Interaction Design and Process

Modeling
(IDPM202)
Interaction Design

Dr Bukelwa Ngoqo
E-mail : [email protected]
Office number : R253
 Outline
 What is Interaction Design?
• Goal
 Methods of Interaction Design (IxD)
 Dimensions of IxD
 Design Objectives
 IxD Characteristics
 The Interaction Designer (Tasks)
What is Interaction design?
Definition(s)
 Interaction Design (IxD) is the design of interactive products and
services in which a designer’s focus goes beyond the item in
development to include the way users will interact with it.
 Interaction design doesn’t only focus on how to design technology; it
also focuses on how to enhance UX. This might mean adding elements
like sounds, images, and videos.
 John Kolko, identifies interaction design as the physical and
emotional dialogue between a person and a product.
 Put simply, interaction design is the design that facilitates interactions
between users and digital products such as websites and apps.
https://webflow.com/blog/interaction-design-vs-ux
Interaction Design is Part of User Experience Design
 The term “interaction design” is sometimes used interchangeably with “user
experience design”. That’s understandable, considering interaction design is an
essential part of UX design. Indeed, UX design entails shaping the experience
of using a product, and a big part of that experience involves the needed
interaction between the user and the product
 However, UX design goes far beyond that. UX designers’ working world is
concerned with the entire user journey, including aspects of branding, design,
usability and function. Conversely, the central role of “interaction designers”
targets the moment of use and how to improve the interactive experience
Interaction Design is a Part of User Experience Design
Interaction
Design Goal?
The Goal
 The goal of interaction is to create products that enable the user
to achieve their objectives in the best possible way.
Methods of Interaction Design (IxD)
 There are several methods and tools interaction designers use:

• Use Cases
• Personas
• Prototyping
• Storyboards
Use Cases
 A use case is a description of how users act on your website. They enable you
to collect data on how users perform, and how many different types of
interaction there are with your product or service.
Personas
 A relatable snapshot of the target audience that highlights demographics,
behaviors, needs, and motivations through the creation of a fictional character.
Personas make it easier for designers and digital teams to create empathy
with consumers throughout the design process.
 Generally, the persona contains the basic information about the user.
Analyzing the persona helps interaction designers learn more about their users
and the specific situation around their use of the product, such as their family,
working conditions, living environment.
Prototyping
 A prototype is a simulation of the website navigation and features, commonly
using clickable wireframes or mockups. It’s a quick way to test and validate
product flows, visuals, and experience before fully developing the product.
Storyboards
 In UX, a storyboard is a series of panels or frames that visually describe and
explore a user’s experience with a product.
 Using storyboards to sketch an idea helps you work through the flow of the
experience.
 It can also act as a visual aid to explain your ideas to stakeholders, because
they can visualize how the product you’re designing will be used.
 They map out the user’s actions in chronological order, creating a comic strip-
style depiction of their journey from A to B within a specific context or scenario.
• For UX designers, “Interaction Design” is
at the core of what our work involves (i.e.,
the design of human interaction with
digital products);

• Designers’ work in IxD involves five

dimensions: words (1D), visual
representations (2D), physical
objects/space (3D), time (4D), and
behavior (5D).

• IxD’s five dimensions were first defined

by, Gillian Crampton Smith and Kevin
Silver.

• The dimensions represent the aspects an

interaction designer considers when
designing interactions.
5 Dimensions of IxD
 The dimensions represent the aspects an interaction designer
considers when designing interactions:
• Words (1D),
• Visual representations (2D),
• Physical objects/space (3D),
• Time (4D),
• Behavior (5D)
 Words (1D) encompass text, such as button labels, which help give users the right
amount of information.
 Visual representations (2D) are graphical elements such as images, typography and
icons that aid in user interaction.
 Physical objects/space (3D) refers to the medium through which users interact with the
product or service—for instance, a laptop via a mouse, or a mobile phone via fingers.
 Time (4D) relates to media that changes with time, such as animations, videos and
sounds.
 Behavior (5D) is concerned with how the previous four dimensions define the
interactions a product affords—for instance, how users can perform actions on a
website, or how users can operate a car. Behavior also refers to how the product reacts
to the users’ inputs and provides feedback.
5 Dimensions of IxD
 Interaction designers utilize all five dimensions to consider the interactions
between a user and a product or service in a holistic way. Specifically, we use
them to help envision the real-world demands of a usership in relation to a
design not yet introduced. For example, designers of an app that must process
data at high speed in order to find results
Design Objectives
1. Design involves changing situations by shaping and deploying artifacts

 Design is about transformation and the means available for the designer to
initiate change in a particular situation, this is the designed artifact. The
system should allow for change
2. Design is about exploring possible futures

 Spending time in early phases on divergent work, essentially looking around in

a design space of possibilities before committing to a particular direction.
Exploring possible futures in interaction design often involves inviting the future
users in various forms of participation
3. Design entails framing the “problem” in parallel with creating possible “solutions”

 Analyzing the existing in order to define a “problem” - that subsequent design

should solve
 Traditional systems development and engineering processes, where the aim is to
finish descriptive analysis for a requirement specification before creative design
begins, are not considered designerly processes. This is quite intentional.
4. Design involves thinking through sketching and other tangible representations

 There are particular implications to be observed from the temporal nature of

our design material. One of them is that when designing innovative interaction
techniques, it may be necessary to sketch in software and hardware rather than
staying with lo-fi sketching media
 If a particular external representation serves to engage the designer in a
conversation about the details and implications of a not-yet-finalized idea, and
if it is quick, tentative and truly disposable, then it is a sketch. It could be
anything from a napkin drawing to a piece of programming code, perhaps even
written in the language that is normally used to build products for delivery -
what matters is the purpose and intention
5. Design addresses instrumental, technical, aesthetical and ethical aspects
throughout

 Technical decisions influence the aesthetic qualities of the resulting interaction,

instrumental choices on features to offer have ethical repercussions, and so on
 Interaction design as a designerly activity would insist that the aesthetical and
ethical qualities can never be ignored or factored out. Whether something looks
and feels good to use, and whether it makes you comfortable in terms of social
accountability and moral standards, has a real impact not only on the overall
user experience but also on measurable, instrumental outcomes
IxD Characteristics
 Interaction design is about shaping digital things for people’s use
 With regards to integration design there are characteristics:
1. Design involves changing situations by shaping and deploying artifacts
2. Design is about exploring possible futures
3. Design entails framing the “problem” in parallel with creating possible
“solutions”
4. Design involves thinking through sketching and other tangible
representations
5. Design addresses instrumental, technical, aesthetical and ethical aspects
throughout
The Interaction Designer (Tasks)
 Design products that create a positive user experience
 Assist with the development of a product design strategy
 Work with the development team to ensure that the designed
product meets both the business and consumer objectives
 Follow along with the entire design process
 Conduct market research
 Analyse business problems and find solutions
 Create prototypes that illustrate key product interactions
Any Qs?
Self-study:
 How can designers encourage novice users to use the system?
 Identify measures that can be used by designers when evaluating usability?
 In the context of interaction design what are usability goals?
 What is universal usability? (discuss)
 What factors should designers consider to address the needs of individuals with
different physical abilities?