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What Is Interaction Design? A Fundamental Beginner’s Guide  

March 3, 2024
What Is Interaction Design A Fundamental Beginners Guide

What is interaction design? Being the major pillar in user experience (UX), IxD or interaction design refers to the practice of interactive digital products and services creation. It facilitates human-to-computer contact by causing the product interface to react to the user’s actions. Then, let’s dive deeper through the detailed post below!

What Is Interaction Design?  

IxD or Interaction Design lies in the convergence of human-computer interplay. Simply put, it is the practice of making a user’s interaction with digital products including its environments, systems, and services as well. It means anything from a button to a connection link to a form domain is the party of interaction design. 

Generally, it constitutes a crucial part of the major UX root. In terms of functions, IxD aims to bestow consequential and likable experiences for end-users by scheming digital linkages that are inherent, versatile, and visually appealing.

In its process, the interaction designer will concentrate on certain interactive components to facilitate the user’s goal and seamless flow. 

As a result, a good interaction design will be essential feedback for positive user experiences.  Hence, it can directly impact the user’s satisfaction, loyalty as well as sales increase. Conversely, a bad interaction design can aggravate users and make their experience unpleasant.

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What Is Interaction Design in 5 Dimensions?  

What Is Interaction Design in 5 Dimensions?

Whilst it is a subset and follows some form from the UX family, the interaction design tends to focus on the ways of data presentation within the system to authorize the end-user to better comprehend information. 

Therefore, a five-dimensional framework is necessary to embody a robust approach to improving user experience as well as fostering a positive relationship between users and products. 

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The 5 Dimensions Concept

According to the Interaction Design page, it is an updated version of Kevin Silver’s dimension concept. Let’s explore in-depth dimensions through the post below!

1. Words

The first element encompasses text, including buttons and labels. As a critical point, words must be meaningful and simple to comprehend for end-users. In its process, the words should convey clear information to users, but not too overwhelmed at one go.   

Meanwhile, a guidance label on a call-to-action (CTA) button that explains to users exactly what to expect as long as they click the button is one of the interactive design examples in this section.

2. Visual Representations

Visual Representation

The use of visual elements and aids allows users to transfer complex information more engagingly. Here, interaction design elements involve image typography, icons, and graphics representation that end-users interact with. Those symbols grind alongside words to magnify the user experience and user interface.

For instance, an interaction designer can create custom iconography that brings full benefit rather than having long-winded explanation text.

3. Physical Objects

What is interaction design in physical objects or space (3D) elements? It refers to the certain means (hardware) through which a graphical user interface engages with a good or service. The products can be a pointer, keypad, desktop, or hardware item that users use daily.

An example is when the user tends to use the stylus to play a phone or a pointer with a PC. In this section, the interaction designer should consider the proper medium to work efficiently.   

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4. Time

What is interaction design in the time dimension? While this dimension seems abstract, however, it relies on the media component (animations, videos, and sounds) that can be substituted over time. For the information, motion, and sound play an important role in spreading the overall feedback of users’ interaction.  

Those components allow people to interact with the product for extended periods. As a result, the user can give a response that later can be used as evaluation material. In this dimension, the designer’s job is to deliver the best possible experience that lasts forever for the users.

5. Behavior

As the final dimension, behavior concerns the user’s action and reaction towards a particular system which is critical information for the designers to be aware of. On the other hand, behavior also refers to how the product responds to the user’s input and serves positive feedback. 

Two of the interaction design examples in behavior dimensions are how users can interact with products or complete tasks on a website. By utilizing this dimension, the product developers will become adequate in evoking user satisfaction, ultimately altering scale optimization.

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Could Interaction Design Worth To Use? 

Broadly speaking on what is interaction design, it talks about a good interaction design that focuses on providing the back-and-forth feel of delicate and natural usability effortlessly. 

It is the best counterpart to engage with digital products by relying on the technology and principles of good communication to achieve desired user experiences in the greatest possible way.

However, realizing a good type of design interaction should not be taken lightly. The concerned designers must focus their attention on implementing the interactive elements to predict the critical feedback for affirmative user experiences. 

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