Summary of Complete Beginners Guide To Interaction Design

"Interaction Design bridges the gap between man and machine"

http://www.uxbooth.com/blog/complete-beginners-guide-to-interaction-design/


This article basically tells you the basic info of interaction design and a few things interaction designers should be aware of and what they should do while designing.
Interactive design hasn't got a long history and it's all about the interaction between users and machines.

5 concepts of IxD

• Goal-Driven Design - It is essential to know what the users' goals are before designing. And this is the constraints designers have, which need to be considered in order to meet the users' needs.
• "Interface As Magic" - The best interaction designs should be simple, easy and unnoticeable, because users don't necessarily think of the interfaces when using the website.
• Usability - Should be easy to use and understand in order to give users to get what they want easily.
• Affordances - The functionality behind a website or service gives the best interaction designs. It should look like what it is.
• Learnability - Familiar components are important for a usable interface, and interaction designers should make interface learnable.

Interaction Designers do...

• From/inform a design strategy - Designers need to know who she's designing for and what their goals are in order to design a usable interaction.
  
• Identify and wireframe key interactions - Design and sketch out the interactions wanted.
  
• Prototype interactions - might include XHTML/CSS, prototypes, and paper prototypes.
  
• Stay current - Keep explore new interactions from the web. Be aware of the industry.