Interactivity & Control: Interaction Vs Control

0 Comments
 At the start of this project, we were asked three questions and to keep these in mind while creating our interactive mouse toys.

These questions were:
-How does control differ from interaction?
-What makes an interaction "fun"?
-How can interaction be used as an engaging form of control?

Well, now that it is the end of the project and the end of this course, I should be able to answer these questions through my journey of creating an interactive mouse toy.

How does control differ from interaction?
Interaction involves the user learning something about what they are doing. The need to learn not only means that they are interacting, but they are also continuing to use the application until they understand how every mechanism works. With control this does not occur. Control means the user understands what is happening because they are causing every action to occur. Interaction can be considered a conversation between the user and the application where there is an input by the user and a response to the input, given by the computer.

 What makes an interaction "fun"?
Making an interaction fun is a hard thing to do as there are lots of different aspects that need to be considered. What I've learned through this project about making an interaction fun, is to incorporate a challenge that the user is working towards overcoming. For example in my interaction, there are limitations as to where the objects can move on the canvas. Users want to dominate interactions for a sense of completion, and by having a challenge that users can work towards overcoming, domination is hard to achieve, leaving the user feeling incomplete. Visual aesthetics are also an important part of making the interaction look "fun". Good visuals are important in attracting a user to an interaction, like judging a book by its cover.

 How can interaction be used as an engaging form of control?
As these interactions are dependent upon the user's input, the interactions are controlled by whether the users have input or not. As interaction is like a conversation, the users input derives a response from the system, without the interaction of the user there would be no response and no action to occur. Although the user may not be able to control the response the system produces, the interaction by the user controls whether or no a response from the system is generated.


About Post Author

Morbi leo risus, porta ac consectetur ac, vestibulum at eros. Fusce dapibus, tellus ac cursus commodo, tortor mauris condimentum nibh, ut fermentum massa justo sit amet risus.

You may also like

No comments:

Powered by Blogger.

About

I am a designer, currently studying Design Innovation at Victoria University of Wellington. My focus areas are website and mobile media development, interaction design, 3D modelling and animation and audio-visual space. My blog shows my journey through each project as well as my learning experience through university. What do I want to be when I grow up? I have no idea. But I love what I'm learning. Although there have been many bumps along the road in this journey and despite the fact that there are going to be many more, I wouldn't have it any other way.

Labels