UX Interaction Design Principles 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What does 'affordance' mean in interaction design?
- A property of an object that signals how it should be used (Correct answer)
- The cost of a design component
- The ability of a design to adapt to different screen sizes
- A button's visual color contrast ratio
Correct answer: A property of an object that signals how it should be used
An affordance is a design quality that communicates how an interface element can be interacted with, such as a button that looks pressable.
Question 2: Which of Don Norman's design principles refers to user feedback from the system after an action?
- Feedback (Correct answer)
- Mapping
- Constraints
- Affordance
Correct answer: Feedback
Feedback in Norman's model means the system provides clear, immediate signals to the user about the result of their actions.
Question 3: What does 'mapping' mean in the context of interaction design?
- The relationship between controls and the effects they produce (Correct answer)
- Creating a sitemap for navigation
- Plotting user journey stages on a timeline
- Linking design files to developer handoff tools
Correct answer: The relationship between controls and the effects they produce
Mapping refers to the logical relationship between interface controls and their outcomes; good mapping makes controls feel natural and intuitive.
Question 4: What is Fitts's Law used to predict in UX?
- The time required to move to and click a target based on its size and distance (Correct answer)
- The number of clicks needed to complete a task
- User satisfaction with a given interface
- The ideal reading speed for on-screen text
Correct answer: The time required to move to and click a target based on its size and distance
Fitts's Law states that the time to acquire a target is a function of the distance to and size of the target—larger, closer targets are faster to click.
Question 5: What is the purpose of a 'constraint' in interaction design?
- To limit user actions and prevent errors by restricting invalid inputs (Correct answer)
- To reduce the number of features in a product
- To set design deadlines for a sprint
- To define the maximum file size for uploads
Correct answer: To limit user actions and prevent errors by restricting invalid inputs
Constraints guide users toward correct actions by making incorrect actions difficult or impossible, reducing errors in the interface.
Question 6: Which principle suggests that frequently used items should be placed in easily accessible locations?
- Principle of least effort (Correct answer)
- Gestalt proximity
- Hick's Law
- Miller's Law
Correct answer: Principle of least effort
The principle of least effort holds that users will choose the path requiring the least work, so designers should place common actions where they're easiest to reach.
UX Interaction Design Principles 1
What does 'affordance' mean in interaction design?