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==Preface== | ==Preface== | ||
This Course was originally created for the Werkmodul [[IFD:Designing For Action]] | This Course was originally created for the Werkmodul [[IFD:Designing For Action]] by Jan Dittrich. | ||
'''goals:''' This guide is aimed at students who want to develop new products, services, software or websites. We cover the whole interaction design process in a brief and understandable way and enable students to understand the most important terms so that they can read the literature. | '''goals:''' This guide is aimed at students who want to develop new products, services, software or websites. We cover the whole interaction design process in a brief and understandable way and enable students to understand the most important terms so that they can read the literature. | ||
'''No-Goals:''' Include material that is non-relevant for practical work. | '''No-Goals:''' Include material that is non-relevant for practical work. | ||
==Foundations== | |||
===Iterative Design Process=== | ===Iterative Design Process=== | ||
[[File:IterativeDesign.png|300px|iterative design process]] | [[File:IterativeDesign.png|300px|iterative design process]] | ||
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What you do now is trying out different ways to make the type-selection easier, so you just repeat the "mini-cycle" of testing and design. | What you do now is trying out different ways to make the type-selection easier, so you just repeat the "mini-cycle" of testing and design. | ||
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*If you see that you have two different groups of people, find out if they are similar enough to serve them one product. If they differ too much, say goodbye to one of them and design just for one of the groups - maybe you come back later to the other, but first concentrate on one thing. | *If you see that you have two different groups of people, find out if they are similar enough to serve them one product. If they differ too much, say goodbye to one of them and design just for one of the groups - maybe you come back later to the other, but first concentrate on one thing. | ||
It as as well always easier to add features later than to take away features that bloat your product. People suffer incredibly if you take something away, even if the most of them would be better of it what they had would have never existing anyway. Strange, but that's the way it is. | |||
If you release a successful 1.0 Product you can still extend it in the 2.0 version even with features that are not very-super-crucial. But I write this to help you to release a successful 1.0 version so I did put emphasis on the simplicity. | If you release a successful 1.0 Product you can still extend it in the 2.0 version even with features that are not very-super-crucial. But I write this to help you to release a successful 1.0 version so I did put emphasis on the simplicity. | ||
== | ==Explore your idea using research== | ||
Having your idea you could start designing right away. It can save you a lot of time and pondering to do some research and exploration first. This typically concerns: | |||
* Your users goals (what they want to achieve) | * Your users goals (what they want to achieve) | ||
* Existing Problems | * Existing Problems | ||
* Solutions, Experiences and Problems others had in similar projects.<br> | * Solutions, Experiences and Problems others had in similar projects.<br> | ||
You may think that it is not necessary to do research as you are a clever person who knows already a good bunch of stuff about what you design for. Cognitive Psychologist and UX Professional Don Norman rightly says: "we tend to project our own rationalizations and beliefs onto the actions and beliefs of others". In other words:You think others are like you. But the interesting thing is: they are not the same. So you need to find out via research. | You may think that it is not necessary to do research as you are a clever person who knows already a good bunch of stuff about what you design for. Cognitive Psychologist and UX Professional Don Norman rightly says: "we tend to project our own rationalizations and beliefs onto the actions and beliefs of others". In other words:You think others are like you. But the interesting thing is: they are not the same. So you need to find out via research. | ||
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===User Goals/User Motivations=== | ===User Goals/User Motivations=== | ||
Talking about design you often hear things like that you should improve the x function because users are assumed to want y. This is common and it is common as well that these assumptions are wrong. And even if they are right you should know ''why''' the user wants to use a certain function. Nobody does anything just to execute a program on a computer to keep the machine busy! | Talking about design you often hear things like that you should improve the x function because users are assumed to want y. This is common and it is common as well that these assumptions are wrong. And even if they are right you should know ''why''' the user wants to use a certain function. Nobody does anything just to execute a program on a computer to keep the machine busy! | ||
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* Give friends a good impression of the place where you live is a goal. Hoovering the rooms is not. | * Give friends a good impression of the place where you live is a goal. Hoovering the rooms is not. | ||
In Alan Coopers Book "About Face 3.0" there is another great example about the difference: Traveler's goals are to travel "quickly, comfortably and safely". In 1850 archiving safety included to bring along a rifle - an activity to achieve the goal. The goals remained the same for today but for flying quickly, comfortably and safely we leave our weapons at home – different activities, same goal. | <!-- In Alan Coopers Book "About Face 3.0" there is another great example about the difference: Traveler's goals are to travel "quickly, comfortably and safely". In 1850 archiving safety included to bring along a rifle - an activity to achieve the goal. The goals remained the same for today but for flying quickly, comfortably and safely we leave our weapons at home – different activities, same goal.--> | ||
What the goals of your users are is best to find out using research methods like interviews. Goals are hard to guess. You may not even always aware of why exactly ''you'' do something - and it is even harder to tell what drives other people. Especially if you are new to a field you should use research but even people who think they are experts are often wrong about the users goals. Don't try to guess harder. You want to know. | What the goals of your users are is best to find out using research methods like interviews. Goals are hard to guess. You may not even always aware of why exactly ''you'' do something - and it is even harder to tell what drives other people. Especially if you are new to a field you should use research but even people who think they are experts are often wrong about the users goals. Don't try to guess harder. You want to know. | ||
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===Interviews=== | ===Interviews=== | ||
A very useful tool for doing research are interviews. | A very useful tool for doing research are interviews. | ||
They are best done early in the design process in order to find out for which user needs you design. Interviews are not difficult to do, very versatile and you will get a lot of insight. | They are best done early in the design process in order to find out for which user needs you design. Interviews are not difficult to do, very versatile and you will get a lot of insight. | ||
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These key findings will guide you when you create your designs, because you now know what you need to concentrate on. | These key findings will guide you when you create your designs, because you now know what you need to concentrate on. | ||
====Ressources==== | ====Ressources==== | ||
* [http://incontextdesign.com/articles/helpful-tips-to-improve-your-contextual-inquiry-techniques/ tips for a very similar technique called 'contextual inquiry'] | * [http://incontextdesign.com/articles/helpful-tips-to-improve-your-contextual-inquiry-techniques/ tips for a very similar technique called 'contextual inquiry'] | ||
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You can search for papers by using [http://www.google.com/scholar google scholar] or the [http://portal.acm.org/dl.cfm ACM Library]. The search is free in both cases but just google scholar links sometimes directly to the papers while you need a membership for ACM. If your university has one, you are a lucky student! But even if you find a paper on ACM or google scholar links on a pricy database too you should give it a try and search specifically for that papers title. Often the researchers have published accessible versions on their webpages. | You can search for papers by using [http://www.google.com/scholar google scholar] or the [http://portal.acm.org/dl.cfm ACM Library]. The search is free in both cases but just google scholar links sometimes directly to the papers while you need a membership for ACM. If your university has one, you are a lucky student! But even if you find a paper on ACM or google scholar links on a pricy database too you should give it a try and search specifically for that papers title. Often the researchers have published accessible versions on their webpages. | ||
== | ==techniques for designing== | ||
"Designing" in this context means turning your ideas in somehow graspable representations. This is needed for refinement, communication and testing. In these areas the different techniques have different strengths. | "Designing" in this context means turning your ideas in somehow graspable representations. This is needed for refinement, communication and testing. In these areas the different techniques have different strengths. | ||
<!-- | <!-- | ||
===...in words=== | ===...in words=== | ||
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What you should be aware of is that there are some things that are "expensive" regarding our cognition. One of these things is learning new things and getting them into our long-term memory e.g. how you do a certain action in a program. An other is keeping things in short term memory. An example for this would be to remember which function you triggered previously or which item you copied into the clipboard. | What you should be aware of is that there are some things that are "expensive" regarding our cognition. One of these things is learning new things and getting them into our long-term memory e.g. how you do a certain action in a program. An other is keeping things in short term memory. An example for this would be to remember which function you triggered previously or which item you copied into the clipboard. | ||
===Mental Models=== | ===Mental Models=== | ||
[[File:Honeywell_round_thermostat.jpg|200px|thumb|thermostat]] | [[File:Honeywell_round_thermostat.jpg|200px|thumb|thermostat]] | ||
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If you are the engineer who build these systems it is totally clear for you how they work. As well it will be often the case that your mental model is differs from the one the users have. This itself is nothing to worry about and it happens all the time. But even if you are very clever you just can spot the problems that it can cause if you test your ideas with your users and see if they act like you intended. | If you are the engineer who build these systems it is totally clear for you how they work. As well it will be often the case that your mental model is differs from the one the users have. This itself is nothing to worry about and it happens all the time. But even if you are very clever you just can spot the problems that it can cause if you test your ideas with your users and see if they act like you intended. | ||
==Basic Principles& Best Practices== | ==Basic Principles& Best Practices== | ||
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Having a list with what causes the user problems you know can refine your work. In early stages you will have seen which of some different ways will be dismissed and which will be further explored. | Having a list with what causes the user problems you know can refine your work. In early stages you will have seen which of some different ways will be dismissed and which will be further explored. | ||
In later phases of your project you will have a list with ranked problems that need to be resolved. Start with the ones you consider the most serious and solve the problems. In doing so you often can build on the think-aloud-protocol you wrote. It give insight in the way the users think about the actions they took and about the responses of the software. This will help you to find a decent solution that will work better. | In later phases of your project you will have a list with ranked problems that need to be resolved. Start with the ones you consider the most serious and solve the problems. In doing so you often can build on the think-aloud-protocol you wrote. It give insight in the way the users think about the actions they took and about the responses of the software. This will help you to find a decent solution that will work better. | ||
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==Introduction== | |||
I suppose when you hear about "Interaction Design" you probably think about computer applications. He or she will probably decide how the functions of the software are represented to the user as icons or menu entries. You are not wrong with these assumptions: The most people who work as "Interaction Designer" deal with applications or websites and among other things they design what appears on the computer screen. | |||
But in addition an Interaction Designer researches as well which functionality people actually require or could need and they test as well if the ideas they have do actually work. | |||
The predecessors of the current interaction designers are the product designers like Dieter Rahms. He designed products for the German company Braun which show many aspects of modern interaction design: They are easy to use, form follows function and feature a elegant and minimalist design. | |||
If you say it in an extreme way you even could say that a handaxe is a great example of good design: It provides a good tool: you can it use for picking, scraping and you can even sling it. It is easy to see how one can use it. And the basic design was used for over a million years. | |||
If we look back in time and see that there are many things that seem to be "Interaction Design" we could wonder that we need an own discipline for it! | |||
Over the time technology became more and more complex. With digitalisation it was not longer possible to get a some tools and just figure out how it works: the interrelation of controls and resulting actions had no physical connection any more. | |||
Even more important, technology became more and more wide spread. Technology that was once just for experts became available to everybody. The sell the technology to more people it had to be easier to use. | |||
A short history of interfaces: Lochkarten, Kommandozeile, Guis, moderne Paradigmen | |||
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<!--==What do you want to do?== | |||
Everything starts with an Idea. So does your interaction design project. Before you start you should take a moment (or a few more) to consider what you aim for. Sometimes it is not that difficult: A client or you professor will state in which direction you shall go. | |||
If you are on your own or with a team of students this is more of an issue. So think which issue you want to tackle, which problem you want to solve, what you want to try. | |||
In the coming parts of the book you will see that I often reccomand to write down what you want to do in the next step. This has two reasons: | |||
If you need to write down something in a clear and concise way you will note if there is anything unclear about your goals. It is difficult to build on a unclear vision. And a good way to test this is to write it down. | |||
Having a goal is even more important if you work in a team. If everybody supposes everybody works on kind-of-the-same but actually everybody images something very different it is likely that at some point this will have bad consequences like people being upset because there work was not cosidered as useful or fights about the actual direction of the project that would not be necessary and just cause bad mood or in the worst case the whole project breakes down. --> | |||
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===Usability Goals=== | |||
The usability goals are a collection of the very basic user needs that need to be met. They are broad, but you will have no trouble to understand them. | |||
====Utility==== | |||
If your product's functionality matches the needs of your users and enables them to reach their goals it has a good utility. | |||
You can find out your users needs and goals by doing "user research" which means that you apply some research methods. One of these methods is doing a special kind of interview with some users. I will cover this technique in a latter chapter. | |||
====Learnability==== | |||
A good learnability exists if the users you target can use your product without putting a lot of effort learning. This is especially important for the very basic functions. | |||
Ideally users don't have to bother about new concepts and unknown terms. | |||
Learnability is what will be the first thing that comes into your mind if you think about interaction design. Paradoxically it is a principle that is ignored in many products: Industry often uses a lot of functions that diminish learnability and many student projects ignore learnablity and focus on efficiency. | |||
You can improve the learnability of your application by learning common principles of design like "visibility" or "consistency" and by testing your ideas with your users. Material for learning this will be provided in latter chapters. | |||
====Efficiency==== | |||
[[File:ComandLine.png|thumb|150px|Great efficiency but hard to learn]] | |||
Your product has a good efficiency if the user can achieve a high productivity. This simply means he/she can do more in less time once it is known how one uses the product. | |||
Efficiency can be achieved with optimizing the ways the functions are accessed and with providing additional ways of interaction like keyboard shortcuts. | |||
Efficiency is important, but in my experience it is easiely over-emphasized as one does not need to learn one's own designs and efficient stuff feels just great. But a command line interfaces or gestural interaction are cool and really efficient if you can use it but they need to be explicitly learned before they can be used. And the difficulties of learning are often underestimated by interaction design beginners. | |||
====Safety==== | |||
Safety is protecting the user and his/her creations from undesired outcomes. Very basic is that you provide a product that does not crash and destroys the users work by doing so. | |||
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[[Category:Design]] | [[Category:Design]] | ||
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[[Category:Interaktion]] | [[Category:Interaktion]] | ||
[[Category:Interface-Design]] | [[Category:Interface-Design]] | ||
[[Category:Design]] | [[Category:Design]] | ||
[[Category:Courses]] | [[Category:Courses]] | ||