Glossary » Interaction Design

context-sensitive help

helpful information available within a task that is specific to the current activity of the user, as opposed to being general in nature.

control selectivity

the degree to which a control can be manipulated without accidentally activating other controls. A common problem is to position buttons or keys too closely, leading to the wrong button being pressed.

control sensitivity

the ease with which a control can be activated or set to a certain level. Less sensitive devices require greater effort.

controlled vocabulary system

any interface that is limited to the use of a small vocabulary. This applies to command-line systems, but usually refers to natural language and spoken language systems that, in order to produce consistent, predictable results, limit the number of recognized…

conversion

on a website or web application, a conversion is any action taken by a user that satisfies the website owner’s business goals. Common examples include signing up for an email newsletter, making a purchase, or viewing an important web page.…

cue cards

a form of help system that displays tips in a small window (a “card”) during each step of a task.

customer support

sometimes “tech support”; assistance provided to a user after the purchase of software to solve problems with the product, such as bugs, installation problems, data recovery, usability problems, and so forth. This support is often available through a hot line,…

cut and paste

a simple device for users to move items/data into different parts of a document and between different documents and applications. A user selects an object and selects the “cut” command (from a menu or toolbar). This removes the object from…

damping factor

how far the pointer has to be moved before a click is considered a drag.

data-driven error

when an automatic routine applies the wrong information because the wrong information was immediately available to perception.

dead key

a key that modifies the output of the next key to be pressed, such as typing an accent followed by an “e” to get an “é” (Amiga term).

delimited search

a search that requires a user to type an entire search string followed by a “delimiter character” (such as Return) to initiate a search, in contrast to an incremental search.

description error

performing the right action for the wrong object, e.g. pouring your juice on your cereal in the morning instead of the milk.

direct manipulation

performing operations by making changes to data directly, such as clicking on it, dragging it, resizing it, and typing over it, as opposed to indirect operations, such as typing in commands on a command line or using menus and dialog…

display inertia

the principle that when the display must be changed (during user input or a change in system state), the change is kept to the minimum necessary to reflect the changing information. Rather than updating the entire display, keep changes localized…

distraction

anything that draws a users attention away from their current focus or desired focus, usually sounds or moving visual displays (such as blinking text, automatically scrolling text, animations, and flashing menubars).

On rare occasions, distractions can actually be useful for…

diversion

any technique used to distract the user from the fact that the computer is busy processing so that the user doesn’t get bored, impatient, or frustrated. Techniques include presenting text to read, a picture, an animation, or a satisfying alternate…

documentation

manuals, help systems, and other materials used to introduce and explain a system to users. Manuals and readme files typically contain installation information. Manuals and help systems typically contain both reference information and how-to information (tutorials or “task-based” help information…

double tap

in a pen-based system, to tap a pen twice in succession, used in a way equivalent to a double-click to select a range or activate an icon.

drag

the operation of moving a graphical object across the computer screen, usually accomplished by pressing down the mouse button while the mouse pointer is over the object and moving the mouse with the button down, then releasing the mouse button…

drag and drop

a direct manipulation capability that allows you to select and drag and object and drop it into another location, specifically referring to dragging from one application to another. This is a more direct approach than the traditional cut and paste…

dwell

the property of a control that keeps it from activating until it has been ‘held’ (or manipulated) for a certain period of time, thus preventing accidental activation from being briefly hit unintentionally.

DWIM

do what I mean; an interface that allows flexible styles of user input and lets the user ask the computer to interpret “what-I-mean” (not what I say), generally involving a simple heuristic for guessing what the user is most likely…

economy of effort

a principle of design process that says that design and production time should be in proportion to the value it produces in the quality of the final product serving users’ needs.

Also, a principle of interaction design that says that…

embedded computers

computers built in to devices that are traditionally not viewed as containing computers and where the computer is often viewed as an invisible component. Examples of places embedded computers might be found include cars, microwaves, toasters, refrigerators, and showers. Embedded…