L3 Mental Models & Conceptual Designs

Question 1

What are the learning outcomes of the lecture on Mental Models and Conceptual Design?

Answer 1

Understand what mental models are, conceptual models and design, how to apply them, and real-world examples.

Question 2

What are cognitive frameworks in UE?

Answer 2

Internal (user reasoning) and external (interaction with systems and environments).

Question 3

Define a conceptual model.

Answer 3

A designer’s high-level representation of how a system should behave and be understood.

Question 4

What makes a conceptual model effective?

Answer 4

Clear metaphors, logical structure, accurate mappings, and consistent terminology.

Question 5

What is the relationship between conceptual and mental models?

Answer 5

Designers create conceptual models to shape user-formed mental models.

Question 6

What does conceptual design involve?

Answer 6

Structuring information, exploring alternatives, and selecting concepts aligned with mental models.

Question 7

What tools support conceptual design?

Answer 7

Sketching, brainstorming, card sorting, semantic networks, flowcharts, scenarios, storyboards.

Question 8

What’s excluded from conceptual models?

Answer 8

Presentation, implementation, screen and widget design.

Question 9

What’s included in conceptual models?

Answer 9

Metaphors, objects, actions, user roles, mappings, interaction and interface types.

Question 10

Why are metaphors important?

Answer 10

They build on user familiarity, helping users understand new systems.

Question 11

How does mapping enhance usability?

Answer 11

Aligns design with user expectations and behaviors.

Question 12

Define interaction vs. interface types.

Answer 12

Interaction = what users do; Interface = the medium of interaction.

Question 13

What are four main interaction types?

Answer 13

Instructing, conversing, manipulating, exploring.

Question 14

Give an example of instructing interaction.

Answer 14

Printing a file or saving a document.

Question 15

List interface types.

Answer 15

GUI, speech, touch, tangible, haptic, mobile, command line, data visualization.

Question 16

What are key brainstorming practices?

Answer 16

Be playful, nonjudgmental, write freely, reach for quantity.

Question 17

What is card sorting?

Answer 17

A method to reveal user-driven groupings and organizational logic.

Question 18

Card sorting advantages?

Answer 18

Fast, intuitive, reveals mental structures, supports early design.

Question 19

Card sorting limitations?

Answer 19

Bound to predefined content, can be confusing with many categories.

Question 20

What is a semantic network?

Answer 20

A visual web showing linked concepts and associations.

Question 21

Pros and cons of semantic networks?

Answer 21

Pros: visual, intuitive. Cons: needs domain knowledge, may drift off-topic.

Question 22

How are flowcharts used?

Answer 22

To map navigation, conditionals, and design logic visually.

Question 23

What makes a flowchart effective?

Answer 23

Clear representation of user paths and decision points.

Question 24

Purpose of scenarios?

Answer 24

Story-based depictions of user goals, settings, and behaviors.

Question 25

What’s in a scenario?

Answer 25

Goals, tasks, context, actions, outcomes.

Question 26

What are storyboards?

Answer 26

Visualized scenarios over time showing interaction steps.

Question 27

What does the thermostat example show?

Answer 27

Misunderstood mental models can cause wrong user actions.

Question 28

How are mental models formed?

Answer 28

Through use, observation, instruction, or reading.

Question 29

What are key traits of mental models?

Answer 29

Internal, dynamic, used for reasoning and action prediction.

Question 30

What’s the risk of flawed mental models?

Answer 30

Errors, misuse, and frustration.

Question 31

What shapes mental model accuracy?

Answer 31

Feedback, affordances, clear mappings, consistent terminology.

Question 32

How are mental models and conceptual design distinct?

Answer 32

Mental models = user-formed; conceptual = designer-created.

Question 33

How can metaphors be harmful?

Answer 33

Misleading analogies may lead to incorrect assumptions.

Question 34

Strategies to align mental models?

Answer 34

Customization, clear messaging, education, feedback, testing.

Question 35

Methods to uncover user mental models?

Answer 35

Interviews, card sorting, think-alouds, analytics, co-design.

Question 36

What did the ATM user study reveal?

Answer 36

Users improvise mental models (e.g., “ATMs talk to each other”).

Question 37

What’s the takeaway from bad mental models?

Answer 37

They impede usability and must be addressed in design.

Question 38

How to support evolving mental models?

Answer 38

Provide discoverability, adaptive feedback, and intuitive interfaces.

Question 39

Why is terminology crucial?

Answer 39

Bridges user understanding with system structure.

Question 40

What helps build good mental models?

Answer 40

Clear metaphors, visibility, logical mapping, user testing.

Question 41

What does this diagram represent?

Answer 41

Norman’s 7 stages of action model of user-system interaction.

Question 42

What is the first stage in the model?

Answer 42

Establishing goals — deciding what the user wants to do.

Question 43

What does “intention to act” mean?

Answer 43

Forming a plan to achieve the goal.

Question 44

What are the feedback stages?

Answer 44

Perception, interpretation, and evaluation of system response.

Question 45

What process does this diagram outline?

Answer 45

A system login sequence for members and non-members.

Question 46

What happens on incorrect password input?

Answer 46

The user is asked to retry.

Question 47

What is the path for new users?

Answer 47

Redirected to sign-up before login access.

Question 48

What does this diagram structure?

Answer 48

Text editing tool categorization in a menu interface.

Question 49

Which sections fall under formatting?

Answer 49

Character and paragraph formatting.

Question 50

Where are Cut/Copy/Paste located?

Answer 50

Under the Edit section.

Question 51

What design principle is supported here?

Answer 51

Semantic grouping through card sorting.

Question 52

What does this layout demonstrate?

Answer 52

Poorly organized interface with no logical grouping.

Question 53

How could this be improved?

Answer 53

Use card sorting to logically group related items.

Question 54

What is shown in this image?

Answer 54

Heating levels over days via bar graph on a thermostat.

Question 55

What metaphor is used?

Answer 55

Calendar bars reflecting heat schedules.

Question 56

What does this mind map focus on?

Answer 56

Designing an ATM interface for children.

Question 57

What user attributes are considered?

Answer 57

Simplicity, large icons, guidance, illustrations.

Question 58

Which design principles apply?

Answer 58

Mapping, affordance, and age-appropriate content.

Question 59

What phases are illustrated here?

Answer 59

Pre-, early-, mid-, and late-stage design iterations.

Question 60

What activities happen mid-design?

Answer 60

Usability testing and heuristic reviews.

Question 61

What does the red line indicate in this funnel diagram?

Answer 61

The point where a final concept is selected from alternatives.

Question 62

What is the iterative cycle here?

Answer 62

Repeated idea generation and refinement before decision.

Question 63

What does this model depict?

Answer 63

The relationship among the system image, designer’s model, and user’s mental model.

Question 64

What bridges the gap between designer and user understanding?

Answer 64

Research and system design based on user behavior.