Interface Conventions Flashcards
Real world knowledge is based on…
Analog Models.
eg.) We understand the functionality of digital buttons on a screen because we’ve experienced analog buttons in the real world: on calculators, remote controls, elevators, and so on.
Learned Behavior
If real world knowledge analog models, then perhaps you can say learned behavior is based on digital model. For instance, swiping left or right is a digital convention that is now fairly common among plenty of apps, but has no corollary in the real world. It is an action users have picked up from using smartphones and the apps on them.
Cause and Effect
Action and Reaction. When a user presses a button and something happens, they quickly understand the functionality of the button. For example, pressing “Send” to send an email message, or “Submit” to submit a form.
Consistency
is about applying a systematic logic to the way interfaces look and function so they remain familiar to a user. For example, on a telephone keypad, where all of the numbered buttons look the same, you can anticipate that pressing the number “8” will have more or less the same function as pressing the number “1”.
Seamlessness
is about ensuring that the action and reaction are closely linked. The interaction should be easy (with as few steps as possible), and results should be immediate.
Immediate intuition
We’ve been conditioned that in order to interact with an interface we need to touch it in some way. While the system may not be immediately obvious, the solution is usually quickly discovered.
Fulfillment
is the payoff for the user! An interface should function as it was intended, but there are other ways to reaffirm it as a positive experience.
Undo/redo
gives the user peace of mind that their actions are reversible. A good UI will allow a user to change their mind after they’ve made an action, or at least notify the user before they take a crucial step. You can see a few examples of this in Google’s webmail service, Gmail, from notifying you if you’ve possibly forgotten to attach a document to an outgoing email, to giving you a short window of time to “undo” a sent message before it leaves your outbox.
Five ways you can achieve consistency in your design?
- Your choice of language
- Apply UI elements as they are originally defined
- Consider various well-established conventions when deciding on layout
- Design for your User’s expectations
- Create consistent visual elements throughout your site
Radio buttons only allow ____ option and checkboxes allow __________.
one option. more than one option
An interface can be best described as a bridge between
the user and the content
Why is it helpful to rely on real world models within interface design? Choose the best answer.
Real world models are already familiar to a user, and therefore can help make the user’s experience much more seamless.
What is the rule of thumb for organizing content within an interface?
Systematically
Why is it important for the interface to react immediately when a user carries out an action? Choose the best answer.
The user needs confirmation from the interface that the system is working.
Context-specific design is best defined as:
Shaping a design to reflect differences in content, goals, and users.
