Interaction design is the connection between users and products. Interaction design, abbreviated IxD, is a subset of user experience (UX) design. Interaction design concentrates specifically on the user interaction with the product, while UX encompasses the entire experience.
The UX Design Process
The UX design process is based on the questions why, how, and what. The process starts with research to discover why the user experience is what it is. The goal of this phase is to understand what the user wants from the experience. The Designer conducts surveys and interviews to discover the motivation and goals of users. The Interaction Designer collects data on what people do when they use the product.
The definition phase involves using the data collected along with analytics to create a detailed description of the user experience. This phase involves creating user personas, flowcharts, and mapping to uncover patterns and trends.
Once the patterns emerge, design enters the third phase in which team members generate ideas about how to solve problems and improve the experience. A rough sketch of the product is developed, and from that come wireframes and prototypes. Ix Designers use prototypes to study users’ reactions.
The next phase is testing the product or website to see if the user experience is what was expected. Depending upon the test results, there may be a redesign phase to improve the experience further.
The Five Dimensions of Interaction Design
A common way to look at IxD is through the Five Dimensions of Interaction Design. In an interview in a book called Designing Interactions by Bill Moggridge, Gillian Crampton Smith outlined four dimensions, or languages, of interaction design. They are words, visual representations, physical objects or space, and time. Kevin Silver later added a fifth, which is behavior.
First Dimension - Words
This includes any text on the screen and buttons that have words on them.
Second Dimension - Visual representations
These are images or photos as well as typography and icons. These are static representations. They don’t move.
Third Dimension - Physical objects or space
This includes the devices that contain the product the users are interacting with, so that could be a keyboard, a touch screen, the user’s finger, or gestures they make.
Fourth Dimension - Time
This dimension includes media that changes over time, such as animation, videos, or an audio track, as well as how long the user spends interacting with the product.
Fifth Dimension - Behavior
This considers how the user interacts with or responds to the product.
Interaction Design Principles
In addition to the five dimensions, IxD is guided by principles of design that help teams create successful and enjoyable user interactions. These principles include discoverability, feedback, a framework, consistency, user control, and testing.
Make Information Discoverable
Don’t expect users to hunt for anything. Important information should not be hidden. If users can’t find what they need, they will give up and move on. Label icons and menus clearly to make information discoverable.
While you shouldn’t hide anything crucial, more complicated information can be hidden until the user needs it. Use context to help users discover more advanced features. Let users make their own decisions about advanced information such as customization options.
Give Users Feedback
Let the users know what is happening with clear feedback. Provide continuous information about the results of actions and the state of the system to avoid confusion. Clear messages about loading, searching and other actions make the user feel better. When the action is over, give the user a clear signal of what to do next.
Give Users a Framework
Help users build a framework for interacting with the product. Conceptual models are the way the designer intends for the product to work. Mental models are what users create when they encounter conceptual models. Using these frameworks helps users see the relationship between different parts of a design and their effect on the world. For example, pressing a button on a phone up to increase audio volume or down to decrease it.
Design According to User Expectations
Anticipate user needs and desires. You can discover what those are by conducting user research.
Be Consistent
Consistency solves several problems. When websites all work in the same general way, it helps users learn how to use new applications and avoid errors by following the general guidelines of design. Consistency reduces confusion for users and makes them more comfortable.
Give the Users a Sense of Control
Helping users avoid making mistakes gives them a feeling of being in control. One way to do this is to protect progress and make sure users don’t lose data. Helpful error messages calm users so they can recover from mistakes, and when mistakes do happen, make the actions clearly reversible so they can start over.
Test for Usability
Test prototypes on users to be sure the interaction is working the way it is supposed to and is providing a successful, enjoyable experience for the users. IxD is iterative, which means that parts of the process are repeated to improve the experience.
Where to Learn UX Design
If you would like to learn more about UX/UI design in order to switch to a new career, one of the best ways to do that is to sign up for classes. You can choose classes that meet in-person or online to learn design software and other applications. Some people prefer to attend brick-and-mortar sessions when learning new information, but that isn’t always available. Live online classes have a similar set-up with a real-time, remote instructor who can answer questions and take control of your monitor—with permission—to show you how to do things. Training is part or full-time and available weekdays, weeknights, or weekends.
The best way to prepare for a career shift to a field like UX design is to enroll in a bootcamp or certificate program. These are intensive training courses that run from a few weeks to a few months and another plus of training is that you will leave class with a professional-quality portfolio that you can show to prospective employers.
Conclusion
It’s easy to learn UX design and start a new career. Check out Noble Desktop’s UX design classes. Choose between in-person sessions in NYC at Noble’s location or sign up for live online UX design courses and attend from anywhere. Use Noble Desktop’s Classes Near Me to find other UX design bootcamps in your area.