chapter 5

interaction design
basics
interaction design basics

• 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!
interactions and interventions

design interactions not just interfaces

not just the immediate interaction
e.g. stapler in office – technology changes interaction style
• manual: write, print, staple, write, print, staple, …
• electric: write, print, write, print, …, staple

designing interventions not just artefacts

not just the system, but also …
• documentation, manuals, tutorials
• what we say and do as well as what we make
what is design?

achieving goals within constraints

• goals - purpose
– who is it for, why do they want it
• constraints
– materials, platforms
• trade-offs
golden rule of design

understand your materials

for Human–Computer Interaction

understand your materials

• understand computers
– limitations, capacities, tools, platforms
• understand people
– psychological, social aspects
– human error
• and their interaction …
To err is human
• accident reports ..
– aircrash, industrial accident, hospital mistake
– enquiry … blames … ‘human error’
• but …
– concrete lintel breaks because too much weight
– blame ‘lintel error’ ?
… no – design error
we know how concrete behaves under stress
• human ‘error’ is normal
– we know how users behave under stress
– so design for it!
• treat the user at least as well as physical materials!
Central message …

the user
 The process of design

scenarios
what is task analysis
wanted guidelines
principles
interviews analysis precise
ethnography specification
design
what is there
vs. dialogue implement
what is wanted notations and deploy
evaluation
prototype
heuristics architectures
documentation
help
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
… but how can I do it all ! !

• limited time  design trade-off

• usability?
– finding problems and fixing them? 
– deciding what to fix? 
• a perfect system is badly designed
– too good  too much effort in design
 user focus

know your user

personae
cultural probes
know your user

• who are they?

• probably not like you!
• talk to them
• watch them
• use your imagination
persona

• description of an ‘example’ user

– not necessarily a real person
• use as surrogate user
– what would Betty think
• details matter
– makes her ‘real’
cultural probes

• direct observation
– sometimes hard
• in the home
• psychiatric patients, …

• probe packs
– items to prompt responses
• e.g. glass to listen at wall, camera, postcard
– given to people to open in their own environment
they record what is meaningful to them

• used to …
– inform interviews, prompt ideas, enculture designers
 scenarios

stories for design

use and reuse
scenarios

• stories for design

– communicate with others
– validate other models
– understand dynamics

• linearity
– time is linear - our lives are linear
– but don’t show alternatives
scenarios …

• what will users want to do?

• step-by-step walkthrough
– what can they see (sketches, screen shots)
– what do they do (keyboard, mouse etc.)
– what are they thinking?

• use and reuse throughout design

… explore the depths

• explore interaction
– what happens when

• explore cognition
– what are the users thinking

• explore architecture
– what is happening inside
use scenarios to ..

• communicate with others

– designers, clients, users

• validate other models

– ‘play’ it against other models

• express dynamics
– screenshots – appearance
– scenario – behaviour
linearity

Scenarios – one linear path through system

Pros:
– life and time are linear
– easy to understand (stories and narrative are natural)
– concrete (errors less likely)
Cons:
– no choice, no branches, no special conditions
– miss the unintended

• So:
– use several scenarios
– use several methods
 the systems

info and help management messages

start

navigation design
add user remove user

local structure – single screen

global structure – whole site
main remove
confirm
screen user

add user
levels

• widget choice
– menus, buttons etc.
• screen design
• application navigation design
• environment
– other apps, O/S
the web …

• widget choice • elements and tags

– <a href=“...”>

• screen design • page design

• navigation design • site structure
• environment • the web, browser,
external links
physical devices

• widget choice • controls

– buttons, knobs, dials

• screen design • physical layout

• navigation design • modes of device
• environment • the real world
think about structure

• within a screen
– later ...
• local
– looking from this screen out
• global
– structure of site, movement between
screens
• wider still
– relationship with other applications
local

from one screen looking out

goal seeking

goal
start
goal seeking

goal
start

progress with local knowledge only ...

goal seeking

goal
start

… but can get to the goal

goal seeking

goal
start

… try to avoid these bits!

four golden rules

• knowing where you are

• knowing what you can do
• knowing where you are going
– or what will happen
• knowing where you’ve been
– or what you’ve done
 where you are – breadcrumbs

shows path through web site hierarchy

top level category sub-category

web site this page

live links
to higher
levels
beware the big button trap

things other things

the thing from

more things
outer space

• where do they go?

– lots of room for extra text!
modes

• lock to prevent accidental use …

– remove lock - ‘c’ + ‘yes’ to confirm
– frequent practiced action
• if lock forgotten
– in pocket ‘yes’ gets pressed
– goes to phone book
– in phone book …
‘c’ – delete entry
‘yes’ – confirm
… oops !
global

between screens
within the application
hierarchical diagrams

the system

info and help management messages

add user remove user

hierarchical diagrams ctd.

• parts of application
– screens or groups of screens

• typically functional separation

the systems

info and help management messages

add user remove user

navigating hierarchies

• deep is difficult!

• misuse of Miller’s 7 ± 2
– short term memory, not menu size

• optimal?
– many items on each screen
– but structured within screen

see /e3/online/menu-breadth/
think about dialogue

what does it mean in UI design?

Minister: do you name take this woman …

Man: I do
Minister: do you name take this man …
Woman: I do
Minister: I now pronounce you man and wife
think about dialogue

what does it mean in UI design?

Minister: do you name take this woman …

• marriage service
• general flow, generic – blanks for names
• pattern of interaction between people
• computer dialogue
• pattern of interaction between users and system
• but details differ each time
network diagrams

main remove
confirm
screen user

add user

• show different paths through system

network diagrams ctd.

• what leads to what

• what happens when
• including branches
• more task oriented then hierarchy

main remove
confirm
screen user

add user
wider still

between applications
and beyond ...
wider still …

• style issues:
– platform standards, consistency
• functional issues
– cut and paste
• navigation issues
– embedded applications
– links to other apps … the web
 Dix , Alan

Finlay, Janet
Abowd, Gregory
Beale, Russell

screen design and layout

basic principles
grouping, structure, order
alignment
use of white space
ABCDEFGHIJKLM
NOPQRSTUVWXYZ
basic principles

• ask
– what is the user doing?

• think
– what information, comparisons, order

• design
– form follows function
available tools

• grouping of items
• order of items
• decoration - fonts, boxes etc.
• alignment of items
• white space between items
grouping and structure

logically together  physically together

Billing details: Delivery details:

Name Name
Address: … Address: …
Credit card no Delivery time

Order details:
item quantity cost/item cost
size 10 screws (boxes) 7 3.71 25.97
…… … … …
order of groups and items

• think! - what is natural order

• should match screen order!

– use boxes, space etc.
– set up tabbing right!

• instructions
– beware the cake recipie syndrome!
… mix milk and flour, add the fruit
after beating them
decoration

• use boxes to group logical items

• use fonts for emphasis, headings
• but not too many!!

ABCDEFGHIJKLM
NOPQRSTUVWXYZ
alignment - text

• you read from left to right (English and

European)

 align left hand side

boring but
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
Winston Churchill - A Biography readable!
Wizard of Oz
Xena - Warrior Princess

Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory

Winston Churchill - A Biography
Wizard of Oz
fine for special effects Xena - Warrior Princess
but hard to scan
alignment - names

• Usually scanning for surnames

 make it easy!

Alan Dix


Janet Finlay
Gregory Abowd
Dix , Alan

Finlay, Janet


Russell Beale Abowd, Gregory
Beale, Russell
Alan Dix
Janet Finlay
Gregory Abowd
Russell Beale
alignment - numbers

532.56
think purpose! 179.3
256.317
which is biggest? 15
73.948
1035
3.142
497.6256
alignment - numbers

visually:
627.865
long number = big number 1.005763
382.583
align decimal points 2502.56
or right align integers 432.935
2.0175
652.87
56.34
multiple columns

• scanning across gaps hard:

(often hard to avoid with large data base fields)

sherbert 75
toffee 120
chocolate 35
fruit gums 27
coconut dreams 85
multiple columns - 2

• use leaders

sherbert 75
toffee 120
chocolate 35
fruit gums 27
coconut dreams 85
multiple columns - 3

• or greying (vertical too)

sherbert 75
toffee 120
chocolate 35
fruit gums 27
coconut dreams 85
multiple columns - 4

• or even (with care!) ‘bad’ alignment

sherbert 75
toffee 120
chocolate 35
fruit gums 27
coconut dreams 85
white space - the counter

WHAT YOU SEE

white space - the counter

WHAT YOU SEE

THE GAPS BETWEEN

space to separate
space to structure
space to highlight
physical controls

• grouping of items
–defrost
defrostsettings
settings
– type of food
type of food
– time to cook
time to cook
physical controls

• grouping of items
• order of items
1)type
1) typeofofheating
heating
1
2) temperature
2) temperature
3) time to cook
3) time to cook
4) start 2
4) start
3

4
physical controls

• grouping of items
• order of items
• decoration
– different colours
different colours for
for different
different functions
functions
– lines around related
lines around related
buttons(temp up/down)
buttons
physical controls

• grouping of items
• order of items
• decoration
• alignment
– centered text in buttons
centred text in buttons
? easy to scan ?
? easy to scan ?
physical controls

• grouping of items
• order of items
• decoration
• alignment
• white space
– gaps to aid grouping
gaps to aid grouping
user action and control

entering information
knowing what to do
affordances
entering information
Name: Alan Dix
Address: Lancaster
• forms, dialogue boxes


– presentation + data input
– similar layout issues Name: Alan Dix
– alignment - N.B. different label lengths Address: Lancaster

• logical layout
– use task analysis (ch15)
– groupings
?
Name: Alan Dix
Address: Lancaster

– natural order for entering information

• top-bottom, left-right (depending on culture)
• set tab order for keyboard entry

N.B. see extra slides for widget choice

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
affordances
mug handle
• psychological term
‘affords’
• for physical objects grasping
– shape and size suggest actions
• pick up, twist, throw
– also cultural – buttons ‘afford’ pushing
• for screen objects
– button–like object ‘affords’ mouse click
– physical-like objects suggest use
• culture of computer use
– icons ‘afford’ clicking
– or even double clicking … not like real buttons!
 appropriate appearance

presenting information
aesthetics and utility
colour and 3D
localisation & internationalisation
presenting information

• purpose matters name size

– sort order (which column, numeric alphabetic) chap10
chap1 12
17
– text vs. diagram chap10
chap5 16
12
chap11
chap1 17
51
– scatter graph vs. histogram chap12
chap14 262
22
chap13
chap20 27
83
• use paper presentation principles! chap14
chap8
……
32
22
…

• but add interactivity

– softens design choices
• e.g. re-ordering columns
• ‘dancing histograms’ (chap 21)
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
– e.g. the design of the counter
– in consumer products – key differentiator (e.g. iMac)
colour and 3D

• both often used very badly!

• colour
– older monitors limited palette
– colour over used because ‘it is there’
– beware colour blind!
– use sparingly to reinforce other information
• 3D effects
– good for physical information and some graphs
– but if over used …
e.g. text in perspective!! 3D pie charts
bad use of colour

• over use - without very good reason (e.g. kids’ site)

• colour blindness
• poor use of contrast
• do adjust your set!
– adjust your monitor to greys only
– can you still read your screen?
across countries and cultures
• 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

 
prototyping
iteration and prototyping

getting better …
… and starting well
prototyping

• you never get it right first time

• if at first you don’t succeed …

OK?
design prototype evaluate done!

re-design
pitfalls of prototyping

• moving little by little … but to where

• Malverns or the Matterhorn?

1. need a good start point

2. need to understand what is wrong