Interaction Design
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Topic 3: Interaction Design Process 2
Interaction Design
Diploma In Information Technology
Learning Outcomes After studying this topic and the recommended reading, you should be able to:
- Topic 3
- Common activities of Interaction Design
- Lifecycle Model for Interaction Design
- How to integrate interaction design activities with other lifecycle models?
- Understanding the Problem Space
Common Activities of Interaction Design
There are FOUR common activities for interaction design:
1. Discovering Requirements
2. Designing Alternatives
3. Prototyping
4. Evaluating
Common Activities of Interaction Design
1. Discovering Requirements
- Covers the Discover phase of the double diamond of design.
- Focused on discovering new ideas/solutions for the world.
- Defines what will be developed.
- Understand background information, the needs, interaction goals.
Common Activities of Interaction Design
1. Discovering Requirements
Purpose:
- Is to understand the targeted users.
- Creating products that can achieve objectives or goals.
- Identification of design errors or problems and to manage users expectation.
Common Activities of Interaction Design
1. Discovering Requirements
There are TWO (2) ways of discovering requirements:
1) Through multiple types data gathering techniques
2) Data analysis methods/frameworks
Common Activities of Interaction Design
2. Designing Alternatives
- The main activity of Design. And is part of the Develop phase in the Double Diamond.
- Design series of user experience flows and layouts based on the requirements.
Common Activities of Interaction Design
2. Designing Alternatives
Purpose:
- Provide ideas that can satisfy user requirements.
- Generate better alternatives.
- Can be used for getting feedbacks.
- Better explanation of design concepts.
Common Activities of Interaction Design
2. Designing Alternatives
How to design alternatives?
There are TWO (2) sub-activities:
1. Conceptual design
2. Concrete design
Common Activities of Interaction Design
2. Designing Alternatives
1. Conceptual design
- Involves producing Conceptual Model for the product.
- It provides an overview of how and what users can do with it.
- Understand the concept on how to interact with it.
Common Activities of Interaction Design
An example of conceptual design:
Source from: http://enfuzed.com/apple-iwatch-concept-design/
Common Activities of Interaction Design
2. Designing Alternatives
2. Concrete design
- Provides a more detailed version of the product.
- Includes colors, sounds, images to use and designs of icons and menus.
Common Activities of Interaction Design
An example of concrete design:
Source from: https://www.yankodesign.com/2019/06/30/a-screen-free-smartwatch- that-uses-light-and-sound-to-convey-information/
Common Activities of Interaction Design
2. Designing Alternatives
We will cover more in details for the TWO (2) sub-activities mentioned:
1. Conceptual design (More to be covered in Topic 4)
2. Concrete design (More to be covered in Topic 7)
Common Activities of Interaction Design
3. Prototyping
- This is part of the Develop phase of the Double Diamond.
- This requires product designers to implement the design so that the look and feel/behavior of the product can be tested.
Common Activities of Interaction Design
3. Prototyping
Purpose:
- Enables actual user interactivity with the product.
- Enables actual evaluation of the product.
- Enables problem identification of the product.
- Enables actual user experience with the product.
Common Activities of Interaction Design
3. Prototyping
What are some kinds of prototypes?
- Paper-based prototypes
- Card-based prototypes
* We will cover in details, the prototypes methods in Topic 15 and 16.
Common Activities of Interaction Design
Example of paper-based prototype:
Common Activities of Interaction Design
4. Evaluating
- Also part of the Develop phase of the Double Diamond.
- Refers to gathering feedbacks/reviews of a product design.
Common Activities of Interaction Design
4. Evaluating
Purpose:
- Determines the Usability and Acceptability of the product.
- Design measured in terms of a variety of Usability and User- Experience criteria.
* More details on Evaluation will be covered from Topic 17 and 18
Understanding the Problem Space
How/What/Where to start designing a product is key!!
There are multiple aspects to think of when it comes to designing and some thoughts will surface as follows:
What should I start designing?
How should I start?
Understanding the Problem Space
One important method to start is to explore the Problem Space.
The Problem Space helps designer narrow down on critical requirements to help decide on what to design.
Understanding the Problem Space
- Is part of the Discover phase in the Double Diamond.
- It helps designers Understand and Conceptualize what is the current user experience/product.
- How the identified design problems can be improved or changed.
Understanding the Problem Space
To understand the Problem Space, questions to be ask can be:
1) What is currently the user experience or the product?
2) Why is a change needed?
3) How are the changes going to improve the user experience?
Understanding the Problem Space
Let’s take a look at an example with car navigation system:
BlueSG:
Sources from: https://www.bluesg.com.sg/news/electric-car-sharing-service-bluesg- reaches-its-one-millionth-rental
Understanding the Problem Space
The problem with current car navigation systems is that it can be Unsafe in certain scenarios.
It causes distraction to driver’s attention on the road.
Looking at the navigation system for seconds can be dangerous.
Understanding the Problem Space
By understanding the problem with the current user experience, a change can be introduced to improve that experience.
Better design options can be decided to improve this.
Understanding the Problem Space
Let’s take a look at some example design options for car navigation system:
Understanding the Problem Space
Let’s take a look at some example design options for car navigation system:
Sources from: https://www.mes-insights.com/what-you-need-to-know-about-head- up-displays-huds-a-910391/
Lifecycle Model for Interaction Design
Other than understanding what activities are involved in interaction design.
It is important to consider how the activities are related to one another!
Lifecycle Model for Interaction Design
The term lifecycle model (or process model) is used to represent a model that captures a set of activities and how they are related.
Lifecycle Model for Interaction Design
There are multiple existing lifecycle models that have varying levels of sophistication and complexity.
However, for projects that only involves a few experienced developers, a simple process is sufficient.
Lifecycle Model for Interaction Design
For larger systems that involves tens or hundreds of developers with hundreds and thousands of users.
Than a simple process is not enough to provide management structure and disciplinary necessary to engineer a usable product.
Lifecycle Model for Interaction Design
Let’s take a look at a simple Lifecycle Model for Interaction Design that shows how the common activities are related.
Lifecycle Model for Interaction Design
1) Many projects starts by discovering requirements.
1
Lifecycle Model for Interaction Design
2) Alternative designs are achieved by discovered requirements.
2
Lifecycle Model for Interaction Design
3) Prototype versions of the designs are developed.
3
Lifecycle Model for Interaction Design
4) Evaluation will be conducted for the prototypes.
4
Lifecycle Model for Interaction Design
5) During designing of alternatives, prototyping or feedbacks gathered during evaluation.
There may be a need to refine the either the designs or requirements.
5
5
Lifecycle Model for Interaction Design
6) No matter how many times through the cycles the product design goes, development will always ends with an evaluation activity.
6
Lifecycle Model for Interaction Design
6) Evaluation ensures that the prescribed user experience and usability criteria have been met when it reaches the final stage.
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Lifecycle Model for Interaction Design
In recent years, a wide range of lifecycle models has emerged, all of which encompasses the FOUR common activities.
But..
With different emphases on activities, relationships and outputs.
Lifecycle Model for Interaction Design
Let’s take a look at another lifecycle model.
Google Design Sprints
Lifecycle Model for Interaction Design
Google Design Sprints emphasize problem investigation, solution development, and testing with customers.
All of the above in ONE WEEK!
Lifecycle Model for Interaction Design
Google Design Sprint
The main purpose in this case, is not to make a robust final product.
But..
It is to deliver the idea of a product that is acceptable to the user.
Lifecycle Model for Interaction Design
Google Design Sprint
This supports RAPID IDEATION and TESTING of potential solutions to a design challenge.
Lifecycle Model for Interaction Design
Google Design Sprint
The main purpose in this case, is not to make a robust final product.
But..
It is to deliver the idea of a product that is acceptable to the user.
Lifecycle Model for Interaction Design
Google Design Sprint
Consists of 5 phases
Lifecycle Model for Interaction Design
Google Design Sprint
Phase 1: Unpack
Focuses on making a map of the challenge and choosing a target.
Lifecycle Model for Interaction Design
Google Design Sprint
Phase 2: Sketch
Focuses on generating solutions, empathized on sketching and individual creativity.
Lifecycle Model for Interaction Design
Google Design Sprint
Phase 3: Decide
Focuses on criticizing the solutions/sketches that were generated on phase 1 and 2.
Lifecycle Model for Interaction Design
Google Design Sprint
Phase 4: Prototyping
Focuses on turning the sketch into a realistic prototype that customers can interact and provide feedbacks.
Lifecycle Model for Interaction Design
Google Design Sprint
Phase 5: Testing
Focuses on getting feedbacks from customers and learn from their reactions.
How to integrate interaction design activities with other lifecycle models?
There are a variety of Lifecycle Models that large project team uses.
And in the more recent practices of such Lifecycle Model are Agile Software Development. (Software engineering aspect)
How to integrate interaction design activities with other lifecycle models?
Some examples of Agile Software Methods. (Software engineering aspect)
- eXtreme Programming
- Scrum
- Kanban
How to integrate interaction design activities with other lifecycle models?
Here’s an example of SCRUM:
Source from: https://www.scrum- institute.org/Introduction_to_Scrum_A_Real_World_Example.php
How to integrate interaction design activities with other lifecycle models?
Whether they are different lifecycle models, they ultimately stress the importance of
1) Iteration
2) Early and repeated user feedback
3) Able to handle emergent requirements
4) Striking good balance between flexibility and structure.
How to integrate interaction design activities with other lifecycle models?
They also empathize
1) Collaboration
2) Face-to-Face communication
3) Streamlined processes to avoid unnecessary activities
4) Importance of practice over process to get the work done
That’s all for today!
If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me at this email.
kydsim001@mymail.sim.edu.sg
Reading
Textbook:
Sharp, H., Preece, J., & Rogers, Y. (2019). Interaction Design:
Beyond Human-Computer Interaction (5th ed.)
Reference:
Topic 2 – Interaction Design Process 1
END OF LESSON