Knowing What to DoThe Design of Every Day Things

Make something in a way that people can learn and know what to do and how to do from the environment and behavior of itself.

“There are many customers out here like me – thwarted by an un-fathomable machine and baffled by senseless instruction”

Some products make you loss your mind at first glance

How to know the operation process?

• From the past experience. If we have dealt with something similar to the past and transfer old knowledge.

• From the information in the world. If the instruction is given and presented to us with information.

Functions to know ‘what to do’?

Functions

Constraints

Possibilities

Affordances

• Physical Constraints• Semantic Constraints• Logical Constraints• Cultural Constraints

Functions to know ‘what to do’? (Possibilities)

Possibilities

Best Case:• One Option/Action• One Operation

Difficult Case:• More than one operation• More than one action

Functions to know ‘what to do’? (Affordances)

Affordances

• Possible Issues, Actions, Functions

• Signal how an object can be moved

• What it will support?• Which parts move and which

are fixed?Cylinders and holes will construct the major construction

Functions to know ‘what to do’? (Constraints)

Physical Constraints• What parts in

which area fit together.

• The size, shape and color.

Functions to know ‘what to do’? (Constraints)

Physical Constraints• What parts in

which area fit together.

• The size, shape and color.

Functions to know ‘what to do’? (Constraints)

Semantic Constraints

• Sequence of actions from the knowledge.

• Performance process of set of instruction or actions in certain time.

- Driver must sit facing forward- Windshield must be placed in front of driver to protect.

Functions to know ‘what to do’? (Constraints)

Cultural Constraints• According to the

cultural convention.

• Regular trends and tradition

- The word “police” should be in the right bottom part- Yellow is head light so it must be in front and red is the brake light so it must be in rare. And the blue must be on top.

Logical Constraints• According to the

simple logics.

Applying affordances and constraints

DOORS

• We first find some visual signal like: Plate, Hallow, Extension etc.

• The next step is how to perform the action.

Applying affordances and constraints

DOORS

• We first find some visual signal like: Plate, Hallow, Extension etc.

• The next step is how to perform the action.

Applying affordances and constraints (cont.)

Applying affordances and constraints (cont.)

Automobile DOORS• Writer claims

that the door design is strangely still confusing and takes time to understand the design and perform.

Problems with switches

Grouping Problem

To determine which group of switches do which type of performance?

Mapping Problem

When there are many lights and we find a group of switches for lights, how can we control which switch goes with which light?

Problems with switches (Airplane)

Many make mistakes between Flap and Wheel button while landing. The mistake rate is so high that “National Transportation Safety Board” reported it.

Pilots press the button without watching/noticing. They concentrate in front and by guess press the button. And also the 2 buttons are placed horizontally together.

• Shape coding• Easy to approach

even in the dark and without seeing

Proble

m

Reaso

n

Solutio

n

Grouping problem

Problems with switches

If there are more than one light in a room it must have more than one switches. And it needs to press all the switches to find the needed one.

All the switches are same in size and shape. Also all are placed together either horizontally or vertically. No sign/mark is placed to differentiate them.

• Common Mapping method.

• Used in Donald’s psychology library.

Proble

m

Reaso

n

Solutio

n

Mapping problem

Let’s solve it now!

Visibility & Feedback (Visual Display)

• Display the program name on TV with next live cast schedule details.

• Cooking information with all food packages.

• Song title with artist, title and even with more song of that artist

• and so on..

Visibility & Feedback (Sound)

• Zipper sound that it is working well. (zzz…)

• A tinny sound when the door is not shut down properly.

• The rattle when things are not secured.

• Computer beeps.• And so on…

Thank You!