Affordances and Metaphors

Summary

Summarized wtih ChatGPT

Creating user interfaces that align with user expectations can be challenging. Metaphors and affordances help users understand how to interact with programs, but poorly chosen ones can cause confusion. A well-designed interface should clearly indicate how to use it, making tasks easier for users.

Key Takeaways:

1. Use familiar metaphors to guide users in understanding the interface.
2. Ensure design elements afford clear actions, like pushing or pulling.
3. Regularly test usability to identify and fix confusing elements in the interface.

Highlights from Article

Affordances Well-designed objects make it clear how they work just by looking at them. Some doors have big metal plates at arm-level. The only thing you can do to a metal plate is push it. In the words of Donald Norman, the plate affords pushing. Other doors have big, rounded handles that just make you want to pull them. They even imply how they want you to place your hand on the handle. The handle affords pulling. It makes you want to pull it.

• Show people what you want them to do.

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