Understanding User-Centered Design Strategies: An Overview of Interaction Design

Engaging with User Interfaces: A Look into Interaction Design

Interaction design is a crucial part of the broader field of user experience (UX) design. In this piece, we'll delve into what interaction design means, discuss some helpful models for interaction design, and briefly explain what an interaction designer does.

Decoding Interaction Design

Interaction design is essentially the creation of the interaction between users and digital products. We often think of this in terms of software products like apps or websites, where the aim is to craft products that allow users to accomplish their goals in a seamless manner.

This field is expansive, encompassing not only the visual aspects but also elements such as motion, sound, and space. Additionally, each element can involve specialized fields, like sound design for crafting sounds that enhance user interactions.

It's worth noting that interaction design shares a significant overlap with UX design. Indeed, UX design revolves around shaping the user experience, and a major part of that experience involves interaction between the user and the product. However, UX design encompasses more than just interaction design; it also involves user research, creating user personas, user testing, and usability testing, to name a few.

The Five Dimensions of Interaction Design

The 5 dimensions of interaction design(1) is a valuable model to grasp the breadth of interaction design. Gillian Crampton Smith, an interaction design academic, initially introduced the concept of four dimensions of an interaction design language, which Kevin Silver, senior interaction designer at IDEXX Laboratories, expanded with the fifth.

1D: Language

Language, particularly the words we use in interactions, should be clear and easy to understand. They should convey information to users without overloading them.

2D: Visual Representations

This covers graphical elements like images, typography, and icons that users engage with. These typically supplement the words we use to present information to users.

3D: Physical Elements or Space

Consider what physically enables users to interact with the product—a laptop with a mouse or touchpad, perhaps, or a smartphone with the user's fingers. Additionally, think about the physical space where the interaction takes place, such as whether a user might be standing in a crowded train or sitting at a desk in an office.

4D: Time

This dimension, while seemingly abstract, primarily refers to media that changes with time (like animations, videos, or sounds). Motion and sounds play a significant role in providing visual and auditory feedback to users' interactions, and it's essential to think about the time spent interacting with the product.

5D: Behavior

This comprises the underlying mechanisms of the product—how users perform actions and what reactions, such as emotional responses, the product and the user have.

As you can see, these five dimensions come together to create meaningful interactions.

Thoughts That Guide Interaction Design

Interaction designers use these five dimensions to create engaging interactions by asking themselves some important questions(2):

What actions can users perform directly with their mouse, finger, or stylus on the interface?
What clues about possible functions are provided by the appearance (color, shape, size, etc.)?
Do error messages offer a way for the user to correct issues or explain why the error occurred?
What feedback does the system provide after the user takes an action?
Are the interface elements a suitable size for interaction?
Are familiar or standard formats used for simplicity and improved learnability?

Get your free template for "Interaction Model" Secure form We respect your privacy 314,563 designers enjoy our newsletter-sure you don't want to receive it?

What do Interaction Designers Do?

The responsibilities of an interaction designer can vary, depending on factors such as the size of the company and the resources available. In large companies, there might be separate jobs for UX designers and interaction designers, with roles like UX researchers, information architects, interaction designers, and visual designers. However, in smaller companies or teams, a single person or a small team might handle most—if not all—of the UX design work, whether or not they have the title of "Interaction Designer."

Design Strategy

The first step often involves understanding user needs and goals, which might involve conducting user research to gather information.

Wireframes and Prototypes

Next, interaction designers create wireframes to outline the user interactions and sometimes build prototypes to test and iterate on design concepts, thus allowing stakeholders to visualize and refine the product experience.

Deepening Your Understanding of Interaction Design

If you're interested in learning more about interaction design, you can explore "Interaction Design - Brief Intro" by Jonas Lowgren, part of our Encyclopedia of Human-Computer Interaction[4]. This resource offers an in-depth introduction to the field, as well as other references to help you further your studies.

References and Where to Learn More

[1] Interaction Design Foundation: https://www.interaction-design.org/designing

[2] Usability.gov: https://www.usability.gov/content/operators/5-usability-principles

[3] Hack Design: https://www.hackdesign.org/lessons/interaction-design-definition

[4] Interaction Design - brief intro by Jonas Lowgren: https://www.interaction-design.org/encyclopedia/introduction.html

Stay Curious and Keep Learning: Enrich Your Design Skills

In the ever-evolving world of digital design, being curious and continually learning are key to growing as a designer. To help you on your learning journey, we invite you to explore our inspiring design resources, thoughtfully crafted for designers just like you. Don't miss out on our engaging literature and insights on interaction design, as well as tips on various aspects of UX and design inspiration!

To enhance the usability of digital products, interaction designers might incorporate findings from user research, such as user preferences and behaviors, into prototyping and visual design phases.
In addition to crafting seamless interactions, interaction designers often focus on designing for various lifestyles by considering the technology available and how users interact with it in different environments.
By delving into education and self-development resources like the encyclopedia of human-computer interaction or engaging literature on interaction design, designers can expand their knowledge, explore current trends, and stay competitive in the field.
Interaction design can benefit greatly from the fusion of different disciplines, as seen in the integration of sound design, visual design, and visual representation aspects to create a holistic user experience.

Understanding User-Centered Design Strategies: An Overview of Interaction Design