Q1

Question 1

Suggest five different reasons why a user might become frustrated with the design of an interactive product.

Answer 1

1. If it doesn’t work properly.
2. When it won’t do what the user wants it to do.
3. An error message that comes up which is vague or obtuse.
4. Insufficient information to tell users what to do.
5. If the appearance of an interface is noisy, garish, gimmicky or patronizing.

Question 2

Define the term ‘interaction design’ and briefly state what it aims to achieve

Answer 2

The designing of interactive products to support people in their everyday and working lives, with the aim of designing products that are easy, effective and enjoyable to use—from the users’ perspective.

Question 3

List three examples of poor interaction design from a car dashboard. Include a brief justification for each of your example choices

Answer 3

1. The speed dial is difficult to see because the steering wheel is in the way – even with this being adjusted.
2. There is a radio/CD control on the opposite side to the direction indicators, but is located in such a way that it is not easy to actually operate, most of the time you either turn the CD off, or completely change radio station.
3. There is a digital clock in the center of the dash display. However, when the temperature drops to 3 degrees or below the flashing temperature takes the place of the clock, which then becomes redundant if the temperature stays low.

Question 4

Define the usability goal: efficiency

Answer 4

It’s the way a product supports users in carrying out their tasks.

Question 5

Describe a situation where efficiency is more important than fun.

Answer 5

If a product is being used in a workplace (to save lives) say, then it is far more important that the efficiency of the product far outweighs the idea of using it for fun.

Question 6

Describe a situation where fun is more important than efficiency.

Answer 6

If a product is to be used by children, then the obvious center of the product must be that the child has fun with it – it doesn’t matter if it is not that efficient.

Question 7

For each of the three following interactive products, give two possible outcomes of poor interaction design. You should give six distinct outcomes.

• Mobile telephone.
• An e-commerce website selling books.
• Car dashboard.

Answer 7

Mobile telephone.

1. The relationship between control buttons and their actions are not obvious, so that you may end up making a wrong call – or turning it off.
2. The phone has a complicated menu system and is not easy to remember how to use. As a result very few of the capabilities are used.

An e-commerce website selling books.

1. When the website takes you to the payment page, but doesn’t offer a one-off purchase, but insists that you register first. This is likely to lead to lost sales.
2. If the website does not give an overview or preview of the books they are selling, once again leading to lost sales.

Car dashboard.

1. When you cannot see the speedometer because the steering wheel is in the way.
2. The way the radio selector buttons are placed are done in such a way that you cannot tell which station is selected – unless you look down at them – and so are perhaps in some danger if you do.