AP UX Week '07: Learning Interaction Design From Everyday Objects
[Live blogged notes from Adaptive Path UX Week 2007. Learning Interaction Design From Everyday Objects by Bill DeRouchey]
How can we go out into the world and get inspired by the real world?
Just as artists go to museums to see how their predecessors work. As designers we are surrounded by inspiration in everyday objects. There are buttons, dials, and more everywhere. There are buttons and dashboards in our cars. Look at the defrost icons. Why are they squiggly line pointing up? Because we've seen that before.
Look at how ATMs use blinking green lights to guide you through the process. Put your card in here, get your money here, etc.
The goal is to look closely at things and see what they are doing. Look for interface elements that are hidden and think about why they are not obvious.
[Bill is showing some great examples that I can't describe]
Look at the relationship between labels and controls. Pay attention to the implicit decisions in things and weed out things that cause hesitation and interruption (unless you are putting that lag in deliberately).
Interfaces need to communicate how a thing is to be used. If things are confusing, the process is delayed.
Just as inspiration fuels design, attention fuels craft.
Get as close as possible, pay attention to the details. Look at how Blackberry overlaps number and letter keys.
Ask "why is every little thing there?"
Look at the power indicator light on your Mac. Subtle feedback is deeply important.
Looking at the back of U-haul truck we see the language of digital design seeping out into other domains. Pieces of paper say "click here" and give you a URL.
Interaction has a language. Think of a black triangle pointing to the right. It always means play. We create and curate this language through:
- Color
- Icons, Words
- Size, Shape
- Layout, Motion
- Sequence
- Sound, Feel
Why?
- Priority
- Clarity
- Purpose
Give people something to latch onto when they use your product. Communicate what you are doing clearly. Is the purpose implicit? Does the thing stay within its purpose.
Do the elements have a hierarchy? Are things grouped together?
- Size
- Color
- Zoning
Look at remote controls. Think about how grouping is used (or, more often, not). Remote controls should not have as many buttons as a laptop. This is ludicrous. Tivo solved this problem. There are fewer buttons that are grouped according to use. Tivo decided what matters most: Pause. This is a deliberate choice. It connects the device to the brand and to the function. Grouping is organized into clear zones: Select, Adjust, Control, and Pinpoint.
Think about grouping of abstract verbs in your design (learn more, read, etc.).
Look at the interface on an HP all-in-one printer. The interface lacks priority. You have to get to the labels before you can understand what the button does. The device has five Start buttons.
When people are confused they will hack the interface. They will add their own labels to the device to solve their problems.
Does the interface communicate clearly? Use action verbs to explain what people need to do.
Think about the relationship between status and label. Think about the purpose your icons serve in the interface. If they don't serve a purpose, don't use an icon.
Choose labels that mean something. What is the difference between TurboCool and ExpressChill on a refrigerator?
Consistency is very important. Look at how buttons move around on ATM and card-swiping interfaces.
Red = Bad; Green = Good. Why? Fire = Bad; Tree = Pretty. This convention just works. Pay attention to convention!
So think about the Record button. Why is this red and the power button is green? Go back to cassettes, keep going back. It seems to come from On Air lights. Recording was a warning so they used red.
Think about how a product is used in context. Use colors to signal status in context.
Pay attention to the purpose of the product. Does it stay within what is supposed to do and what it is supposed to be?
- Simplicity
- Perspective
- Restraint
Remember Fitt's Law.
Why does the microwave not remember the time? Really... Why does the microwave need to have a clock?
Don't try to be over-friendly. Use appropriate language for the situation.
For more check out historyofthebutton.com and noideasbutinthings.com
Q: What about users who want stop in a digital environment?
A: Doesn't make sense in digital.
Q: Talk more about transition from web to industrial design? Change in practice?
A: The biggest adjustment was going back to pen and paper and learning about the constraints of the medium. Sequence became more important. Sound challenges are also very interesting.
Q: Thing in ID that could help Interaction on the web?
A: Zones are a great lesson. When creating an interface, carve out the space and label with verbs. This helps build the story.
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