What Makes an Interface Communicate

1
What Makes an Interface Communicate?

• Peter Merholz
• Work http//epinions.com
• Play http//peterme.com/
• This talk http//peterme.com/web00

2
Is that the right question?

• How does an interface communicate?
• Wait a minutedoes an interface communicate?
  Communicate what? Is that what its for?

3
Interfaces enable tool use

• They allow users to accomplish a goal, usually
  through a set of tasks
• Interface design allows users to manipulate a
  system to get desired results
• Communication would get in the way of that,
  right? A hammer doesnt tell me anything about
  itself through its interface, right?

4
Well, no

• Interface communication is important in two
  primary respects
• What you can do with the system
• Feedback from the system

5
1. What you can do with the system

• When looking at an interface, it should
  communicate the tools purpose and capabilities
• Such communication can be done through explicit
  instruction, but is most powerful through
  affordances

6
Affordances The strongest communication tool

• http//www.jnd.org/dn.mss/affordances-and-design.h
  tml
• Coined by JJ Gibson, popularized by Don Norman in
  Design of Everyday Things
• What interactions does the interface seem to
  afford?

7
Users seek affordances

• Who here hasnt rolled their cursor over a web
  page, looking to see what turns the arrow into a
  hand?

8
So, isnt that like metaphor?

• Bevels on screen buttons are in order to make
  them look like real world buttons
• Metaphors are helpful to a point provide
  familiarity with a new experience
• Tabs!
• But beware of too much metaphor

9
2. Feedback from the system

• Interfaces communicate whats happening behind
  the scenes
• Sometimes explicit through messages
• Typically implied through form

10
Wait a minute. Isnt interface communication
about branding?

• In part
• To the degree it helps remind people where they
  area very important quality of interface in the
  contextless morass that is The Web

11
Develop a conceptual model

• Create a singular, overarching theme that
  provides the backbone for your design
• Ensures unity of design
• Unexpected ideas inevitably emerge

12
How to develop a model?

• User research
• Data analysis
• Brainstorming

13
Epinions.com Use and Interaction Model
14
Wait a minute. Isnt that like a metaphor?

• Well, yes.
• But dont express it literally.

15
Okay. Ive got a model. Now what?

• From Tog on Interface
• The system image is an illusion designed to
  convey the design model. Have it communicate the
  design model clearly and concisely.
• Theres that word!
• (For our needs, system image can be thought of
  as web site)

16
How do you communicate the model?

• Interfaces communicate with
• Text labels, instructions
• Pictures icons, widgets
• Sounds feedback
• Structure process

17
How do you make sure your users get it

• Be explicit and clear
• Words are clearer than pictures
• Use full phrases
• Use icons to support text, not in place of

vs.
Get email!
vs.
18
A different kind of metaphor

• All language is ruled by metaphor
• Such conceptual metaphors both determine and
  illuminate how we think
• Metaphors We Live By, Lakoff and Johnson
• The future is AHEAD of us, the past BEHIND us
• Time is MONEY

19
Expressions of conceptual metaphor Setting
volume

• Which is most appropriate?

MediaPlayer
Winamp
Quicktime
Crank it up! Turn that down! Volume is up/down
Control Panel
20
Communicate with appropriate imagery

• Not for the interface but to create a gestalt

Non geeks beware!
21
Interfaces cant NOT communicate

• People will react as if communicated with
• The Media Equation, Reeves and Nass
• Assumed feelings, politeness, flattery, etc.
• Watch out for abruptness and rudeness
• It seems condescendingbut it isnt

22
Case StudyLets Wander Around

• Amazon
• Lycos

23
Resources

• Tog on Interface, Tognazzini
• Metaphors We Live By, Lakoff and Johnson
• The Media Equation, Reeves and Nass,
• Designing the User Interface, Shneiderman
• Interface Culture, Johnson
• The Humane Interface, Raskin
• The Art of Human-Computer Interface Design, Laurel

24
Thanks!
25
Raymond Pirouzs Original Notes. The following
slides are all him
26
 I.  Interface Design

• A.     A term used to describe the act of
  creating a way for people to easily and
  seamlessly interact with complex objects or
  technology.B.     Interface design is NOT
  decorative button-making.C.     Interface design
  IS about humanizing the non-human. 

27
II.  Interface Design A Matter of Usability

• A.     Interfaces have to be visually
  approachable, comprehensible and
  navigable.B.     Interfaces are tools that are
  meant to be USED in order to achieve a specific
  function. In the case of web design, interfaces
  communicate the location of specific areas within
  a web site and are there to LEAD users, not
  confuse them. 

28
III.  The Challenge

• A.     The challenge in interface design is to
  enhance usability while maintaining a balance
  between communication, visual design and
  technology. 

29
IV. The Interface Design Discipline Teams
Working to Create Balance

• A.     Information Architects Create Logical
  Pathways.
• 1.      What is the message (marketing message or
  communication objective)?2.      How can we
  quickly present the user with that message? How
  many layers of information need to be created to
  achieve this goal while maintaining information
  cohesion and message communication?

30
Top 10 Misconceptions Regarding Web GUI Design

• 1. All sites need to look like Amazon or Yahoo
  FALSE2. An interface metaphor MUST exist
  FALSE3. Site maps MUST be made available
  FALSE4. Hypertext navigation is ALL YOU NEED
  FALSE5. People are lame and wont get itthey
  need help FALSE6. DHTML makes for the coolest
  nav. elements FALSE7.  Always design with
  technology in mind FALSE8.  Stay away from
  certain colors or ONLY USE certain colors
  FALSE9. Use Flash whenever possible
  FALSE10.When using Flash, ALWAYS incorporate
  Techno music FALSE 

31
Future Direction of UI

• A.     Take the G out of GUI.B.     Focus on
  information delivery in the age of
  information.C.     Reduce cosmetics down to
  functional form.D.     Integrate UI into the
  content and avoid separation, focusing the users
  attention to experience rather than the
  experience of use. 

32
VII.  Pay Attention to the Process - Ask
Questions

• A.     Why the UI? B.     Can the information be
  accessible without the UI?C.     Can the UI be
  integrated into the content?D.     Can the
  content be enhanced by the UI? 

33
VIII. Put the G back into UI

• A.     Once the content has been enhanced and the
  UI minimized, how does it look?B.     How does
  the UI communicate in conjunction to the look and
  feel of the page? C.     Is it well
  integrated?D.     What is the context within
  which the UI is expected to perform? How many
  knobs on a washing machine?E.      Turn the UI
  into a cohesive sub-structure of the overall
  branding, look, feel and content of the web
  site. 

34
IX. Ultimate Global Issues to Address in
Interface Design

• A.     Accessibility Bandwidth,
  Netscape/IE/Opera, file size issues, alt tags for
  visually impaired, plug-ins.B.    
  Navigability How well is the sites architecture
  integrated and designed for ease of motion within
  the site? C.     Continuity Page to page flow
  issues.D.     Scalability Can you add to the
  structure or modify it? Is it a modular or
  dead-end design?E.      Context Sensitivity How
  does the interface reinforce the content of the
  web site and positively reinforce the
  brand?