2. Designing Intuitive Products Lessons from Mental Models

3. What are mental models? How do people use them to operate devices? How can designers communicate helpful mental models to users? Essential Questions

4. What are mental models? How do people use them to operate devices? How can designers communicate helpful mental models to users? Essential Questions

5. What are mental models? How do people use them to operate devices? How can designers communicate helpful mental models to users? Essential Questions

6. What are mental models? How do people use them to operate devices? How can designers communicate helpful mental models to users? Essential Questions

7. Mental Model An understanding of how something works in terms of its internal structure and processes

8. 6 blind men describe an elephant, each with their own interpretation (an old Indian fable)

9. How do people tend to operate thermostats?

11. “The higher I set the temperature, the faster it will heat up” Accelerator Model

12. “The higher I set the temperature, the faster it will heat up” Accelerator Model

13. Switch Model “The heater is either running at a constant rate or not running"

14. “The higher I set the temperature, the faster it will heat up” Accelerator Model

17. How do I get through these doors? Pull here Push here

18. Anatomy of a Door Pull here Push here

19. Empirical Test How does having a mental model affect the use of device?

20. Participants trained to operate an imaginary device Control group Given mental model

21. Participants given a mental model first… develop more short-cuts train quickeroperate quickerretain better

22. Participants given a mental model first… develop more short-cuts train quickeroperate quickerretain better

23. Participants given a mental model first… train quickeroperate quicker

24. Participants given a mental model first… develop more short-cuts train quickeroperate quickerretain better

25. Participants given a mental model first… develop more short-cuts train quickeroperate quickerretain better

26. Participants given a mental model first… develop more short-cuts train quickeroperate quickerretain better

27. So how can designers ensure users develop beneficial mental models?

28. 1) 2) 3) Ways of Communicating Mental Models to Users

29. 1) Tell them directly 2) 3) Ways of Communicating Mental Models to Users

30. Provide direct instructions

31. 1) Tell them directly 2) Communicate through design 3) Ways of Communicating Mental Models to Users

32. These parts form a visual language

33. 1) Tell them directly 2) Tell them through design 3) Ensure all models work Ways of Communicating Mental Models to Users

34. Make the device usable by everyone

35. 1)Tell them directly 2)Tell them through design 3)Ensure all models work

37. Works Cited Gentner, Dedre. "Psychology of mental models." International encyclopedia of the social and behavioral sciences (2002): 9683-9687. Kempton, Willett. "Two Theories of Home Heat Control." Cognitive Science10.1 (1986): 75-90. Kieras, David E., and Susan Bovair. "The Role of a Mental Model in Learning to Operate a Device." Cognitive science 8.3 (1984): 255-273. Norman, Donald A. The design of everyday things. Basic books, 2002. Peffer, Therese, et al. "How people use thermostats in homes: A review. "Building and Environment 46.12 (2011): 2529-2541.