Glossary » Interaction Design

information filtering

selecting subsets of information to deliver to the user, based on user preferences, relevance of the information, and past information usage. Information filtering is quite similar to the information retrieval field, except that information is viewed as being sent to…

information retrieval

the field of study that examines how people find information and how tools can be constructed (such as search engines and catalogs) to help people find information. Studies examine how the organization of information affects its retrieval, the types of…

intelligent cut and paste

applied to text editing, a version of cut and paste that simplifies selection and saves keystrokes. When a word is selected and cut from a sentence, instead of leaving spaces on either side of the word, one of the spaces…

interaction design

the design of how a user communicates, or interacts, with a computer. Interaction designers focus on the flow of interaction, the dialog between person and computer, how input relates to output, stimulus-response compatibility, and feedback mechanisms.

This is in contrast…

interlock

an error-prevention mechanism that forces operations to occur in sequence, the first of which makes the second operation safer, such as a TV set that can’t be dismantled without first turning it off (as per Don Norman).

keyboard accelerator

keyboard shortcut or keyboard mnemonic; a key that acts as a shortcut for a command, such as command key combinations and control key combinations. For instance, CMD-X (or CTRL-X) usually refers to the Cut command.

keyboard echo

the appearance of letters on the screen as someone types. While echoing what people type is the norm, in some situations it’s not used. Nothing is displayed when users enter one-letter commands, whether they are menu shortcuts or navigation commands…

keyboard mnemonic

a letter within a menu item or other label that is underlined to indicate that a keystroke-combination can select or activate the associated item. Typically the ALT key activates the mnemonic.

latching

the capability of a control to be set in a specific position (or state) and to remain in that position; the opposite of a spring-loaded mode.

line-oriented interface

A user interface based on a user editing individual lines of text at a time, especially with regard to early text editors. In such systems, instead of moving around in the document as in screen-oriented editors or graphical user interfaces,…

lockin

a process that keeps running unless a person takes overt action to remove a constraint to before telling it to stop.

lockout

an error-prevention technique that keeps somebody from doing something until they’ve made an overt action to remove a constraint to doing it, such as cases where a login is required for dangerous actions (which might also be for security reasons).…

look and feel

The appearance (look) and interactive style (feel) of software whose uniqueness to a particular platform or application defines the aesthetics and values of that application and how users subjectively respond to it. The look-and-feel is considered the front end of…

loss-of-activation error

forgetting; an error that occurs when, after beginning a goal-directed behavior, the reason for starting it is forgotten.

man page

a help system provided on Unix and Linux systems. A user types “man ” on the command line and gets information on using that keyword, usually focused on syntax and parameters for Unix commands, and unfortunately, often lacking good examples…

mental integration

when the user is required to remember an item from a previous page to compare it to something on the present page, just the opposite of physical integration. Better designs will make it easier for the user to compare items…

menu-driven interface

an interface consisting of a series of screens which are navigated by choosing options from lists, i.e. menus. (“Menu” is not used here to refer to pull-down menus, but to lists of options on the screen that lead to other…

minesweeping

the activity of moving the pointer across icons to uncover ToolTips or rollovers in order to figure out what the icons represent. Such designs require the user to actively decipher the interface, probing and testing the meaning of each interface…

mistake

an error of reasoning or inappropriate subgoals, such as making a bad choice or failing to think through the full implications of an action.

modal

a type of interface where the user moves between different states, or modes. In each mode, input from the user is interpreted in a different way. When a user is in a given mode, it’s a good idea to provide…

mode error

a type of slip where a user performs an action appropriate to one situation in another situation, common in software with multiple modes. Examples include drawing software, where a user tries to use one drawing tool as if it were…

modeless

a type of interface where the user is free to perform any action in the interface and the interpretation of user input is the same at all times. That is, mouse clicks always have the same effect and keystrokes always…

mouse-button binding

the association of a button on a mouse with a specific functionality, such as the association of a specific tool with the left mouse button after that tool has been selected in a toolbar. Mice range in the number of…

multimodal interaction

interacting with a computer using more than one input or output channel at a time, usually suggesting drastically different input channels being used simultaneously, such as voice input combined with a mouse. The simplest, most common form of multimodal interaction…

natural language interface

a user interface that allows people to interact using a human language, such as English, as opposed to a computer language, command line interface, or graphical user interface. Natural language interfaces may be designed for understanding either written or spoken…