Understanding Experience in Interactive Systems

1. Understanding Experience in Interactive Systems

2. MODELS OF INTERACTION terms of interaction Norman model

3. Some terms of interaction domain – the area of work under study e.g. graphics design goal – what you want to achieve e.g. create a solid red triangle task – how you go about doing it – ultimately in terms of operations or actions e.g. … select fill tool, click over triangle Note … • traditional interaction … • use of terms differs a lot especially task/goal !!!

4. Donald Norman’s model • Seven stages • user establishes the goal • formulates intention • specifies actions at interface • executes action • perceives system state • interprets system state • evaluates system state with respect to goal • Norman’s model concentrates on user’s view of the interface

5. goal execution evaluation system execution/evaluation loop • user establishes the goal • formulates intention • specifies actions at interface • executes action • perceives system state • interprets system state • evaluates system state with respect to goal

6. goal execution evaluation system execution/evaluation loop • user establishes the goal • formulates intention • specifies actions at interface • executes action • perceives system state • interprets system state • evaluates system state with respect to goal

7. goal execution evaluation system execution/evaluation loop • user establishes the goal • formulates intention • specifies actions at interface • executes action • perceives system state • interprets system state • evaluates system state with respect to goal

8. goal execution evaluation system execution/evaluation loop • user establishes the goal • formulates intention • specifies actions at interface • executes action • perceives system state • interprets system state • evaluates system state with respect to goal

9. Using Norman’s model Some systems are harder to use than others Gulf of Execution user’s formulation of actions ≠ actions allowed by the system Gulf of Evaluation user’s expectation of changed system state≠ actual presentation of this state

10. Human error - slips and mistakes slip • understand system and goal • correct formulation of action • incorrect action mistake • may not even have right goal! Fixing things? slip – better interface design mistake – better understanding of system

11. INTERACTION STYLE dialogue … computer and user distinct styles of interaction

12. Common interaction styles • command line interface • menus • natural language • question/answer and query dialogue • form-fills and spreadsheets • WIMP • point and click • three–dimensional interfaces

13. Command line interface • Way of expressing instructions to the computer directly • function keys, single characters, short abbreviations, whole words, or a combination • suitable for repetitive tasks • better for expert users than novices • offers direct access to system functionality • command names/abbreviations should be meaningful! Typical example: the Unix system

14. Menus • Set of options displayed on the screen • Options visible • less recall - easier to use • rely on recognition so names should be meaningful • Selection by: • numbers, letters, arrow keys, mouse • combination (e.g. mouse plus accelerators) • Often options hierarchically grouped • sensible grouping is needed • Restricted form of full WIMP system

15. Natural language • Familiar to user • speech recognition or typed natural language • Problems • vague • ambiguous • hard to do well! • Solutions • try to understand a subset • pick on key words

16. Query interfaces • Question/answer interfaces • user led through interaction via series of questions • suitable for novice users but restricted functionality • often used in information systems • Query languages (e.g. SQL) • used to retrieve information from database • requires understanding of database structure and language syntax, hence requires some expertise

17. Form-fills • Primarily for data entry or data retrieval • Screen like paper form. • Data put in relevant place • Requires • good design • obvious correctionfacilities

18. Spreadsheets • first spreadsheet VISICALC, followed by Lotus 1-2-3MS Excel most common today • sophisticated variation of form-filling. • grid of cells contain a value or a formula • formula can involve values of other cells e.g. sum of all cells in this column • user can enter and alter data spreadsheet maintains consistency

19. WIMP Interface • Windows • Icons • Menus • Pointers • … or windows, icons, mice, and pull-down menus! • default style for majority of interactive computer systems, especially PCs and desktop machines

20. Point and click interfaces • used in .. • multimedia • web browsers • hypertext • just click something! • icons, text links or location on map • minimal typing

21. Three dimensional interfaces • virtual reality • ‘ordinary’ window systems • highlighting • visual affordance • indiscriminate usejust confusing! • 3D workspaces • use for extra virtual space • light and occlusion give depth • distance effects flat buttons … click me! … or sculptured

22. THREE LEVELS OF DESIGN visceral | behavioural | reflective

23. THREE LEVELS of design • visceral | behavioural | reflective • Play part in shaping one’s experience • Important • Require a different approach by the designer

24. VISCERAL DESIGN visceral | behavioural | reflective

25. QUOTE visceral design “ Package designers and brand managers are looking beyond graphic elements or even the design as a whole to forge an emotional link between consumers and brands ” • The entire success of a product • PACKAGE, not content

26. BOTTLE OF WATER

27. VISCERAL DESIGN what? • Is what nature does • Powerful emotional signals from the environment are automatically interpreted at this level • Culturally • Perception of “pretty” Visceral design is all about emotional impact

28. DOMINATING FACTORS LOOK FEEL SOUND

29. DOMINATING FACTORS • Physical features LOOK FEEL SOUND • These principles are wired in, consistent across people and cultures

30. VISCERAL DESIGN where? • Advertising • Folk • Crafts • Children items

31. VISCERAL DESIGN: how? • About initial reactions • Studied • Putting people in front of a design • Waiting for reactions • What is the reaction the visceral designer strives for? • I want it • What does it do? • How much does it cost?

32. BEHAVIOURAL DESIGN visceral | behavioural | reflective

33. BEHAVIOURAL DESIGN “Use and performance” • Four components • Function • Understandability • Usability • Physical feel

34. BEHAVIOURAL DESIGN FUNCTION

35. FUNCTION • Comes first • Product  To fulfil needs • Tricky

36. TRICKY • Question: what does a product do, what function does it perform? • Answer: it has to fulfil needs • Difficult: why ? • People’s needs are not as obvious as might be thought • Importance for designers Designers have to watch their customers to understand how they will use a product

37. PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT • Enhancement • = making an existing product or service better • Easiest: comes primarily by watching how people use what exists today • Innovation • = completely new way of doing something that was not possible before • Difficult to access: cannot be evaluated by asking potential customers for their views

38. CAR CUPHOLDERS

39. ? • BEHAVIOURAL DESIGN UNDER- STANDING

40. UNDERSTANDING • The secret = to establish a proper conceptual model • Three mental images • Designer’s model • User’s model • System image • = conveyed by the product and written material (advertising and manuals) • The system image of the final design conveys the proper user model

41. FEEDBACK “Component of understanding” • To givecontinual feedback • Computer • Amazing: manyproductsgive inadequate feedback • To beeffective? • Enhance the conceptual model • Indicatingprecisely • What is happening and whatremains to bedone?

42. BEHAVIOURAL DESIGN USABILITY

43. USABILITY • Complex topic “a product that does what is required and is understandable, may still not be usable” • E.g. guitars, violins, piano • Usage = the critical test of a product: • How well does the product perform? • How comfortable does it feel to use? • Challenge = UNIVERSAL DESIGN

44. BEHAVIOURAL DESIGN • PHYSICAL FEEL

45. PHYSICAL FEEL matters • Designers worry a lot about the physical feel of their products • Make huge difference in our appreciations • They are critical to our behavioural assessment of a product • Physical feel matters: why? • We are biological creatures: interaction between our sensory systems and the environment

46. + BEHAVIOURAL DESIGN + • Human-centered • Understanding and satisfying the needs • Observation • Visceral and behavioural reactions are subconscious • Make us unaware of our true reactions and their causes

47. REFLECTIVE DESIGN visceral | behavioural | reflective

48. REFLECTIVE DESIGN what? • Message, culture, meaning of a product • The image we present to others • The essence of reflective design: it’s all in the mind of the beholder

49. QUESTION functionvsfashion

50. ATTRACTIVENESS <> BEAUTY • Attractiveness • Visceral level • The response is entirely to the surface look of an object • Beauty • Reflective level • It is influenced by knowledge, learning and culture Advertising  can work at either the visceral or the reflective level