Chapter 26: Designing for Different Needs

In this last section of the book, the spotlight is given to command vectors and working sets. The two give users some authority as to what commands he or she wants inputed, and what efficiency settings are prefered. Working sets can help make a system more efficient by understanding keyboard short cuts.

1) How many short cuts aside from ones for copy and paste are used universally in all software, and when will there be excessive number of short cuts to remember?

Chapter 25: Errors, Alerts, and Confirmation

One of the most irritating events one can experience using an interface are pop up error messages. Sometimes an error message such as "fasdf;alekjf" shows up, but serve no clear information to the intermediate and beginner users to know what exactly went wrong. Error messages can interfere with a users flow state, as they may show up while a program crashes, or because of network issues.

Chapter 24: Dialogs

In this chapter, we go in depth into how dialogs affect interaction design. Dialog boxes can be misused in a way that lowers proper interaction with the interface. For example, if the user is guided through a series of these, their overall efficiency for completing their wants is the decreased and can distress or make them forget their original task.
But dialog boxes can be used correctly as the chapter goes through the different purposes for them: property, function, process, and bulletin. Property dialog boxes allow for changes to the functions of the chosen object. Function dialog boxes control a single function and are available through menus. Process dialog boxes are called by the application and gives a status update on what is happening. Bulletin dialog boxes are unrequested artifacts called by the application as well. As long as users have meaningful interactions with these dialog boxes, they will get a better overall satisfaction with using them.

Chapter 22: Menus

The evolution of menus and its command functions are discussed in this chapter. It explores the functions of each tab in the menu bar such as file, help and edit in standard designs. Menu idioms are addressed to show how modern menu styles and interactions have changed through time.
I think the design and implementation of menus in interfaces are important. However, many interfaces like windows 8 are starting to take away menu bars, and designs are seemingly trying to transition away from it.

1) Will interfaes be voice controlled in the future if menu bars will become obsolete?

Chapter 21: Controls

In this chapter, controls, self-contained screen objects to which users interact with digital products, are explored in their functionality. These essential elements for a graphical user interface are also called widgets, gadgets, and gizmos. They are able to start functions, select options, accept input, and show different capabilities. As with other elements to a good user interface, they must be used effectively to improve the overall experience of the user.

Chapter 19: Point, Selecting, and Direct Manipulation

This chapter talks about pointing devices such as the mouse, the actions associated with it. It then goes into the technical aspects of how mouses are built.

Chapter 14: Visual Interface Design

talks about how simplicity does not imply rigidity.

Intuition (comes from different expereicnes, builds embodied schema” all doors have knobs kinda thing) --> no thinking really needed, learned, pre concious understanding, works by inference
- induction(specific expereiences > general ?) & deduction (general to specific then making a claim)

elegance and fit
- little material as possible
- everthing works together
-suppots contextual thinking and feeling

-economy of form
- maximum utility w/minimum of form?
good design for human goals not official goal

Chapter 13: Metaphors, Idioms, and Affordances

Idioms = cool, kick the bucket easy to learn
= not intuitive, good ones are easy to learn

Affordances = what ways object can be used in

Similie= “like” life

Direct Metaphor = monopoloy money

Chess as a white is a metaphor
once you break it down, it becomes idiomatic


app specific commands and feedback, something unique to something, no direct comparison in thinking

Chapter 12: Designing Good Behaviour

- can websites remember too much?

Chapter 11: Eliminating Excise

- excise
- doing stuff hard way just because we know how

Chapter 10: Orchestration and Flow

How to Conduct a Heuristic Evaluation (Jacob Niels...

- which would fill mental models best

> no poop sandwhich
> being clear can prevent bullshitting.
communicate through writing

Chapter 9: Platform and Posture

Chapter 8: Synthesizing Good Design: Principles and Patterns

Heuristics are general guidelines for user interaction design. It is highly likely that violating them would cause the user frustration. Heuristics like User control and freedom make an application more explorable, and when it is violated it will feel like claustrophobia.

Chapter 7: From Requirements to Design: The Framework and Refinement

This section talks about what interaction is built upon, how visual design...

Chapter 6: The Foundations of Design: Scenarios and Requirements

Scenarios are narratives that are used to tell the story, or advertise, a design. Given a variety of personas, scenarios are brought to life with realistic expectations of it. To showcase it well, scenarios should have different cases to show the flexibility of a design. We show how it will solve real-world problems.

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Chapter 5: Modeling Users: Personas and Goals

The important take away message of this chapter is how to stay away from stereotyping as designers model personas and goals. As personas represent a real people goals and behaviour, bias is slightly inevitable. This chapter teaches how to construct personas based on their motivations and suitable personalities.
I think using personas in design is very goal-directed. It adds texture and personality to the scenario which designers may envision their design being implemented in.

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Chapter 4: Understanding Users: Qualitative Research

Chapter 4 compares the value of qualitative research to quantiative research. Generally,  quantitative research is more stable because it outputs only statistics. Whereas qualitative research can be interpreted in many ways, thereby providing much more insight into what number figures mean. This section also talks about the interviewing process and how users are observed differently depending on interview method conducted.
problem with users
- why are we cell phone users but not apartment users?
> words we use
> ways we interpret it
> connotations of what we’re doing in it
- our ideas of the term “user” are diferent

stakeholder rhetorical
Often times, marketing data is
marketing data more want than what

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Chapter 3: Beginners, Experts, and Intermediates

This section explores user competency at learning how to interact with user interfaces. There are those who are beginners, those who are experts, and those who fall in between. Those who fall in between are called perpetual intermediates and usually are who designers design for.

I think this is an alarming point of consideration that designers should think about because it requires plenty research in order to know what users need. We're not talking about users in general, but users at different levels of the learning curve. What could designers do to help bring beginners into the expert stage without having themsfall back into the perpetual intermediate zone? Would helping beginners too much be "nannying" too much? In order to be expert at, for instance, programming language, one must put in continuous effort into updating his or herself and practicing the codes that pertain to a programming language. Otherwise, one will easily fall back into being an intermediate. It's not neccessarily a bad thing, because if extra technical knowledge isn't necessary for a person's career per say, the person wouldn't mind being an intermediate.

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Chapter 2: Implementation Models and Mental Models

Chapter 2 is a conversation on the different types of models involved into building a design. Technical aspects of design tend to use implementation models due to the mathematical thinking and engineering involved, whereas user perspectives of the design require mental models.
I believe that models used for design are important because they show the level of technical complexity and thought put into a product.

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Chapter 1: Goal-Directed Design

This chapter talks about the flaws in digital products, and why better design methods should be used to improve exisitng products. There have been many different methods of design development, and what is difficult is selecting an appropriate one to help users plan and achieve their different types of goals.
Goals help direct designers into creating more intuitive and efficient interfaces. It makes functions easier for users to learn.

Back in TECH 124, my group redesigned the interface for the Cineplex Self-Ticketing machine.  The  end goal was of users was to buy tickets and to avoid huge line ups for a popular movie. However, the original interface offered too many functions, which distract users from their goals, and slowed down the business transactions of the automated machines.

As the world continues to aim for convenience, peoples goals also change simultaneously. I think goal-directed design makes designers more credible and makes designs more purposeful.

Qs
1) How often must designs be updated, in order to fit user goals through time?
2) Would goal-directed design mislead designers into designing rather linear products?