Basics of Interaction Design

Introduction

• Interaction design is a multifaceted field, focusing on users' workflows and experiences, not just interfaces.
• It aims to create seamless interactions that align with user needs and existing tools.
• Designers might improve existing tools or create new ones tailored to user needs.
• The goal is to enhance usability and enable users to achieve tasks effectively and intuitively.

What is Design?

• A simple definition of design is achieving goals within constraints.
• The design's purpose, target audience, and constraints (materials, cost, time, standards) influence the process.
• Examples include a wireless movie player for young, affluent users or a design that's durable and withstands rain.

Interaction Design Basics

• Design encompasses interventions, goals, and constraints.
• The design process outlines steps and actions involved.
• Users are key considerations, and understanding their needs, preferences, and profiles is critical.
• Scenarios and rich stories are helpful in visualizing and describing possible user interactions.
• Navigation is essential for finding one's way around a system.
• Prototyping and iteration are crucial parts of the design process, for never getting it right first time.

Golden Rule of Design

• Designers must understand the tool (computers): their limitations, capacities, tools, and platforms.
• They must also understand people (users): their psychological, social aspects, and human error.

The Process of Design

• This process follows five phases plus iteration: What is wanted (goals and analysis), Analysis (finding current state versus what is wanted), Design (detailed designs), Precise specification, Implementation & Deployment (execution).
• It includes phases like evaluation, dialog boxes for interactions, detailed diagrams, etc.

Steps

• Requirements gathering: establishing needs and current processes using methods like interviews and observations.
• Analysis: results are sorted, key issues are identified, communication to the design phase.
• Design: this stage decides the actions and solutions in the design.
• Iteration & prototyping: getting the design right by testing prototypes

User Focus

• Stakeholders are anyone affected directly or indirectly by a system.
• Understanding users involves insights from various methods: talking to users, observing them, and even using one's imagination to understand what they might need.
• Designers avoid bias and are aware that users are not necessarily like them.
• Diverse perspectives are critical, especially from female and other underrepresented groups.

Scenarios

• Scenarios are detailed stories of user interactions with systems, serving as a flexible and powerful tool.
• It allows designers to anticipate issues, meet user needs, specify interactions, and generate test cases.
• Scenarios can improve communication, validate designs, and demonstrate system dynamics.

Scenarios Can

• Enhance Communication improving understanding between involved parties.
• Validate Models comparing scenarios with design representations to refine ideas and fulfil requirements.
• Express Dynamics illustrating system behaviour over time and in various contexts, presenting a comprehensive view of the system's performance and usability.
• The limitations of scenarios include not capturing the complexity of real-world interactions.

Navigation Design

• The navigation of a system can be categorized in two main parts: the local navigation which is for single screens, and the global navigation which manages the whole website, application, etc..

Levels

• Interaction levels extend beyond computer systems to include socio-technical aspects.
• Understanding layers (widgets, screens, navigation, environment) is critical.
• Various types of applications (PC app, website, physical device) have similar levels but might have differences.

Think About Structure

• Screen and navigation design consider who uses the application, how they see it, and what tasks they perform.
• Understanding user needs improves screen layout and navigation; creating an intuitive experience.
• This process involves categorizing as local or global.

Local Structure

• Local structure focuses on elements within one screen, page, mode, or state.
• It's about how users find and interpret information, actions, and system responses.
• Confirmation of actions and clear instructions are important.
• Intuitive navigation cues improve user satisfaction and experience.

Global Structure - Hierarchical Organization

• Global structure manages the overall system or application.
• It connects elements to form logical groups and facilitates intuitive user navigation.
• Hierarchical breakdown assists designers in both design and implementation.

Global Structure - Dialog

• In dialog design, global structure organizes and connects dialogs for clarity and efficiency.
• This differs from hierarchical organization as it describes the different steps and decisions through a dialog.
• Networks assist in illustrating system behaviours by linking states and steps.

Network of Screens/States

• A network diagram clarifies the connections between various system screens (or states).
• Arrows show the flow paths.
• Clear pathways contribute to a positive user experience.

Screen Design and Layout

• Screen layout should effectively use interaction elements such as fields, choices, options, etc.
• The design should reflect the natural flow and task order of the users.
• The screen layout needs to accommodate the required details and comparisons.
• Layout and design elements are critical for user experience.

Tools for layout

• Visual tools for suggesting ways to utilize and interact with a screen.
• Grouping, order, decoration, alignment, and white space techniques assist in structuring designs that are intuitive and visually appealing.

Grouping and Structure

• Visual grouping relates items that belong together.
• Logic and spatial arrangements are key to effective design.
• Example diagrams illustrate this.

Order of Groups and Items

• Layout order matches and supports expected user interactions.
• The use of tabs, the order of groups, and steps in an effective order enhances usability.

Decoration

• Visual elements like boxes, colors, and font styles highlight groups and functions.
• Using visual means to connect and relate elements enhances screen usability.

Alignment

• Aligning text, numbers, and other information aids readability.
• Consider right alignment for numerical data and left alignment for text.
• Adjustments to lists (ordering names) improve usability and ease navigation.
• Several techniques for alignment.

White Space

• White space (or negative space) enhances visual clarity.
• The strategic use of space improves readability, visual interest, and user experience.
• Different roles that this empty space can play in the design.

Physical Controls

• Grouping items in physical controls aligns with user expectations.
• Order of physical controls enhances usability and intuitive interaction.
• Proper decoration with colours and lines can clearly emphasize related functionalities within physical layouts.

User Action and Control

• User input and action include entering information, understanding system instructions, and understanding the system's feedback mechanism.
• These actions should follow an intuitive design and clear presentation.
• Affordance is crucial -- Users understand the interactions of objects intuitively.

Entering Information

• Screen layouts and organization for inputs, options, and field design practices affect user experience and interaction.
• Presentation of data entries should be logical and follow an intuitive sequence.

Knowing What To Do

• Distinguishing active and passive elements enhances screen clarity and prevents confusion.
• Consistent icons and labels assist in easily understanding the actions associated with specific elements.

Affordances

• Affordances in design link the physical and conceptual interaction elements and processes.
• The understanding needs to be present, especially for users unfamiliar with these elements.
• User experiences differ; therefore designers should take different backgrounds and cultures into account.

Appropriate Appearance

• Presenting information effectively includes presenting information in clear and appropriate visual styles.
• Aesthetics and utility support functional usability.
• Color, 3D effects, localization, and internationalization enhance a visual design's suitability for users.

Presenting Information

• Information presentation styles depend on various factors: data type, available technology, and application goal.
• Utilizing a hierarchy of layout presents information in a clear manner with appropriate visualization techniques.
• The presentation utilizes a variety of graphics methods.

Aesthetics and Utility

• Aesthetics support user satisfaction, while appropriate visual appeal aids comprehension.
• Too much visual appeal and poor design choices can detract from the functionality of a screen design.
• Aesthetics should be balanced with functionality.

Colour and 3D

• Overuse of color and 3D effects can be distracting and cause readability issues.
• Use color sparingly to highlight relevant elements, and try to avoid overwhelming color choices.
• The limitations of various display technologies should be taken into account in the design process.

Localisation & Internationalisation

• Internationalization (I18n) enables designing software so it adapts to different languages and regions without major changes.
• Localization (L10n) tailors a software design to the local language and culture.
• This helps produce more universal and global software design.

Iteration and Prototyping

• Iterative design is essential due to the complexity of human behaviour and the limitations of initial designs.
• Prototypes are crucial for continuous feedback and evaluation.
• Iterations help ensure usability, address faults, and refine designs progressively.

Role of Prototyping

• The prototyping stage comes after designing an application or a system.
• It involves evaluation of the prototype.
• If the prototype needs changes, designers return to the design stage to redesign the prototype.

Pitfalls Of Prototyping

• Prototyping works well when done incrementally with clear steps so that designers and stakeholders are aware of the process.
• Good starting point is crucial, not getting it wrong first time is essential.

This quiz explores the fundamentals of interaction design, emphasizing the importance of user experience and effective workflows. It covers the definition of design, its constraints, and the critical role users play in the design process. Test your understanding of how to create intuitive interactions and design tailored solutions.