Affordances,Constraints
andFeedback
Let’s take one more look at this, and nail it!
OmarSosa-Tzec
School of Informatics & Computing
Indiana University Bloomington
info i300 Human-Computer Interaction
Fall 2016
Ok,what's
theidea?
What your design
must have right
What the user must get at any
point of the interaction flow
What your design
must have right
What the user must get at any
point of the interaction flow
Perceived
Affordances
Constraints
What your design
must have right
What the user must get at any
point of the interaction flow
Perceived
Affordances
Constraints
Visual
Feedback
Audible
Feedback
Tactile
Feedback
What your design
must have right
What the user must get at any
point of the interaction flow
Telltheuser
whattodo/
Allowhertoact
inacertainway
Helptheuser
avoidmistakes
orerrors
Visual
Feedback
Audible
Feedback
Tactile
Feedback
What your design
must have right
What the user must get at any
point of the interaction flow
Telltheuser
whattodo/
Allowhertoact
inacertainway
stillandmotion
graphics
soundcodes,
alerts
vibration,
haptics
Helptheuser
avoidmistakes
orerrors
Aconcrete
example:
thescrollbar
Itlookslikesomethingphysical,
like…graspable!
Affordances
Itlookslikesomethingphysical,
like…clickableorpushable!
Affordances
Itlookslikesomethingdraggable!
Affordances
Itlookslikeonecannotpassthislimits!
Thewholethinganditscomponents

haveboundaries!
Constraints
Thisisthe“freehorizontalspace”

inwhichonecandragthebar
Constraints
Thisistheportionofvisiblecontent
regardingthewhole
Constraints
Thisistheportionofcontent
notvisible
Constraints
Iftheuserdragsthemouseto
theright,thescrollbarmoves
totheright,andviceversa…
Constraints
Iftheuserdragsthemouseto
theright,thescrollbarmoves
totheright,andviceversa…
Constraints
Thisisanexampleofmappingbecause

itrelatesthebar'spositionandwidthto
theamountandlocationofthevisible
contentonthescreen
Iftheuserdragsthemouseto
theright,thescrollbarmoves
totheright,andviceversa…
Constraints
Thisisanexampleofmappingbecause

itrelatesthebar'spositionandwidthto
theamountandlocationofthevisible
contentwithrespecttothewholething
Workswellwithone'smentalmodel
Ifthemental
modeliswidely
known,well…
Wherearethe
affordances?
Relyingonwell-instilled
conventionsandmental
models?
Whentostopornot
being“soelegant”?
Skeuomorphicdesignvs.flatdesign
Checkthisout…
WhereamI?
Notehowusefulthebreadcrumbsare!
WhatcanIdohere?
Notetheneedofclearperceivedaffordances

forthekeytasks!
WherecanIgofromhere?
GlobalNavigation
LocalNavigation
Signsofthesite'sIA
Someperceivedaffordances
Remembertheexampleofthemoneybillsand
coinsinvideogames!
Somepsychologicalconstraints
Shapes,colors,symbols,conventions,mappings!
Keepinmind…
Emphasisonfunctionality?
recognizablebuttons
(perceivedaffordance)
recognizableconvention
recognizablemapping
recognizablesymbol
comprehensible
visualfeedback
comprehensible
visualfeedback
Emphasisonelegancy,somethingnew?
howdifficultistolearnthis
typeofmapping?
convention?
mixofsymbols?
What your design
must have right
What the user must get at any
point of the interaction flow
Perceived
Affordances
Constraints
Visual
Feedback
Audible
Feedback
Tactile
Feedback
What your design
must have right
What the user must get at any
point of the interaction flow
Perceived
Affordances
Constraints
Visual
Feedback
Audible
Feedback
Tactile
Feedback
User's mental model
What your design
must have right
What the user must get at any
point of the interaction flow
Perceived
Affordances
Constraints
Visual
Feedback
Audible
Feedback
Tactile
Feedback
User's mental model
User research:
What your design
must have right
What the user must get at any
point of the interaction flow
Perceived
Affordances
Constraints
Visual
Feedback
Audible
Feedback
Tactile
Feedback
User's mental model
User research:
-Talkandinterviewpeople
What your design
must have right
What the user must get at any
point of the interaction flow
Perceived
Affordances
Constraints
Visual
Feedback
Audible
Feedback
Tactile
Feedback
User's mental model
User research:
-Talkandinterviewpeople
-Focusgroups
What your design
must have right
What the user must get at any
point of the interaction flow
Perceived
Affordances
Constraints
Visual
Feedback
Audible
Feedback
Tactile
Feedback
User's mental model
User research:
-Talkandinterviewpeople
-Focusgroups
-Shadowing
What your design
must have right
What the user must get at any
point of the interaction flow
Perceived
Affordances
Constraints
Visual
Feedback
Audible
Feedback
Tactile
Feedback
User's mental model
User research:
-Talkandinterviewpeople
-Focusgroups
-Shadowing
-ParticipantObservation
What your design
must have right
What the user must get at any
point of the interaction flow
Perceived
Affordances
Constraints
Visual
Feedback
Audible
Feedback
Tactile
Feedback
User's mental model
User research:
-Talkandinterviewpeople
-Focusgroups
-Shadowing
-ParticipantObservation
-Analytics
What your design
must have right
What the user must get at any
point of the interaction flow
Perceived
Affordances
Constraints
Visual
Feedback
Audible
Feedback
Tactile
Feedback
User's mental model
User research:
-Talkandinterviewpeople
-Focusgroups
-Shadowing
-ParticipantObservation
-Analytics
-Secondaryresearch(books&papers)
Micro-break!
Professional
Tip
•Add and present URLs properly
•Add and present URLs properly
•Use TinyURL,Bitly,Google URL
Shortener
•Add and present URLs properly
•Use TinyURL,Bitly,Google URL
Shortener
•Verify that you link works
•Add and present URLs properly
•Use TinyURL,Bitly,Google URL
Shortener
•Verify that you link works
•Don't make the reader think
(make a usable document)
Micro-
activity
•Think of all the concepts,ideas,
and exercises that we've seen so
far.Please,write down briefly
what concept or idea is not clear
to you yet.
•Include your name
(attendance).
Copycat
Mini-Project
Balsamiq
https://balsamiq.com/
•The general idea: you will make
the same flow but now with
Balsamiq
•The general idea: you will make
the same flow but now with
Balsamiq
•Read the instructions on Canvas
•The general idea: you will make
the same flow but now with
Balsamiq
•Read the instructions on Canvas
•Deadline: Wednesday Oct 5,
11:59 PM
Thanks!
@omitzec
tzec.com
* Some images are taken from the Web for
illustration and pedagogical purposes only

Affordances, Constraints, and Feedback in User Experience Design