Default values in the interaction design

Cold winter to unfamiliar environment will often encounter water temperature regulation, the plot is generally like this: you adjust to a self think the appropriate scale, put a period of time after the water found or cold, and then slowly enlarge the hot water, after several mediation simply will hot water open to the largest, the result is too hot, enlarge cold water, too cold, put small cold water, too hot, put small hot water ... ... Finally, we start to hate the shower even if we don't have a cold. More reasonable is a kind of product called "thermostatic faucet", it gives a user does not need a preset default temperature: Open is 38 degrees, this value is the comfort of our bath, but if you feel cold, clockwise to heat, the other is counterclockwise to cold, heat has a valve temperature of 40 degrees, this temperature will burn the skin, I really want to be high. You can hold down a red preset button. All the operations are straightforward--most users can take a direct shower by lifting the switch.

Fig. 1, winter in unfamiliar environment encounter the shower device

Default values in interactive design

In the process of interactive design, the default value is required for system defaults, which plays a role of guidance, remediation and publicity. The term "default value" comes from an engineer term because the system has many default actions, such as the default font in the front-refactoring CSS is the Arial. In the above example, the thermostat faucet in interaction with the human process has a default value: 38 Degrees. This value is used as the default state to reduce the cost of user action learning, to lower the temperature forward, to raise the temperature back, and to act as a benchmark. The "Default value" realizes the principle of easy access, flexibility, efficiency and humanization in the interactive design.

With the default value users will not feel panic, that is, to give users a normal, in the real world we can see that the default value is insured-safety, the computer default is closed-save electricity. This normal in the Internet to play a role in inducing, such as the site default skin will always choose everyone can receive, the user did not pay attention to this will have been used, feel can be fixed, but not a default value to allow users to choose their own, greatly increase the cost of learning.

Fig. 2. Comparison between traditional mode and thermostatic faucet mechanism

Classification of default values in interactive design

According to the function can be divided into: Guide demonstration, check leakage fill, publicity and promotion of these three categories

First, guide the demonstration class. NetEase Cloud Reading clients in the initial use of the user has subscribed to NetEase news, literature and other 6 sources, and then have a "+" to add a subscription, so that users are obviously aware of this can add or to browse content. These six major feeds are also popular feeds, covers: news, science and technology, the United States, photography, history and other major categories of key recommendations, the guidance of the default value of the existence and selection are in line with user expectations, a good guide to the user to add other feeds and reading needs. In addition, microblogging novice guide always let us inadvertently pay attention to a lot of celebrity microblogging is also through the default value to let us quickly into the atmosphere of the social products; most sites always have a default navigation, click on the logo always let us back to the homepage; interactive way the default guide always breaks the category of product categories, Mobile Internet users know that two fingers can enlarge the picture, long Press always out dialog box, reading to the left is to turn the page backward, these defaults are always accepted by default design, designers are almost unaware of their existence.

Figure 3, NetEase cloud read default feeds

Second, the remedial class. NetEase Cloud Reading official website in the development process encountered a problem, the user after the purchase through NetEase PO data to the platform audit needs a period of time leading to the user may click again to buy again, the reason may be the speed, there may be data reconciliation. In the end, we solved this problem by a UFO event that we don't know what the user knows and doesn't make much sense. This type of error page in the web design is very common, the site is wrong, the reason is not, why not use the default humorous way to let users smile.

Figure 4, official website 404 error page

Third, the publicity class. The default application function of the Shanzhai machine brush machine is the most common phenomenon, one of the internet companies in Beijing can also be listed through the pre-installed charges, although it was later exposed and its own software partners to deceive users, this is a negative publicity class default value. NetEase Weibo default avatar using micro-blog logo to a large extent publicize their own, watermark is probably the most let picture lovers headache propaganda way, but very effective, a good picture often with several micro-blog name everywhere is forwarded, without people think of "rich Haruyama map" on countless appreciation chapter, Qing Qianlong Emperor in order to make their own elegance with the painting spread, will appreciate the chapter covered the works, fortunately that the works is not authentic, or will be destroyed. The default value of the publicity class is to run students like to use, for example, NetEase cloud reading in the mail promotion, operation on the official website released four platform download button, this download page basic repetition, this does not only waste resources outside the effect is not obvious, the main task of the home page is to inform the role of cloud reading, After the discussion let operation give up the home Page multiple button scheme.

Figure 5, the publicity of the default watermark and the "Rich Haruyama Map" appreciation of the Chapter

The above is the author of the default is worthy of classification, the following to share a few of our day-to-day use of products encountered in the interactive design defaults, I hope to play a role in the discussion.

One, the default sex. 2011, because the test registered Mushroom Street, after not how to go, one day to find their own head by default is a very Q girl, pink. At that time a little laugh and cry, was labeled the opposite sex label taste a bit ... To see the default sex of other websites, I tested some websites, social networking sites are found to be gender-specific when registering; Social nature is weaker such as dot net, know no gender field; then the weakness of such as Mushroom Street, Taobao treatment for women, the user did not choose gender is female; The path to mobile Internet applications has no gender field. NetEase Cloud reading directly handles you as a woman. Sex even as a required field has a problem, the general "male" in front, beautiful said that the site is directly female to register, the male in the registration was buried a trap, began to let you fill a lot of information, but after the selection of boys in addition to being refused registration is also cheated to send a blog about their own in the beauty of the microblogging register to your fans to see.

Whether it's a required field or a default selection of women, they are consistent with the location of these sites themselves. Women are valuable resources for many websites, 51.com even has data to prove that a woman's value is worth 10 boys, the user is not filled in the condition is a female, and then indirectly attract 10 people to register, the result is likely to be a non-selective other men brought another 10 men, really lucrative.

Second, the default avatar. Avatar is very important to many sites themselves, but not as required fields, the user is not assigned to display the avatar is the default avatar, the role is as follows:

1, imply that users or upload a real avatar good.

Figure 6, NetEase micro-blog and taobao default Avatar

such as the picture is NetEase micro-Bo and Taobao community head, prompting users to upload the head of the general use of these two ways: the interests of the drive and the demands of the Woo, NetEase micro-gambling with interest-driven, coincide with the domestic public thought "power", and upload will have more people watching you, The disadvantage is that the product is the original positioning is leisure and to make the same as Vanity Fair? Taobao "Ask the truth" so that users will smile to upload the avatar, the appeal of the card in some cases would be ineffective, such as I think this picture than I set a lot better, then I why I want to change, the third way to promote the user to upload the avatar of the method --spoof, here to give an extreme example: "As the flower" to do the default avatar, do not change the head of the students are such as flowers, some of the Web site is really fast to reach this realm, of course, this spoof also needs the user viscosity, if other aspects of the attraction will cause users to abandon

2, engraved into the brand image, increase user perception.

Use the website logo or mascot to do the default avatar is also everywhere.

Figure 7, Facebokk, IPhone, windows8 default avatar

Facebook's default avatar is said to be founder Zuckerberg, the default avatar in Apple's design Address book, which looks like jobs. Windows8 is said to be the default avatar with Bill's. These have symbolic brand meaning of the default avatar in the subconscious played a propaganda role, beautiful said and Mushroom Street are biased female shopping Superman image, Mushroom Street will be biased conservative.

Fig. 8, beauty and Mushroom street default avatar

If the site is useful to the user avatar on the description of a certain importance, will naturally want users to upload avatar. Upload Avatar True or false is actually not controllable, social networking sites naturally want users to use the real person avatar, users and in turn to see what the site can give, Century good edge on you do not fax avatar may be no one to you, Taobao you get an artistic avatar is also uploaded, although Amoy rivers and lakes also want you to fax avatar. QQ Intimate Circle of acquaintances more, real head and artistic concepts can be. If users believe that the site brand, the real head probability is relatively large, real head more will bring more users upload, this is a trend problem. So the default avatar and two emphases: focus on the site brand, such as Mushroom Street, focus on encouraging users to fax avatar, such as marriage website.

Third, default ringtones

The Apple handset is called the arcade One reason is the handset ringtone, the Apple handset ringtone is the Marlin marimba composes, the voice has reached a realm, the user has no reason to change it, the following is knowing that the user answers the iphone default ringtone's several points, the author feels very pertinent:

1. The iPhone changed ringtones too much trouble

2. Put x, (slightly exaggerated) "Hear me, I am the iphone."

3. The band is also very good, lazy to change (formerly Nokia and Moto ringtones also stink over the street AH ~ ~)

Slot: I have colleagues who have changed their Nokia to iphone ringtones (http://www.zhihu.com/question/20163663)

The iphone's ringtone has become a symbol of Apple's phone because of its elegant design, so it is known as the iphone by the voice of Marlin marimba, and sometimes the default is the brand diffusion effect, and some Nokia mobile subscribers switch to iphone ringtones. The default ringtone effect there is such a scenario: the user anxiously waiting for the traffic lights, the natural death of the front of the car's butt, a look above said: lights, lights, and other lights.

Figure 9, Intel default background music

In fact, this is Intel's advertising dubbing default value, do the ingenious nature of the popular, gossip spread open, here played a default value should be worth.

Other: empty pages, screen brightness, level points, default permissions, default downloads, default fonts

Summary

The previous column to the requirements interaction design default and their design methods, in general, the design of the default value should be noted in the following matters:

1, unless the user to induce changes, the default value should be as much as possible to solve the user needs, if the user to use the setting option, the product has begun to fail.

2, should meet the expectations of intermediary users, so you can guide the novice users, to inform the Ashes level users.

3, in line with the operational objectives (such as NetEase read the default subscription source)

4, consider the site positioning (SNS and non-SNS Web site's default avatar)

5, the interpretation of the default value is not clear a smile over it (404 pages)

6, can art point is not too common (iphone ringtones)

7, always want to know that most users will not change the default value (Micro bo change skin)

...... Everyone is welcome to take the bricks.

Finally, I thank the flying spirit of the students to guide the content, correction of the classmate's map (the comparison of the drop is my own painting), Zhang Bin classmate's layout guide. Other students on the unified Thank you, HoHo:)

Article Source: NetEase Uedc Mobile Interactive Group