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Kindle Notes & Highlights
by
Dan Saffer
Read between
August 30 - October 2, 2018
Interaction design is about behavior, and behavior is much harder to observe and understand than appearance.
An interaction, grossly speaking, is a transaction between two entities, typically an exchange of information, but it can also be an exchange of goods or services.
Interaction designers design for the possibility of interaction. The interaction itself takes place between people, machines, and systems, in a variety of combinations.
There are three major schools of thought when it comes to defining interaction design: • A technology-centered view. • A behaviorist view. • The Social Interaction Design view.
Interaction design is by its nature contextual: it solves specific problems under a particular set of circumstances using the
available materials.
The Technology-Centered View
Interaction designers take the raw stuff produced by engineers and programmers and mold it into products that people enjoy using.
The Behaviorist View
This view focuses on functionality and feedback: how products behave and provide feedback based on what the people engaged with them are doing.
The Social Interaction Design View
People have many preconceived notions about design, not the least of which is that design concerns only how things look:
Designers find their solutions through brainstorming and then, most important, building models (Figure 1.3) to test the solutions.
Emotion needs to be thoughtfully included in design decisions.
Figure 1.15. The disciplines surrounding interaction design.
You must consider the environment, the channel, the touchpoint.
Interaction designers try to ameliorate some of that annoyance, making sure that the products and services people deal with make sense, are usable and useful, and are even engaging and fun.
There are four major approaches to tackling interaction design projects:
• User-centered design (UCD) • Activity-centered design • Systems design • Genius design
The best designers are those who can move between approaches, applying the best approach to the situation, sometimes applying multiple approaches even within a single project.
User-Centered Design The philosophy behind user-centered design is simply this: users know best. The people who will be using a product or service know what their needs, goals, and preferences are, and it is up to the designer to find out those things and design for them.
designers should try to fit products to people instead of the other way around.
Goals are really important in UCD; designers focus on what the user ultimately wants to accomplish. The designer then determines the tasks and means necessary to achieve those goals, but always with the users’ needs and preferences in mind.
Activity-Centered Design
Activity-centered design (ACD) doesn’t focus on the goals and preferences of users, but instead on behavior surrounding particular tasks.
The purpose of an activity is not necessarily a goal. Purposes are generally more focused and tangible than goals.
Like user-centered design, activity-centered design relies on research as the basis for its insights, albeit differently. Designers observe and interview users for insights about their behavior more than about their goals and motivations.
Systems Design Systems design is a very analytical way of approaching design problems; it uses an established arrangement of components to create design solutions.
A systems approach to design is entirely compatible with a user-centered approach. Indeed, the core of both approaches is understanding user goals. A systems approach looks at users in relation to a context and in terms of their interaction with devices, with each
other, and with themselves.
All interaction is a form of conversation.
All conversation involves goals, understandings, and agreements.
Genius Design
The fourth major design approach is something I named genius design. Genius design relies almost solely on the wisdom and experience of the designer to make design decisions.
Apple, supposedly for privacy reasons, does very little user research or testing at all—or by necessity.
Designers use their personal knowledge (and frequently the knowledge of the organization they’re working for and research from others) to determine users’ wants, needs, and expectations.
I refer to it as Rapid Expert Design, rather than “genius” (even if some talent and inherent capabilities may be a definite plus just like in sports).
But the best designers are those who can move between these different approaches as the situation warrants, so it’s good to know them all.
Strategy’s best application is for new products or existing products that are getting a complete redesign.
strategy is about being different from your competitors: either performing different activities, or else performing similar activities differently. The purpose of strategy is to determine what not to do so that you prioritize ideas and can focus on setting your product apart.
When people speak of “strategy” within organizations, they can be talking about any one of these three things:
Corporate strategy. Deals with how the organization is run: company structure, finances, and human resources. Corporate strategy also oversees how the other two strategy types are put into effect.
Operational strategy. Looks at efficiency and effectiveness in processes. IT and (obviously) operations are in this category.
• Business strategy. Deals with generating new products and looking for new markets. Marketing, business analysis, and design are typically here.
Cost leadership strategy. This strategy is all about making use of economies of scale to efficiently create
basic, no-frills products that can be made at a low cost and widely sold. Dell and Southwest Airlines are examples of companies that mostly follow a cost leadership strategy.
Focus strategy. This strategy is about effectively targeting niches, creating specialized products for a select few target markets. Medical device manufacturers and companies such as Leapfrog pursue a focus strategy.
Differentiation strategy. This strategy is about creating products that are seen as unique and therefore a premium price can be attached to them. Apple and Bang & Olufsen are examples of companies that follow a differentiation strategy.
Focus, vision, customer value, and scope are all key elements of a good design strategy, but I believe the most crucial is your ability to communicate and enact your strategy.
The Long Wow is a means to achieving long-term customer loyalty through systematically impressing your customers again and again.
