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good vs. bad design
interaction design
interaction design process
goals of interaction design
design and usability principles
interactive products
interactive systems
design emphasis on the system
design emphasis on the user
intended for a relatively narrow taks
functionality exposed to the user is relatively low
Examples
TV
phone
coffee maker
door
computer mouse
intended for a a wide range of taks
user has to deal with complex functionality
computer
car
entertainment system (stereo)
espresso machine
emphasis is on user experience
tensions between various factors
product performs its task
satisfactory, enjoyable user experience
functionality and performance are critical (within limits)
the outcome of the task should match or exceed the user's expectations
performing the task and using the product should be easy
unexpected events should distract as little as possible
users with different capabilities should be accommodated
Scenario: Assume your grandmother is going on a long roadtrip involving a long stretch of road in an unpopulated area. From a usability perspective, is it better for her to have a cell phone with her, or would you rather explain to her how the road-side emergency phones work?
aspects to consider
functionality: what are the most important tasks
performance: how good are the products at those tasks
capabilities and background of the user
environment: external factors that influence the user experience
or worse ...
lack of functionality or poor performance
difficulty in obtaining a desired result
actions achieve unexpected results
product is difficult to handle
appearence of the product is unpleasant
critcal aspects of many products
designers are often aware of them
often conscious decisions to sacrifice them because of other important aspects (cost, safety, manufacturing)
these aspects are in the focus of designes and engineers
sometimes designers are not aware of the importance users place on certain functionality and performance criteria
the product may be used for unexpected tasks or in unintended ways
the product is targeted at the wrong user group
using a product for its intended task is not always obvious for most users
task familiarity
user background
environment
since the designer spent a lot of time working on the product, it is obvious to them how to use it
especially difficult for tasks the user is not very familiar with
user limitations (focus, ergonomics)
(perceived) urgency or danger can cause stress
aspects of the environment (e.g. movement, noise) can add to difficulties
an interaction with the product does not produce the expected result
beyond the parameters the user considers for performance and functionality
may lead to confusion or worse consequences
inconsistent outcomes are especially bad
"you should have read the manual" is not enough
if possible, products should be designed to prevent bad outcomes in addition to enabling good ones
manipulation of interaction mechanisms
makes use of the "affordances" of a product
touching and experiencing physical aspects of the product while it is being used
affordances are the "natural" or "obvious" interaction mechanisms with a product
physical interactions with the product have a significant impact on user experience
users may have difficulties explaining why they like or dislike the way a product "feels"
ergonomics deals with such issues
can be especially challenging for engineers
sensory percepts relayed by the product
most often looks, sometimes sound, touch, smell
appearance may not be relevant for functionality or performance
it can be an important criterion for users to distinguish "good" from "poor" design
sometimes design is used as a synonym for appearance (not in this class)
can also be a major challenge for engineers
may depend on fashion ("fad")
“Designing interactive products to support people in their everyday and working lives [Preece, Rogers, and Sharp, 2002].”
emphasis on support of people, not on highest functionality or performance
includes professional and personal activities
before computers were widely used, most complex systems were designed by engineers for engineers
now, many devices perform complex tasks for regular users
often it is unrealistic to expect users to spend a lot of energy on learning how to use products
functionality and performance used to be more important as distinguishing factors, but that is changing for more and more products
our professional and personal lives are becoming inundated with products that perform complex tasks
some of these products may affect critical aspects like health, security, privacy
poor design should not have to be overcome by forcing the user to adapt to the product
ergonomics
cognitive science, psychology
informatics
computer science
software engineering
social sciences
human-computer interaction
human factors
cognitive engineering
cognitive ergonomics
information systems
computer-supported cooperative work
computer modeling
virtual reality
product design
graphic design
industrial design
artist-design
photography
film industry
