chapter 4 interaction design basics 1. design: what it is, interventions, goals, constraints the...

chapter 4 interaction design basics 1

design: what it is, interventions, goals, constraints the design process what happens when users who they are, what they are like scenarios rich stories of design navigation finding your way around a system iteration and prototypes never get it right first time! 2

1. WHAT IS DESIGN? A simple definition is: achieving goals within constraints golden rule of design: understand your materials 3

1. WHAT IS DESIGN? understand your materials understand computers limitations, capacities, tools, platforms understand people psychological, social aspects human error and their interaction 4

2. THE PROCESS OF DESIGN: what is there vs. what is wanted guidelines principles dialogue notations precise specification architectures documentation help evaluation heuristics scenarios task analysis Requirements analysis design implement and deploy prototype 5

2. THE PROCESS OF DESIGN: Steps Requirements ( ) what is there and what is wanted Analysis ( ) ordering and understanding Design ( ) what to do and how to decide Iteration and prototyping ( ) getting it right and finding what is really needed! implementation and deployment ( ) making it and getting it out there 6

3. USER FOCUS: who are they? probably not like you! talk to them watch them use your imagination 7

One method that has been quite successful in helping design teams produce userfocussed designs is the persona. A persona is a rich picture of an imaginary person who represents your core user group. 3. USER FOCUS: 8

example persona Betty is 37 years old, She has been Warehouse Manager for five years and worked for Simpkins Brothers Engineering for twelve years. She didnt go to university, but has studied in her evenings for a business diploma. She has two children aged 15 and 7 and does not like to work late. She did part of an introductory in- house computer course some years ago, but it was interrupted when she was promoted and could no longer afford to take the time. Her vision is perfect, but her right-hand movement is slightly restricted following an industrial accident 3 years ago. She is enthusiastic about her work and is happy to delegate responsibility and take suggestions from her staff. However, she does feel threatened by the introduction of yet another new computer system (the third in her time at SBE). 9

A.Scenarios: Scenarios are stories for design: rich stories of interaction. They are perhaps the simplest design representation, but one of the most flexible and powerful. 10 4. DESCRIBING TASKS

Brian would like to see the new film Moments of Significance and wants to invite Alison, but he knows she doesnt like arty films. He decides to take a look at it to see if she would like it and so connects to one of the movie sharing networks. He uses his work machine as it has a higher bandwidth connection, but feels a bit guilty. He knows he will be getting an illegal copy of the film, but decides it is OK as he is intending to go to the cinema to watch it. After it downloads to his machine he takes out his new personal movie player. He presses the menu button and on the small LCD screen he scrolls using the arrow keys to Bluetooth connect and presses the select button. On his computer the movie download program now has an icon showing that it has recognized a compatible device and he drags the icon of the film over the icon for the player. On the player the LCD screen says downloading now, a percent done indicator and small whirling icon. EXAMPLE : Movie player 11

use scenarios to.. communicate with others designers, clients, users validate other models play it against other models express dynamics screenshots appearance scenario behaviour 12

B.Use case: A more formal definition than a scenario or story From OO techniques, including UML, OOSE, etc. Note terms in text: task scenario concrete use case essential use case use scenario 13 4. DESCRIBING TASKS

Use Case: A sequence of actions a system performs to yield an observable result of value to a particular actor. Actor: Someone or something outside the system that interacts with the system A user of the system in a particular role Part of Use Case Modeling is identifying and describing actors Important: We want an external view of the system 14 User case modeling

Each use case has a name e.g. Borrow Copy of Book A family (or set, or class) of scenarios One main scenario for normal behavior or situation A sequence of interactions documenting Also set of different but related scenarios Documenting Use Cases (Maybe) A UML Diagram showing all of them - Actors are stick-figures; use cases are ovals (Certainly) For each use case define using English - A clear textual description (like a stories, a scenarios) - A set of scenarios in outline form 15

Actors - BookBorrower - JournalBorrower - Browser (person who browses, not software) - Librarian Use Cases - Borrow copy of a book - Reserve a book - Return copy of book - Borrow journal - Browse - Update Catalog EXAMPLE : A LIBRARY SYSTEM 16

Example Text Description Borrow copy of a book: A Bookborrower presents a copy of a book. The system checks that the s/he is a library member, and that s/he has not checked out too many books. If both checks succeed, then the system records that the member now as this copy of the book. Otherwise it refuses the loan. 17

Example UML use case diagram 18

5. NAVIGATION DESIGN: Levels: widget choice menus, buttons etc. screen design application navigation design environment other apps, O/S 19

5. NAVIGATION DESIGN: THE WEB: widget choice screen design navigation design environment elements and tags page design site structure the web, browser, external links 20

5. NAVIGATION DESIGN: PHYSICAL DEVICES: widget choice screen design navigation design environment controls buttons, knobs, dials physical layout modes of device the real world 21

5. NAVIGATION DESIGN: think about structure within a screen local looking from this screen out global structure of site, movement between screens relationship with other applications 22

goal seeking goal start 5. NAVIGATION DESIGN: Local structure: Local structure: 23

start goal progress with local knowledge only... 5. NAVIGATION DESIGN: goal seeking Local structure: Local structure: 24

goal start but can get to the goal 5. NAVIGATION DESIGN: goal seeking Local structure: Local structure: 25

try to avoid these bits! goal start 5. NAVIGATION DESIGN: goal seeking Local structure: Local structure: 26

four golden rules knowing where you are knowing what you can do knowing where you are going or what will happen knowing where youve been or what youve done 5. NAVIGATION DESIGN: Local structure: Local structure: 27

5. NAVIGATION DESIGN: Global structure: Global structure: hierarchical diagrams the system info and helpmanagementmessages add userremove user 28

5. NAVIGATION DESIGN: Global structure: Global structure: Network diagrams main screen remove user confirm add user 29

5. NAVIGATION DESIGN: Wider still: Wider still: style issues: platform standards, consistency functional issues cut and paste navigation issues embedded applications links to other apps the web 30

6. SCREEN DESIGN AND LAYOUT: available tools: grouping of items order of items decoration - fonts, boxes etc. alignment of items white space between items 31

6. SCREEN DESIGN AND LAYOUT: Grouping and structure: logically together physically together Billing details: Name Address: Credit card no Delivery details: Name Address: Delivery time Order details: item quantity cost/item cost size 10 screws (boxes) 7 3.71 25.97 32

6. SCREEN DESIGN AND LAYOUT: Order of groups and items: think! - what is natural order should match screen order! use boxes, space etc. set up tabbing right! 33

6. SCREEN DESIGN AND LAYOUT: Decoration: use boxes to group logical items use fonts for emphasis, headings but not too many!! ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ 34

6. SCREEN DESIGN AND LAYOUT: Alignment - text: you read from left to right (English and European) align left hand side Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory Winston Churchill - A Biography Wizard of Oz Xena - Warrior Princess Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory Winston Churchill - A Biography Wizard of Oz Xena - Warrior Princess fine for special effects but hard to scan boring but readable! 35

6. SCREEN DESIGN AND LAYOUT: Alignment - names: Usually scanning for surnames make it easy! Alan Dix Janet Finlay Gregory Abowd Russell Beale Alan Dix Janet Finlay Gregory Abowd Russell Beale Dix, Alan Finlay, Janet Abowd, Gregory Beale, Russell 36

6. SCREEN DESIGN AND LAYOUT: Alignment - numbers: think purpose! which is biggest? 532.56 179.3 256.317 15 73.948 1035 3.142 497.6256 37

6. SCREEN DESIGN AND LAYOUT: Alignment - numbers: visually: long number = big number align decimal points or right align integers 627.865 1.005763 382.583 2502.56 432.935 2.0175 652.87 56.34 38

scanning across gaps hard: (often hard to avoid with large data base fields) sherbert75 toffee120 chocolate35 fruit gums27 coconut dreams85 6. SCREEN DESIGN AND LAYOUT: Multiple columns: 39

use leaders : sherbert75 toffee120 chocolate35 fruit gums27 coconut dreams85 6. SCREEN DESIGN AND LAYOUT: Multiple columns: 40

or greying sherbert75 toffee120 chocolate35 fruit gums27 coconut dreams85 6. SCREEN DESIGN AND LAYOUT: Multiple columns: 41

sherbert75 toffee120 chocolate35 fruit gums27 coconut dreams85 6. SCREEN DESIGN AND LAYOUT: Multiple columns: or even (with care!) bad alignment 42

6. SCREEN DESIGN AND LAYOUT: White space space to separate: 43

6. SCREEN DESIGN AND LAYOUT: White space space to structure: EF D BC A 44

6. SCREEN DESIGN AND LAYOUT: White space space to highlight: 45

6. SCREEN DESIGN AND LAYOUT: Physical controls : grouping of items defrost settings type of food time to cook type of food time to cook defrost settings 46

grouping of items order of items 1) type of heating 2) temperature 3) time to cook 4) start 4 2 2)temperature 3 3)time to cook 1 1)type of heating 6. SCREEN DESIGN AND LAYOUT: Physical controls : 47

grouping of items order of items decoration different colours for different functions lines around related buttons different colours for different functions lines around related buttons (temp up/down) 6. SCREEN DESIGN AND LAYOUT: Physical controls : 48

grouping of items order of items decoration alignment centered text in buttons ? easy to scan ? ? easy to scan ? centred text in buttons 6. SCREEN DESIGN AND LAYOUT: Physical controls : 49

grouping of items order of items decoration alignment white space gaps to aid grouping 6. SCREEN DESIGN AND LAYOUT: Physical controls : 50

6. SCREEN DESIGN AND LAYOUT: user action and control: entering information knowing what to do affordances 51

6. SCREEN DESIGN AND LAYOUT: entering information: forms, dialogue boxes presentation + data input similar layout issues alignment - N.B. different label lengths logical layout use task analysis groupings natural order for entering information top-bottom, left-right (depending on culture) Name: Address: Alan Dix Lancaster Name: Address: Alan Dix Lancaster Name: Address: Alan Dix Lancaster ? 52

6. SCREEN DESIGN AND LAYOUT: Knowing what to do: what is active what is passive where do you click where do you type consistent style helps e.g. web underlined links labels and icons standards for common actions language bold = current state or action 53

6. SCREEN DESIGN AND LAYOUT: Affordances ( ): psychological term for physical objects shape and size suggest actions pick up, twist, throw also cultural buttons afford pushing for screen objects buttonlike object affords mouse click physical-like objects suggest use culture of computer use icons afford clicking or even double clicking not like real buttons! mug handle affords grasping 54

6. SCREEN DESIGN AND LAYOUT: Appropriate appearance: presenting information aesthetics and utility colour and 3D localisation & internationalisation 55

6. SCREEN DESIGN AND LAYOUT: purpose matters sort order (which column, numeric alphabetic) text vs. diagram scatter graph vs. histogram use paper presentation principles! but add interactivity softens design choices e.g. re-ordering columns chap1 chap10 chap11 chap12 chap13 chap14 17 12 51 262 83 22 sizename size chap10 chap5 chap1 chap14 chap20 chap8 12 16 17 22 27 32 namesize Presenting information: 56

6. SCREEN DESIGN AND LAYOUT: Aesthetics and utility: aesthetically pleasing designs increase user satisfaction and improve productivity beauty and utility may conflict mixed up visual styles easy to distinguish clean design little differentiation confusing backgrounds behind text good to look at, but hard to read but can work together 57

both often used very badly! colour older monitors limited palette beware colour blind! use sparingly to reinforce other information 3D effects good for physical information and some graphs 6. SCREEN DESIGN AND LAYOUT: Color and 3D: 58

localisation & internationalisation changing interfaces for particular cultures/languages globalisation try to choose symbols etc. that work everywhere simply change language? use resource database instead of literal text but changes sizes, left-right order etc. deeper issues cultural assumptions and values meanings of symbols e.g tick and cross +ve and -ve in some cultures but mean the same thing (mark this) in others 6. SCREEN DESIGN AND LAYOUT: Across countries and cultures: 59

7. Iteration and Prototyping : getting better and starting well 60

7. Iteration and Prototyping (( : you never get it right first time prototypeevaluatedesign re-design done! OK? 61

7. Iteration and Prototyping (( : Why do we prototype? 62 Get feedback on our design faster - saves money Experiment with alternative designs Fix problems before code is written Keep the design centered on the customer

7. Iteration and Prototyping (( : Fidelity in prototyping? 63 Fidelity refers to the level of detail High fidelity: prototype look like the final product Low fidelity: artists renditions with many details missing

7. Iteration and Prototyping (( : 64 High fidelity: Choice of materials and methods similar or identical to the ones in the final product Looks more like the final system appearance, not functionality Common development environments Macromedia Director, Visual Basic, Smalltalk,web development tools Misled user expectations users may think they have a full system

7. Iteration and Prototyping (( : 65 low fidelity: Does not look very much like the final product Uses materials that are very different from the intended final version, such as paper and cardboard rather than electronic screens and metal Used during early stages of development Cheap and easy to modify so they support the exploration of alternative designs and ideas It is never intended to be integrated into the final system. They are for exploration only.

7. Iteration and Prototyping (( : 66 Low-fidelity prototype High-fidelity prototype

7. Iteration and Prototyping (( : 67 PrototypeAdvantagesDisadvantages Low-fidelity prototype - low developmental cost - evaluate multiple design concepts - limited error checking - navigational and flow limitations High-fidelity prototype - fully interactive - look and feel of final product - clearly defines navigational scheme - more expensive to develop - time consuming to build - developers are reluctant to change something they have crafted for hours

chapter 4 interaction design basics 1. design: what it is, interventions, goals, constraints the...

Documents