Designing in Steps

Interaction Design November 26, 2007

If you're creating an application that DOES something (as opposed to say, a website where users just search for something) it's essential to design in steps.

What does that mean? You need to figure out how to user interacts with the program at each critical point. For example, what does the user see when he/she starts off? How intuitive is it to find where to go next? And if the user is able to get to step two, are the guidelines clear?

Often times, a user will have a series of steps in mind before even using a program. In Microsoft Word, the user may go in with the following:

1. Start a blank document

2. Type a letter

3. Format

4. Print

Your goal as a designer is to make this process as fast as possible. From the getgo, they should be able to easily start typing. Now, Word is generally a very usable program, so there are no qualms here.

Conversely, on a website that holds a lot of information, there should be a clear direction of where to go "FIRST" and "SECOND" up until a point where the user feels comfortable enough to start randomly clicking around. Presenting too much information -- or too little, in some cases (like Flashy restaurant websites) -- is confusing!

Take some time to sit down and draw out a map of your program and a few scenarios. Ensure that the user can accomplish these tasks easily. If it's not immediately obvious in some cases, it's back to the drawing board.

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