The document discusses the challenges in software design and production, emphasizing that the issues are not solely due to programmers but stem from inadequate direction and resources provided by management teams. It argues that software should not be treated like manufactured goods and calls for a shift in focus to increase software quality through effective interaction design, which bridges the gap between engineering and business. It concludes with principles for designing user-friendly software that minimizes unnecessary user interactions and maximizes aesthetics, ultimately enhancing the overall experience.

1. Interaction Design

2. “The intractability of the software construction process – particularly the high cost of programming and
the low quality of interaction – is simply not a technical problem”
Alan Cooper

3. software
• Why is most software bad? Frustrating to use, buggy.
• Not programmers fault – they are often the agents of bad software
but not the cause
• They are not given sufficient time, clear enough direction or adequate
designs to succeed

4. software
• Providing these should be the job of the Executive and Product teams
• But they aren’t delivering – why?
• Not (just) stupidity
• They don’t have the right tools

5. old methods
• Businesses are structured & measured by a system born in
mercantilism and refined in industry
• It measures the wrong thing in the information age

6. old methods
• In the industrial age products were manufactured from solid materials
• The money it took to create them were dominated by variable costs
• Costs that varied with the amount of stuff made.

7. old methods
• Software production is not like this
• It does not consume raw materials – no manufacturing costs
• The variable costs that dominated manufacturing are non-existent in
software production
• Software production is not a fixed cost or a variable cost – and it is
not R & D...

8. square peg, round hole
• ...but in practice it is treated like a manufacturing process (a variable
cost)
• Businesses grow profits by increasing revenue or decreasing costs
• Decreasing costs was quickest and easiest in the manufacturing age

9. square peg, round hole
• But software production does not behave like a variable cost – trying
to ‘reduce’ it doesn’t work
• Worse, it cuts off the only other course of action – increasing revenue
by increasing quality means increasing production effort.
• Interaction design is the tool used to intelligently increase production
effort
• Make sure all production effort contributes to quality and revenue

10. misdirected effort
• IxD is the bridge between engineering and business
• Without adequate communication they tend to talk past each other
Features
expert beginner
Engineers choose features Sales & marketing choose features Utilised features
• How do we ensure that effort has real impact on the customer?

11. principles
Good software promotes “flow”
A psychological state in which people can concentrate fully with out peripheral distraction
• Reflects user’s mental model
• It does not converse
• Keeps tools close at hand
• Provides modeless feedback
How do we design such software?

12. orchestration
Good software should be invisible
• Orchestration is the process of ensuring all elements work
harmoniously
• Less is more
• Don’t design for corner cases
• Reflect status – but don’t report normalcy
• Don’t interrogate

13. navigation
Navigation is a chore even if it is in-line with the user’s flow
• Keep the number of pages to a minimum – preferably one.
• Keep the number of panes within a page to a minimum – no more than
three.
• Provide sign-posts: fixed persistent elements.
• Provide overviews: thumbnails, bread-crumbs

14. exercise
Exercise is interaction that does not contribute to a user’s goal – eliminate it.
• Don’t force the user to go to a different page – especially to do
something that effects his current one
• Don’t force the user to remember things
• Try to allow input where you have output

15. inflection
Organise the interface to minimise the most common navigation path
• Organise layout according to three attributes
• Frequency of use
• Degree of dislocation
• Degree of risk

16. visuals
Beautiful things work better!
• Masaaki Kurosu & Kaori Kashimuru
• ATM study
• Replicated by Noam Tractinsky
• Usability and aesthetics strongly correlate
• Emotion and cognition are interlinked – Norman ’04
• Happy people are more effective in finding alternate solutions & are
therefore tolerant of minor difficulties – Alice Isen

17. conclusion
No more management by dead-line.
Know what you are building, who for, and know when you are finished

18. questions