week 3 post 1: direct manipulation and invisible interafces

 lesson 2.3: direct manipulation and invisible interfaces

Introduction to Direct Manipulation and Invisible Interfaces 

• Direct manipulation---> is the principle that the user should feel as much as possible like they're directly controlling the object of their task. 

• an invisible interface---> the user has to spend no time thinking about the interface that they're using. 

• All their time is dedicated to thinking about the task that they're performing. 

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Exploring HCI: Direct Manipulation & VR 

• Virtual reality right now is making some incredible strides in facilitating direct manipulation in places where it just hasn't been possible before. 

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Making Indirect Manipulation Direct 

• direct manipulation isn't just about designing interactions that 

• feel like you're directly manipulating the interface. 

• It's also about designing interfaces that lend themselves to 

• interactions that feel more direct. 

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Exploring HCI: Direct Manipulation 

• Direct manipulation is contingent on 

• immediate feedback that maps directly to the interaction. 

• Virtual reality thrives on making you feel 

• like you're somewhere else both visually and auditorily, 

• but it has a long way to go can aesthetically. 

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Invisible Interfaces 

• Whether through using direct manipulation, 

• through innovative approaches to shrinking these gulfs or 

• through the user's patience and learning, our ultimate goal is for 

• the interface between the user and the task to become invisible. 

• What this means is that even though there is an interface in the middle, 

• the user spends no time thinking about it. ---> Instead, they feel like they're interacting directly with the task rather than with some interface. 

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Invisibility by Learning 

• We shouldn't fall into the trap of assuming that just because an interface has become invisible, the design is great. 

• Interfaces become invisible not just through great design, but also because users learn to use them. 

• With enough practice and experience, 

• many users will become sufficiently comfortable with many interfaces to feel invisibly integrated in the task. 

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Invisibility by Design 

• goal is to create interfaces that are invisible from the moment the user starts using them. 

• They should feel immediately as if they're interacting with the task 

• underlying the interface. ---> extremely tall order and one we probably won't meet very often, but it's the goal. 

• people tend to underestimate the complexity of HCI, because When you do things right, people won't be aware that you've done anything at all. 

 

5 Tips: Invisible Interfaces 

• Number one affordance---> are places where the visual design of the interface is just how it's supposed to be used. 

• - Buttons are for pressing, dials are for turning, switches are for flicking. 

• -Use these expectations to make interface more useable. 

 

• Number two, know your user. 

• In visibility means different things to different people. 

• Invisibility to a novice means the interactions are all natural, but invisibility to an expert means maximizing efficiency. 

• * You must now who you're trying to design for

 

• Number three, differentiate your user. 

• Maybe you're designing something for both novices and experts. If that's the case, 

• provide multiple ways of accomplishing tasks. 

 

• Number four, let your interface teach. 

• ideally the interface itself will do the teaching. 

• * The goal is to teach them more efficient ways of performing the actions without requiring them to already know that in order to do their work. 

 

• Number five, talk to your user. 

• the best thing to do is talk to the user. 

• Ask them what they're thinking while you use an interface. 

• * Note especially whether they're talking about the task or the interface. 

• - If they're talking about the interface, then it's pretty visible. 

 
Conclusion to Direct Manipulation 

• applications of effective feedback cycles: direct manipulation and invisible interfaces. 

• - interfaces are most effective when the user has a sense that they're directly manipulating the object and their tasks. 

• modern technology like touchscreens and virtual reality are making it possible for manipulation to feel more and more direct. 

• the most effective interfaces become invisible between the user and their task. 

• Since the user it spends no time at all thinking about the interface. 

• interfaces can become invisible via either learning, or design and are most interested in designing them to become invisible. 

• To a large extent, that's the definition of usable design, designing interfaces that disappear between the user and their task. 

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