INTERACTION DESIGN: beyond human-computer interaction, 3rd Edition

Chapter 2

UNDERSTANDING AND CONCEPTUALIZING INTERACTION

• 2.1 Introduction
• 2.2 Understanding the Problem Space and Conceptualizing Design
• 2.3 Conceptual Models
• 2.4 Interface Metaphors
• 2.5 Interaction Types
• 2.6 Paradigms, Theories, Models, and Frameworks

Objectives

The main aims of this chapter are to:

• Explain what is meant by the problem space.
• Explain how to conceptualize interaction.
• Describe what a conceptual model is and how to begin to formulate one.
• Discuss the use of interface metaphors as part of a conceptual model.
• Outline the core interaction types for informing the development of a conceptual model.
• Introduce paradigms, theories, models, and frameworks informing interaction design.

2.1 Introduction

Imagine you have been asked to design an application to enable people to share their photos, movies, music, chats, documents, and so on in an efficient, safe, and enjoyable way. What would you do? How would you start? Would you begin by sketching out how the interface might look, work out how the system architecture should be structured, or simply start coding? Or, would you start by asking users about their current experiences of sharing files and look at existing tools, e.g. Dropbox, and, based on this, begin thinking about why and how you were going to design the application?

Interaction designers would begin by doing the latter. It is important to realize that having a clear understanding of why and how you are going to design something, before writing any code, can ...