Chapter 2

• Aesthetics


  The overall appearance or design of an object that can influence user engagement
• Problem space

  Understanding the issues, challenges, and requirements that need to be addressed in design
• User research

  Traditionally, interaction designers start designing by conducting this to understand user needs
• Common ground


  Establishing a set of common terms all designers can understand and agree upon
• User-centric design


  Designing technologies by considering the perspective and needs of the end users
• Assumptions


  Taking something for granted without further investigation
• Multiple Ways of Performing


  Offering various methods to accomplish the same task in an interface
• Exploring


  Users move through a virtual or physical environment
• Interface Metaphors

  Visual or structural representations in interfaces that resemble familiar entities to aid user understanding
• Conceptual model


  A shared blueprint that forms the basis for more concrete aspects of the design
• Interface Patterns


  Commonly used design structures for core processes in interface applications
• Conversing


  A user has a dialogue with a system
• Constrained Interface

  An interface that limits the ways users can perform operations to streamline user experience
• Model


  A simplification of an existing design
• Framework

  The underlying structure something is built on
• Functionality


  A crucial aspect of interaction design determining the capabilities and usefulness of a product
• Enumerating


  Listing and organising thoughts or concepts
• Conceptualisation


  The process of creating a mental image of how users will interact with a product
• Lingua franca


  A language used for communicating between people who speak different languages
• Claim


  Stating something to be true when it is still open to question
• Tried-and-true solutions


  Following proven user-based techniques in design for better outcomes
• Open-mindedness


  Preventing the design team from narrowing their focus early on
• Instructing


  A user issues instructions to a system
• Conceptual Models


  Representations of how a system works, focusing on the user's understanding of the system
• Interaction Types


  Different ways users engage with a product or application
• Design Space

  Conceptualising how users interact with a product to inform design decisions
• Usability


  How a product can be used to achieve goals with effectiveness, efficiency, and satisfaction
• Metaphor in Interaction Design

  Using analogies to explain complex computer-based concepts in more familiar terms
• Theory


  A well-substantiated explanation of some aspect of a phenomenon
• Paradigm


  A general approach for carrying out a task
• Manipulation


  Interact with objects in a virtual or physical environment