaction types • Instructing • Conversing • Manipulating • Exploring Right – Good old GNU Emacs – what type is this?

13. Instructing • Where users instruct a system by telling it what to do • e.g., tell the time, print a file, find a photo • Very common interaction type underlying a range of devices and systems Right - The prototypical Instructing interface – The Linux terminal. Question 4

14. Conversing • Like having a conversation with another human • Examples include search engines, advice-giving systems and help systems • Also included, of course, is having a real conversation with another human, like texting! Right – Typical start of a help session in an application. Question 5

15. Manipulating • Exploit’s users’ knowledge of how they move and manipulate in the physical world • Virtual objects can be manipulated by moving, selecting, opening, and closing them

16. Direct manipulation • Proposes that digital objects be designed so they can be interacted with analogous to how physical objects are manipulated Right – DM in action. The perfectly intuitive interface?

17. Core principles of DM • Continuous representation of objects and actions of interest • Physical actions and button pressing instead of issuing commands with complex syntax • Rapid reversible actions with immediate feedback on object of interest

18. Why are DM interfaces so enjoyable? • Novices can learn the basic functionality quickly • Experienced users can work extremely rapidly to carry out a wide range of tasks, even defining new functions • Intermittent users can retain operational concepts over time • Error messages rarely needed • Immediate feedback • Users gain confidence and mastery and feel in control

19. What are the disadvantages with DM? • Not all tasks can be described by objects and not all actions can be done directly • Some tasks are better achieved through delegating rather than manipulating • e.g., spell checking • Moving a mouse around the screen can be slower than pressing function keys to do same actions

20. Exploring • Involves users moving through virtual or physical environments Question 6

21. A virtual world

22. Extra Credit • Take a look at http://ignorethecode.net/blog/2009/10/13/10_gui/ and write a review of the proposed mode of interaction. • Please turn in a .pdf file by 11:59 PM Friday. Angel – Lessons – Drop Boxes - Extra Credit –Week 9. Question 7

23. Cartoon of the day From http://search.dilbert.com/search?w=easy+to+use&asug=eas&view=list&filter=type%3Acomic.