On the relationship between interactive design and users

By expounding the history and function of interactive design, this paper introduces the position and function of interactive design in modern times. and through the exposition to reflect on whether we really know what users need?

Does the user know what it takes to rethink the role of interactivity in the present age and the necessity of existence by expounding the history and role of interactive design? A new exposition and deduction of interactive existence and function based on reflection

　　"Key words" interactive design; design philosophy;

　　Interactive design implication and user demand analysis

Interactive design, also known as interactive design, (English interaction Design, abbreviated IXD or IaD), is the domain of designing and designing the behavior of artificial systems. Artificial objects, i.e., artificial objects, such as software, mobile devices, artificial environments, services, wearable devices, and the organizational structure of the system. Interaction design is the interface that defines the behavior of the human creation (the "interaction", that is, the way artifacts are reacted in a particular scenario).

Maslow's theory divides demand into physiological needs, security needs, social needs, respect for demand and self-realization, in turn from lower to higher levels. Interactivity generally spans the need to respect demand and self-realization, and simply Interactive is a process and way to help users achieve their needs simpler and more comfortably.

Users are more likely to have a sense of contentment when interacting with a faster and more comfortable meeting of requirements. Assuming that the interactive process is complex, users will need to think and delve so that the user can not create a sense of satisfaction, or even quit.

Interactive design in any artifact design and production process can not be avoided, the difference is only conscious and unconscious. However, with the increasing complexity of product and user experience, the increasing of functions, the emergence of new artifacts and the growing of cognitive friction to users, the demand for interactive design becomes more and more dominant, which triggers its increasingly urgent demands as a separate design discipline in theory and practice. There is a consensus that is not mutually denied, for example, that interaction design is the design of human and object Dialogues (dialog), and that the nature of interaction design research and practice may be hidden in this dialogue. Interactive design aims to include usability, ease of use, and design and improvement of attractiveness.

So in the design of interactive should be as simple and comfortable as possible, to understand the needs of users, intuitive to achieve, so that users can avoid thinking, and intuitive realization.

It can even be said that the interactive design into the Cross-media era. But first we have to be clear about the concept of cross-media, cross-media is generally an idea, no longer limited to a certain area or a certain aspect, the intersection of multiple knowledge and integration allows designers to play a role in different areas of interaction design from a single industry to plane posters, web design, software interface, mobile interface, Logo design and so on are beginning to talk about interactive design.

and interactive in the present, with the needs of the times from available to become useful, interactive design has become increasingly focused on the user experience, in some cases we can call the interactive design is also called user experience design.

　　Indifference to data and experience analysis

Let's take a look at the common interactive design process:

User research, demand analysis

Interactive design, set final draft

group cooperation to produce products

User testing, feedback suggestions.

Let's not say the latter, first of all, to say the first step of the question. The average small company will ignore this step directly not to investigate, large companies to investigate but get is cold data. So is the data of these surveys credible? Can you improve the accuracy of the designer's judgment? In other words, does the designer really know what the user wants?

Suppose the designer does a reasonable research and listens to the voice of the user in a casual scene. Then the new problem comes, the user is not able to accurately know what they want, or know what they want but can not accurately describe.

Let's assume a scenario where the user wants to buy a notepad. The survey was conducted in a randomly selected sample of 100 users:

Table 1.Demand Survey data

Table 1. Demand Research Data

Not knowing exactly what you want (43%), being able to know exactly what you want (31%), being able to accurately know but not describe (14%), others (9%).

(Here accurate know is refers to the user before seeing already knew oneself wants the book is how big, the cover is what pattern, the paper quality is how and so on.) )

　　General mode

Designer design Products-product impact user-user feedback suggestions.

If only shallow look, under normal circumstances is the designer design products, products to affect users, users feedback suggestions to designers, designers to modify the design of a large process.

　　Depth mode

Users generate demand-find products-products affect users to change and adjust demand.

In the deep, the user creates the demand wants to satisfy the demand then will go to look for the suitable product, the interactive help user to use the product and satisfies the demand, uses a product long after the custom affects the user and affects the user to select the product next time the basis.

　　Analysis

For example, the switch on the socket, we know that press is open, bounce is wide. Why? Because the interactive effect of the product we use is to let us know that the press is open and the bounce is off.

In reality there are many more examples, the products we use deeply affect our thinking, habits, behavior and so on. We have to consider this when we design interactivity: Is there a habit of subverting users? Can users get used to it after subversion? If the new interactive, users can accept and become accustomed to?

　　How to design requirements to design

I've always thought that interactivity is an interdisciplinary subject of philosophy and psychology, and that interaction is mainly about solving solutions that make it easier and more comfortable to meet the needs of the process.

Users need to find products to meet their needs, through the interactive use of products to meet their needs, long-term use of habit will have a sense of dependence on the product or brand. Of course, it's important to be interactive if the functionality is the same regardless of functionality.

　　User-centric

The interactive design should be designed in accordance with the user's thinking, of course, you can innovate on the above to allow users to adapt slowly. For example, we know how television is opened, although the design of remote control is one thing, but the more important reason is that we are too familiar with it. By pressing the switch on the remote, the TV will open this interaction is the same as the model we recognize, in other words, it is the same as what we think.

In the interactive design should be the user's idea as the core concept, imagine if a company launched a new remote control, the key is the original increase the sound of the symbol, it is a lot of uncomfortable feelings.

　　For the purpose of the user

In the design should be for the purpose of the user, directly hit the user's needs and objectives, so that users more simple and faster to achieve their needs, as far as possible to reduce all steps to three steps or within three steps.

　　Become a user

Only you are the user of the thing you designed, and you know how to improve it, you know what it takes to be a user of this product. Do not add to the product the idea that you think the user wants something.

　　Summarize

In the current era, whether a product can create a higher user value, depending on the user experience of the product, the user experience depends on the design of the product so in the design, to direct the user needs, to the user as the core to design. At the same time to maintain simplicity and guide users, so that users more accurate know what they want, more simply to do.

　　References (Reference)

[1] Jennifer Preece. Interaction Design Beyond Human-computer Interaction [M]. Beijing:electronic Industry Press, 2003.6-1

[2] Preece (United States). Interactive design--transcending human-computer interaction [M]. Beijing: Electronics Industry Press, 2003.6-1

This paper is submitted to author @besd Design Laboratory