Mental Models, Microinteractions & More
- 2. Interface An abstraction of an engineered system, that exposes its functionality in an intuitive way For humans or machines
- 3. Mental Models Not complex An map (or picture, or story) Confirmed or contradicted
- 4. UI Features Macro A user story Multiple parts Multiple use cases Lengthy interactive life cycle Micro Implementation details Few parts One use case Short interactive life cycle
- 5. Microinteraction A microinteraction is a moment of connection with an interface’s smallest meaningful features, when a user is completing a simple task. Setting a preference Filling out a form field Responding to a notification Confirming a choice etc.
- 6. Mere Details? Interactive details teach us the rules of a system If trigger then feedback Builds our mental model
- 8. What have we learned?
- 9. Security "Password length and complexity matter" "Hacking is a concern" "This system has it covered"
- 10. Personality "Communication is important to this system" "It feels intelligent" "This system is friendly " But its still not a complete model
- 11. Who fills in the blanks? The user! When gaps are present in a mental model, users will tend to fill them in with human characteristics and expectations of behavior. Nobody cares how it really works!
- 12. Conversational language Human-like feedback can reinforce branding Human conversation is fluid Don't always be funny
- 13. Read Context Humans excel at inferring context from other humans Give a greater impression of intelligence and friendliness Adapt (really, don't always be funny!)
- 14. Make Assumptions Humans make them all the time Based on profile Based on environment Based on previous behavior Don't start from zero
- 15. Mental models are NOT engineering models Interfaces are abstractions Macro features: the user stories Micro features: the details Microinteractions: small, meaningful tasks Details help us build mental models Users fill in the blanks Take advantage of conversational language Read from context Make assumptions In Summary...
- 16. References Karen Tang, "Designing the Details: How Micro-Interactions Can Elevate Your UX", Abstractions Conference, 18 Aug 2016, Pittsburgh, PA Brad Fults, "Interfaces: Building Worlds & Feeling Great", Abstractions Conference, 18 Aug 2016, Pittsburgh, PA Greg Nicholas, "Conversational User Interfaces: Let Apps Speak for Themselves" Abstractions Conference, 20 Aug 2016, Pittsburgh, PA Dan Saffer, "Microinteractions", O'Reilly, 2014