Interaction Design
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Feb 28, 2008

Interaction Design: A Visual Command Line

Code is essentially comprised of a bunch of functions that achieve some task. In the old days of computers, users would utilize these functions by typing something in some kind of command line. Even these days when writing programs, users can "interact" with them by simply writing function calls like the following: > Cat c = new Cat("Muffin"); > c.meow() > int x = c.calculateExponent(4,7);

Feb 18, 2008

Multi-Touch Interfaces

The multi-touch interface is emerging of late as the new interface for digital devices, what with the iPhone, Macbook Air, Microsoft Surface and others. With this comes a whole new way of human-computer interaction which mimics more real-world gesturing. This breakthrough in HCI can open the doors to a whole new array of human interface guidelines - we're still very attached to the mouse as the main interaction device with the computer, but perhaps the touchpad on the Macbook Air will help transition to using fingers.

Feb 06, 2008

Apple Breaks The Consistency Rule

My friend Elliott informed me that there's a discrepancy between the MacBook Air multi-touch interface vs. the iPhone interface and it's quite fascinating. A major part of Apple's Human Interface Guidelines (Found Here) is Consistency. That is, ensuring that all applications for the Mac platform are consistent with each other both in functionality and interface design. Well that makes sense - users will get used to a specific functionality and should expect to see it all over the place (for example, expecting a program's preferences to be under the right button in the menu bar).

Jan 15, 2008

Is Prototyping Necessary?

Many web designers stress the need for heavy site prototyping and planning before the actual coding happens. That is, they sit down and after outlining the information architecture, plan the design with all the images and colors, etc.

Dec 27, 2007

Choices: Less is More

How many ways can you eat a Reeses? How many ways can you turn off your computer? People like choices, but they don't like too many. I was reading a bit from Barry Schwartz's "Paradox of Choice" and was intrigued on the things he has to say regarding choices.

Dec 11, 2007

Design is an Experience

What is design? Is it the graphics we use? The colors? The fonts? Yes, those all have some effect on the end experience, but I'm talking about something bigger. Something more encompassing. Design is the whole experience. It's the fusion of technology with humanity and the arts that makes good design.

Nov 27, 2007

Spaces

Define spaces in your application. Too many websites and desktop applications jumble everything else. Again, like a house floorplan, divide everything into spaces and figure out the 'transition functions' between them.

Nov 26, 2007

Designing in Steps

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