Cognitive Design — UX
This is a part of my class Assignment at UW Madison.
During this week’s class, one concept that particularly stood out to me was the idea of affordances and how they influence user interactions with products and interfaces.
What fascinated me was how affordances can be both explicit and implicit. It made me think about some real world examples which were terrible and really good.
Example 1: Affordances of Shut down on Windows 8.
I was a seventh grader when my dad bought me a new Dell laptop. I was so excited to play and watch videos until I had to shut down my laptop for the next day. This is where the nightmare starts; like me, many users had a hard time doing basic functions on their system. Windows 8 was a radical departure from its predecessors, causing significant frustration among users accustomed to the older Windows interface. The removal of the good old start menu and the introduction of the touchscreen-centric Start screen were major pain points.
I struggled to find and launch applications, leading to a dreadful user experience. The learning curve was steep, and tasks as simple as shutting down the computer became unintuitive, requiring users to navigate through multiple menus.
Example 2: Affordances of Door handles in Hospital.
I was in a very unfortunate situation when I had to run with my brother in bed (he is doing great and is in med school now!) to the ER room, navigating multiple doors (like the one in the picture above). Later, it made me think about how well these doors are ergonomically designed.
These are simple yet so effective that they reduce confusion in high-stress situations (we don’t have to worry if it is push or pull). In emergencies, such as when medical staff rush through with stretchers or patients, quick and intuitive access can be a matter of life and death. The affordances of these doors facilitate rapid movement, allowing for a seamless flow of people and equipment within the hospital, and these doors often have wide openings, accommodating wheelchairs effortlessly, further enhancing their functionality.
Final Thoughts
In conclusion, researching affordances can give us valuable insights into the psychology underlying user interactions and the implications of design decisions. It reaffirmed the idea that effective design is about more than simply aesthetics — it’s about giving users engaging, simple experiences.
