Design of Everyday Things Don Norman on Design & HCI

What to do now Start brainstorming!! – Lots of ideas, then narrow down to 3 or 4 Explore design space – Vary what you can – hardware, forms of input, forms of output, features, requirement priorities, usability priorities Be off the wall, crazy – This will lead to less crazy but original ideas Project poster – March 11 Project report + prototype: April 8

Summary Darn these hooves! I hit the wrong switch again! Who designs these instrument Panels, raccoon?!

Don Norman Professor at Northwestern and Principal of Nielsen Norman group Previously Professor at UCSD, senior positions at Apple & HP ACM/CHI Lifetime Achievement Award Prolific author

Discussion What did you take away from DOET book so far?

Here are some Affordances are important Minimize the gulf of interpretation and gulf of execution Use natural mappings Make state visible Use a conceptual model that makes sense Provide feedback

Daily Challenges How many of you can use all the functionality in your – VCR – Digital watch – Copy machine – Stereo system – Plumbing fixtures

Hall of Shame Example Leitz slide projector – To move forward, short press – To move backward, long press What happens when you get frustrated?

Fun Examples Phones How do you - transfer a call - change volume - store a number -...

Changing Ringer Volume Press “Program” Press “6” Set volume – Low - Press “1” – Medium - Press “2” – High - Press “3” Press “Program”

Much better…

Important Concepts Affordances Visibility Conceptual models Mapping Feedback Constraints

Affordances Perceived and actual properties of an object that determine how it could be used – Chair is for sitting – Button is for pushing – Door handle is for …. – Scroll arrow is for … – Icon is for …

Door Opening Affordances Which doors are easy to open? Which doors are hard to open? Why?

Affordances in interfaces Interfaces are virtual and do not have ‘real’ affordances like physical objects Interfaces have ‘perceived’ affordances – Learned conventions of arbitrary mappings between action and effect at the interface – Some mappings are better than others

Mantra Complex things may need explanation, but simple things should not – If a simple thing requires instructions, it is likely a failed design Norman’s 2 main principles – Provide a good conceptual model – Make things visible Affordances is part of this

Conceptual Models People build their own systems of how things work – Example - thermostat Designer can help user foster an appropriate conceptual model – Appearance, instructions, behavior...

Conceptual Models Mental models are not always right Two Classes: – Functional model Stimulus - response “Press the accelerator once, then turn the key” At surface or superficial level – Structural model Deeper sense of why it happens, not just what happens “Press the accelerator to engage the automatic choke on a carburetor”

Visibility When functionality is hidden, problems in use occur – Occurs when number of functions is greater than number of controls When capabilities are visible, it does not require memory of how to use – Recognition over Recall – in the world vs. in the head

Simple Example Bathroom faucets – Two functions Hot/cold Flow

Bathroom Faucets 1 Can you figure out how to use it? Are two functions clear and independent?

Bathroom Faucets 2 Can you figure out how to use it? Are two functions clear and independent?

Bathroom Faucets 3 Can you figure out how to use it? Are two functions clear and independent?

My parent’s microwave 5:45

My microwave

About that VCR… That old joke - “how many of you have a VCR that is blinking 12:00?” :-) Still true today :-(

Which is Faster for Setting Time?

Mapping Relationship between control and action/result in the world Take advantage of physical analogies or cultural understandings – Good: Car, various driving controls Mercedes Benz seat adjustment example – Bad Car stereo - Knob for front/back speakers

Which is better? or

Mapping Example: Euros Size::value

Mapping Example: Stove Which controls which?

Why not this?

Yikes!

Why Not Design Better Stove Speakers Physical, monetary, convenience, etc., constraints dictate otherwise

Feedback Sending information back to the user about what has been done Includes sound, highlighting, animation and combinations of these – e.g. when screen button clicked on provides sound or red highlight feedback: “ccclichhk”

Execution-Evaluation cycle Norman (DOET, p. 46) User Goals Physical System Gulf of Execution Gulf of Evaluation

Goals, Execution, Evaluation Physical System Goals What we want to happen Execution What we do to the world Evaluation Comparing what happened with what we wanted to happen (Gulf of Execution) (Gulf of Evaluation)

Execution Goals What we want to happen An intention to act so as to achieve the goal The actual sequence of actions that we plan to do The physical execution of that action sequence Physical System

Evaluation Goals What we want to happen Evaluation of the interpretations with what we expected to happen Interpreting the perception according to our expectations Perceiving the state of the world Physical System

Seven Stages - All Together Goals What we want to happen Evaluation of the interpretations with what we expected to happen Interpreting the perception according to our expectations Perceiving the state of the world An intention to act so as to achieve the goal The actual sequence of actions that we plan to do The physical execution of that action sequence Physical System

Implications – Which Gulf does these Address? Make current state and action alternatives visible Need good conceptual model with consistent system image Interface should include mappings that reveal relationships between stages User should receive continuous feedback Provide affordances

Goal: Minimize Gulfs Gulf of Execution – Conceptual model – Affordances – Natural mappings Gulf of Evaluation – Make state visible – Feedback

Try and Try Again Norman thinks that it often takes 5 or 6 tries to get something “right” Simply may not have that luxury in a competitive business environment