Interface or to interface with something/someone is to create a Common boundary between things create a point of interaction, a medium which data passes. Interactivity relies on and interface, however, it is a different system in its own.Interface is a factor of interaction.
Examples of interfaces are buttons, touch screens, game play ect. Interface design is the practice of the theories and design of these devices between data, machines and humans.
Nicholas V. Lupa wrote: “Good,clean, clear navigation is critical to the success of any interactive experience, but it is so basic that its excellence has to be a foregone conclusion(Nicolas V. Lupa, Interative Designer for New Media and the Web, Focal Press, Boston, 2001, p.59)
He is stating that the interface that the design of the interface needs to be seemless.
He also states: “Designers of interface whose users as the terrible question”what do i do now?” when they suddenly find themselves at a dead end should surely consider another line of work(Nicolas V. Lupa, Interative Designer for New Media and the Web, Focal Press, Boston, 2001, p.59).
If a user has difficulty in using the interface, we have done a poor job as a interface designer.
The success of and Interface is equal to its transperancy. To be noted as a interface but then erased…a transparent function of the interactive.
Interactivety has been one of the critical concepts in new media, whereby old media provided passive consumption and new media offer interactivity.
Watching TV is a example of Passive consumption. It is a one on one based theory, while New media is a one to many theory i.e. social media and web 2.0
Martin Lister conceptualises Contemporary Interactivity in to four elements.
- Hypertextual navigation(The user make decision based on a data base.)
- Imersive navigation(immersed/ embodied by the interface.)
- Registrational interactivity(relies collaboration from users and freely allow collaboration back in to interactive experience.)
- Interactive Communications( based on face to face human communication)
Visual-spatial thinking/ Gestalt psychology:
“A method in which users conceptualise the whole website, by focusing and discerning the function and meaning of visual spatial objects and their unique characteristics”( Criag M Baehr, Web Development: A Visual-Spatial Approach,Pearson New Jersey, 2007,p.5 and p.125)
“Visual thinking comes from the field of Gestalt psychology, which argues that the human respond, organise, and assign meaning to elements in their visual field.
This approach considers how users conceptualise function wholes from the individual elements they perceive in the visual field” ( Criag M Baehr, Web Development: A Visual-Spatial Approach,Pearson New Jersey, 2007,p.5 and p.125).
- Visual Focus
- used improved figure-ground contrast to signal which elements users need attention
- ultilize animation and rollovers in navigation tools to show functionality
- give contextual and visul signals a greater meaning
- create style sheets that use the same formats for sub headings and leading between paragraphs
- Problem solving
- recognise guides to readers with breadcrumb trails, site maps, indices and headers
- create navigation tools that use information pathways to users, which don’t outline content
- give many navigation tools and choices for readers, such as toolbars,search fields, drop -down list, sitemaps etc
- accounting time in the design. provide other optionss like skip to let users solve problems in a speedy manner if they choose
- Context
- place more relevant data like visual cues in higher site hiarchtcy
- provide details on lover site levels
- provide regions, tables, frames to other methods to hold navigation tool in the same place
- put content no more than 5 to 7 link/clicks from users, so it is reachable
- Conceptual
- designing same icons, shapes, and graphics that depend on users past knowledge
- put graphics in the same format
- give text tags for images used in new context
- use design metaphors to assist users grasp the layout and content of visual space
5.Wholeness
- gather related content by visual shapes like shaded box/rules , or by using space
- designing figure -ground contrast and gathering to assist users recognise relationships between elements
- use breadcrubs,site maps, indices , etc., to assist users recognise the site structure and[and filter data]
interactivemind21 