Interaction Design

Question 1

IxD

Answer 1

Interaction Design

Question 2

What is Interaction Design?

Answer 2

Designing spaces for human communication and interaction. The field of interaction design is concerned with the development of products and systems that support the way people think and behave, to provide satisfying interactive experiences.

Question 3

What is the difference between Interaction Design and Human-Computer Interaction?

Answer 3

Interaction Design encompasses the theory, research, and practice behind the design of many different products and systems to ensure the best possible user experience.

HCI is primarily concerned with the design, evaluation, and implementation of interactive computing systems for human use and with the study of major phenomena surround them.

Question 4

Establishing Requirements

Answer 4

This stage involves establishing and answering a series of design questions, such as: What does the user need from the design? How easy is it to use the system or product? Does it fit the context? Does it provide the user with sufficient means of completing their device or system-based aims and objectives? Does it have superficial appeal?

Question 5

Designing Alternatives

Answer 5

The process seeks input from users themselves to ensure the final design is as free from user-unfriendly elements as possible. The opinions of intended users are sought through questionnaires and interviews, whilst naturalistic observation can be particularly informative. If problems are identified during this phase then alternative designs are, therefore, necessary.

Question 6

Prototyping

Answer 6

The design process is iterative; at various stages it is important to trial your product or system to ensure any unforeseen problems are brought to light so they can be remedied before the final design is set in stone. Prototypes allow you to see how real users, free from the biases that might influence the interactions of those involved in the design process, interact with your product or system.

Question 7

Evaluating

Answer 7

The sum of all the prior stages. When the opinions of users have been considered and their use of prototypes observed and documented, the interactive system or product can be assessed. These four stages are then repeated until problems are eradicated, user needs are satisfied and an enjoyable user experience is provided.

Question 8

What is the heart of interaction design?

Answer 8

The desire to learn more about the intended users.

Question 9

Due to their shared emphasis on the interactive experience, the role of designers could be thought of in terms of which other profession?

Answer 9

Architecture

Question 10

What is Top-Down Processing?

Answer 10

The process of applying knowledge to help us perceive, recognize and make sense of the world.

Question 11

What is Bottom-up Processing?

Answer 11

Processing that occurs from the point information is received by our receptors, to the stage of neural processing.

Question 12

Memory

Answer 12

the cognitive process responsible for the encoding, storage and retrieval of information received by our senses.

Question 13

Encoding

Answer 13

Encoding refers to the registration information from our environment - which, as you have seen above is determined by the allocation of attentional resources - and formation of a memory trace (in the form of chemical and physical stimuli).

Question 14

chunking

Answer 14

mental grouping of items into meaningful clusters.

Question 15

Reasoning

Answer 15

the cognitive processes enabling evaluation and generation of logical arguments, verification of facts and the assimilation, accommodation and rejection of new information on the basis of existing knowledge. Reasoning also allows us to develop new ways of thinking with one idea leading to another.

Question 16

Which cognitive process is considered in terms of these three features: goal directedness, sub-goal decomposition and operator selection?

a. Reasoning
b. Decision Making
c. Problem-solving

Answer 16

Problem-solving

Question 17

In a situation where logic can be applied, which type of reasoning is most likely to lead us to the correct conclusion?

a. Deductive reasoning
b. Inductive reasoning
c. Illogical reasoning

Answer 17

Deductive reasoning

Question 18

The notion of short-term memory has since been replaced by a…?

Answer 18

Working Memory model

Question 19

The major difference between communication in the real-world and communication through a computer system is the former is …… whilst the latter is ……? Please choose the appropriate option for the blank spaces.

a. Direct; Indirect
b. Time-consuming; Quick
c. Unambiguous; Ambiguous

Answer 19

Direct; Indirect

Question 20

What is the difference between reasoning and logic?

Answer 20

Logic refers to the application of rules, norms and heuristics(rules-of-thumb) during reasoning. Therefor, logic is more a component of reasoning than the same cognitive process.

Reasoning is the overall process, which can include steps that do not conform to logic, such as skipping or making backward steps, choosing incorrect actions on purpose (e.g. to test a hypothesis), or the process of establishing a whole new set of rules.

Question 21

What are the two categories of methods or reasoning?

Answer 21

Deductive and Inductive

Question 22

What is deductive reasoning?

Answer 22

In a deductive system we are able to reason with a high degree of certainty, on the basis of the premises of an argument, until we reach conclusion.

The transitive inference that…:

if A is bigger than B, and
B is bigger than C that
C must be smaller than A

…is an example of deductive reasoning. In this instance the reasoning is valid as the first two premises mean the conclusion that C is smaller than A cannot be false.

Question 23

What is inductive reasoning?

Answer 23

inductive reasoning does not guarantee that the correct conclusion will be made; as such inferences are based on prior experiences and propositions rather than concrete rules, facts or algorithms. A classic example of inductive reasoning has been provided by empiricist David Hume:

Premise: The sun has risen to the east every morning up until now.

Conclusion: The sun will also rise in the east tomorrow.

One cannot say with certainty that as the sun rose in the east one day, that it necessarily will the next. Therefore, inductive inferences can lead to erroneous conclusions.

Question 24

What does research show about people’s decision making?

Answer 24

It is oriented towards minimizing loss than miaximizing potential gains.

Question 25

What does human cognition encompass?

Answer 25

Attention, memory, language (both producing and understanding), reasoning, problem-solving and decision making.

Each of these mental processes carries its own limitations, so it is the responsibility of product and system designers to relieve the user of tasks that over-burden them and simplify tasks taht must be performs by the user.

Question 26

What are human strengths in human-computer interaction?

Answer 26

• Powerful pattern recognition
• Powerful selective attention
• Capacity to learn
• Infinite-capacity LTM
• Rich, multikeyed LTM

Question 27

What are computer strengths in human-computer interaction?

Answer 27

• High- capacity memory
• Permanent memory
• Very fast processing
• Error-free processing
• Reliable memory access

Question 28

What are human weaknesses in human-computer interaction?

Answer 28

• Low-capity working memory
• Fast-decaying working memory
• Slow- processing
• Error prone processing
• Unreliable access to LTM

Question 29

What are computer weaknesses in human-computer interaction?

Answer 29

• Simple template matching
• Limited learning capacity
• Limited-capacity LTM
• Limited data integration

Question 30

What are the limitations of the human memory?

Answer 30

Rapidly decaying working memory, inconsistent access to long-term memory and slow processing.

Question 31

Humans and computers both have their strengths and weaknesses, with users relying on computers to compensate for their shortfallings. Which of the following options is not a weakness associated with human users?

a. Error prone processing
b. Low capacity working memory
c. Limited capacity long-term memory

Answer 31

c. Limited capacity long-term memory

Question 32

Perception is conscious ______ experience.

Answer 32

sensory

Question 33

When does perception take place?

Answer 33

When the electrical signals are transmitted to the brain via our sensory organs following stimulation by an element, or elements, in our environment.

Question 34

Perception is the process by which information from the outside world is converted into our …

Answer 34

experience of images,

Question 35

Information is stored in long-term memory in the form of ______.

Answer 35

Knowledge

Question 36

Our ability to recognize is only possible if we can store information as and when…

Answer 36

it enters the brain

Question 37

What is our experience of the world healvily influenced on?

Answer 37

by our knowledge of what we have experienced previously.

Question 38

The effect of knowledge on what we perceive is referred to as…?

Answer 38

Top-down Processing

Question 39

What happens when a user’s cognitive load is too great?

Answer 39

Results in more errors, frustration and a negative user experience.

Question 40

The ability to attend to one source of sensory input is referred to?

Answer 40

as focused or selective attention.

Which is involved when we are intensely concentrating on something whilst attempting to ignore outside distractions, such as during an examination.

Question 41

The cabilitiy of attending to multiple streams of information at one is referred to as

Answer 41

divided attention

Question 42

How can designers support the nature and limitations of human attention?

Answer 42

Restricting the number of occasions where multi-tasking is required and limiting the number of disractions whilst the user is carrying out their aims and objectives and keeping the amount of irrelevent information to a minimum. (All in an effort to help the user conserve llimited attentional resources).

Question 43

The human ability to focus on one task, in the presence of a constant stream of competing sensory information is referred to as…?

Answer 43

Selective Attention

Question 44

_______ is the key to what we consciously see, hear, taste, smell and feel.

Answer 44

Attention