What you learned after work: about interactive design

When I knew I was an interactive designer, in my mailbox or IM, intermittently, will receive a lot of information about the younger sister, they are all let me talk about this position, let me talk about feelings, say my opinion, I hope I can give them a flat road. It's a pity that I've come a rather competitive path. And in the 2-year period, there are a lot of problems I can't answer, so I have fooled some people who are not reliable. However, on the whole, I write this article in addition to the younger brothers and sisters a solution, but also to my own a summary: let their knowledge of the dominant, there is accumulation, and then use and inheritance.

What is interactive design?

Interactive design, also known as interactive Design, (English Consortium 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 "consortium", i.e. the reaction of artifacts in a particular scenario).

--Wikipedia

Rather than using academic statements, I prefer to explain interactive design through what it wants to do: to help users efficiently accomplish the tasks envisioned by the product and, in the process, to make the user feel happy and undisturbed.

KFC Restaurant--Watch for stools and gifts

I will use the common KFC, McDonald's and other fast food restaurants to explain my own definition, I think this is the most intuitive:

High efficiency: Regular, you can point is that a few packages, save your own meal choice hesitate trouble. It takes up to 3 minutes to get the food from the order. Even if you need to wait, you will also show the brand number to you, later sent to you. Fast, accurate, convenient.

Products envisaged by the task: As long as you enter the door, the waiter will prompt you to order, the table layout is small and compact, the stool can not be moved, deliberately let you sit uncomfortable. Use warm colors, play fast-paced songs, and expand your appetite. What are the tasks they are supposed to have? (In fact, you are also holding this purpose) rather than let you leisurely enjoy this meal.

Pleasure: From the decoration of the layout, fast food restaurants are very clean and tidy, brightly colored colors. The waiter was always so warm-hearted and polite that he could get a gift by ordering a meal. You say, can you be unhappy?

Undisturbed: Whether you are waiting for someone, rubbing the toilet or really eating, the waiter will not bother you (unless you actively call), in addition to ordering you need to say something, you do not have to talk about what to eat out.

Why do you need interactive design?

The conclusion is clear and straightforward: interactive design can use tricky, clever methods, so that users do not find, do not think, do not need to learn, complete what you think, and also is the purpose of his needs, while not causing users to dislike and anger. Even he will appreciate your product in turn.

Like fast food restaurant, can efficiently let the customer reach the goal of filling the belly, and also can lead to let the customer hurriedly eat to leave, do not feel that they are being rushed away, not disturbed.

The other reason for the interaction design is that there are too few products in the world to meet these goals, or even a handful, and that users spend too much time looking for a good product.

Why is that? Li Huilai in his own article, "Why do you have to work extra hard?" This says:

There are many things in this world that are not simply linear relationships.

There is a cruel example to consider. Let's see what is left of the so-called "leftover"? Presumably, they all feel that their demands are not high enough: isn't the education level too low? Can't people look too ugly? Can't you be too short? Not too old? How about a little money? Why do people have to have a sense of humour?...... Indeed, each condition seems to be not high, basically is only the middle and upper level ... But the problem is, every time there is only one person in the three who can meet the conditions, there are six conditions before and after, then the numerator is 1, the denominator is 3 6 times, that is, 1/729, that is, from a purely probabilistic point of view, she has to be able to reach 729 men can meet 1 all conditions are met ...

Then, at the same time meet the "have rice + meat + have green vegetables + food fresh non-toxic + price Justice + convenience + taste moderate + store clean and tidy + there is a toilet + air-conditioning and heating + waiter attitude is good + do not go too far" These seem to be the ordinary needs of eating Chinese fast food shops, and how much?

The real Kung Fu fast food restaurant does not have the toilet, becomes many people rejects the real kungfu reason.

Therefore, in order for your product to get user satisfaction and loyalty, for your product to be more profitable, you need interactive design to make your product outstanding. And, you don't have to worry about someone walking ahead of you, without worrying about your competitors, you should focus on satisfying the needs of your users and using interactive design methods to get you behind.

Where is the interaction designer in the team?

With the development of industrial technology, the average personal contact with the daily necessities are more and more, people are constantly because of the difficult to use industrial products and waste time, affect the mood, so the user-centric theory also produced accordingly. It comes from industry design and ergonomics, simply: designers should make products suitable for people to use, rather than make people accustomed to products.

Industrial designers (such as automobiles, home appliances) Remember this fine tradition, software designers, web designers have been left behind, for decades, they make software and Web pages on the computer to use and display, but users can not use them to complete the task.

In China, the interaction designer, which is often discussed, refers to the interaction designer in the Internet product design team.

An ordinary internet product design process

Rome was not built in a day, and good products are not for designers alone. Therefore, the general development team is comprised of several separate groups working together. Follows：

Product group: mainly responsible for product requirements definition, strategy, operation, promotion and other work. The representative role is the product manager.

Design team: Primarily responsible for the interactivity of the product interface, visual appearance, and the front-end work of the web, if necessary, but also responsible for usability testing and user research work. Representative roles are interactive designers.

Team of programmers: most of their work is done by the designer's incomprehensible code-tapping work, but they are at the heart of the development team. The representative role is the project manager.

Test team: The main test product is the logical or extreme state of bugs and deficiencies. Provided to the programmer team or design team for modification.

So, we see that the interaction designer has actually become the core role in the development team that is essential and always runs through the development process:

In the definition of requirements, the interaction designer needs to be involved with the power of research to ensure that the product meets specific user expectations.

In the design phase, the interaction designer needs to make the product look explicit by making the prototype, so that the product can accomplish the task efficiently. At the same time, you must present visual design requirements to your visual design colleagues, and you will have to discuss the feasibility of the prototype implementation with your front-end colleagues. And you have to get your prototype through usability testing.

In the process development stage, although may temporarily take a breath, but this stage often can appear some to affect the user to complete the task the development question to need you to participate in making the decision, develops the efficiency and the experience to achieve the balance.

In the final phase of the test, you have to receive the test report and filter out the design problems to proceed with the solution.

Role descriptions for interactive design at multiple stages (click to view larger image)

What is the ability of an interaction designer?

If you look closely at similar job postings, it's actually a description of what interaction designers should have. Although there are different points, there are a few core competencies that you need to master, but for others, there is a difference.

I. Rich experience in Internet products, keen observation.

If you want to be a browser, you have to become a browser experience expert, you have to go night and night to understand the interoperability of each browser differences, their function update progress. And, you'd better do it like this, make a summary and a screenshot. This helps you quickly determine the difference and competitiveness of your browser.

Two. Deep understanding of the interaction and interface specifications under various platforms

There is a core requirement to be met in the interactive design: standardization and consistency. When you have the knowledge to make sure that you are at the beginning of the design, standing on the shoulders of giants, your designs are organized and disciplined.

The use of these norms can also help you innovate and build your own design specifications.

Three. The spirit of undead and strong communication skills

You need to be in the development process, constantly like the entire team broadcast your design concept, and constantly answer the questions of colleagues or boss. You also have to have a constant communication spirit to convince the product manager to take care of the user's needs and persuade others to endorse your design. Without these abilities, no matter how good your design is, the final product is likely to be a low-grade commodity.

Four. Remaining bonus points

Have visual ability, good document writing, know time management, and design schedule management and tracking, with programmer background ... These are places where you can add points. But just adding points doesn't make you a good interactive designer.

What is the survival of this profession?

An interactive designer usually encounters a problem: How to get along with the product manager? And there's a lot of discussion online. such as: "Interaction designer" and "product manager" with ambiguous relationship.

Some companies want to save them from each other's trouble, so the product manager is omitted, only product designers. From now on, this may be a good idea.

But in the long run, as design work becomes more and more responsible, more design jobs will emerge. Such as: User Experience engineer.

From a lot of people think of the promotion space, as you work more and more skilled. In the career transition, you have a variety of directions for product managers, design managers, visual design, and even user research engineers.

So always: The interaction designer is still a career with more money, fewer people, and more speed.