Week 9

• Overload


  Excess of information presented to the user in the process of completing a task
• Mystery

  Navigation mystery happens when the result of an action is not disclosed until the user interacts with the trigger element
• Friction


  Anything that prevents users from accomplishing their goals
• Invisible Design


  Good design becomes invisible when done well; noticeable only when done poorly
• Interface Design

  Leading reason why many software systems are abandoned or never used
• Judgment


  Users judge a system by its interface rather than its functionality
• Decision Making


  Hindered by information overload, causing little-to-no decisions being made
• Chunking


  Categorization technique to reduce cognitive load
• Progressive Disclosure


  Revealing information gradually to reduce cognitive load
• Visual Clutter


  To be avoided when presenting lots of information to the user
• Discoverability


  Reduced by navigation mystery; users must guess outcomes of their actions
• Usability


  Often sacrificed in favor of aesthetics and new technologies, leading to friction
• Positive Friction


  Dissuades users from performing an action or making bad decisions
• Cognitive Load


  Increased by information overload and navigation mystery
• Existing Knowledge


  Important to build on users' familiarity to reduce cognitive load