Design Principles

Question 1

What are standard design principles?

Answer 1

• Visibility
• Feedback
• Constraints
• Consistency
• Affordance

Question 2

What is the difference between real and virtual affordances?

Answer 2

• Computer interfaces are typically virtual and therefore do not have real (physical) affordances
• Better conceptualized as perceived affordances

Question 3

What are the Visual Design Principles?

Answer 3

• Spacing
• Grouping — Law of Proximity
  
  • We perceive things closer to each other as being related
  • Good grouping results in efficient use of the interface
• Simplicity

Question 4

What are the CRAP Design Principles?

Answer 4

• Contrast — make different things stand out from each other
• Repetition — repeat conventions throughout the design to tie elements together
• Alignment — visually associate related elements by lining them up
• Proximity — group related elements and separate unrelated elements

Question 5

What are the Gestalt (Visual Perception) Principles?

Answer 5

• “An organized whole is perceived as greater than the sum of its parts”
• 7 principles:
  
  • Proximity
  • Common Region
  • Similarity
  • Closure
  • Symmetry
  • Continuation
  • Common fate

Question 6

What are some design considerations for Web?

Answer 6

• Consider how to design, present, and structure information and system behaviour
• Navigation is also important

Question 7

What is a design consideration for WIMP Icons?

Answer 7

• Icons should map representation to what they are referring to
• Similarity — effective but doesn’t work for abstract actions
• Analogy — useful for abstract actions or representations
• Arbitrary — versatile but requires learning which may create confusion

Question 8

What are some design considerations for WIMP Menus?

Answer 8

• Drop down arrows for submenus
• Bullets and checkmarks should show changes in items
• At most 25 items in a menu level
• 7 or less groups and put separators between them
• Provide access and shortcut keys
• Start menu items with a verb, noun, or noun phrase followed by a hierarchical structure

Question 9

What are some design considerations for Mobile?

Answer 9

• Consider smaller screen size, less input space, and bursts of usage
• Users expect fast response and a personalized/streamlined experience