home
about

introduction
1. human
2. computer
3. interaction
4. paradigms
5. design basics
6. software process
7. design rules
8. implementation
9. evaluation
10. universal design
11. user support
12. cognitive models
13. socio-organizational
14. comm and collab
15. task models
16. dialogue
17. system models
18. rich interaction
19. groupware
20. ubicomp, VR, vis
21. hypertext and WWW
references

resources
exercises
online
editions
community
search

CHAPTER 5
interaction design basics

 outline 

 links 

 resources 

 exercises 

Interaction design is about creating interventions in often complex situations using technology of many kinds including PC software, the web and physical devices

  • Design involves:
    • achieving goals within constraints and trade-off between these
    • understanding the raw materials: computer and human
    • accepting limitations of humans and of design
  • The design process has several stages and is iterative and never complete.
  • Interaction starts with getting to know the users and their context:
    • finding out who they are and what they are like ... probably not like you!
    • talking to them, watching them
  • Scenarios are rich design stories, which can be used and reused throughout design:
    • they help us see what users will want to do
    • they give a step-by-step walkthrough of users' interactions: including what they see, do and are thinking
  • Users need to find their way around a system; this involves:
    • helping users know where they are, where they have been and what they can do next
    • creating overall structures that are easy to understand and fit the users' needs
    • designing comprehensible screens and control panels
  • Complexity of design means we don't get it right first time:
    • so we need iteration and prototypes to try out and evaluate
    • but iteration can get trapped in local maxima, designs that have no simple improvements, but are not good
    • theory and models can help give good start points