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Briefly |
An interaction design (ID) pattern is a general, repeatable solution to a commonly occurring usability problem in interface design or interaction design. It is a more specific instance of a design pattern, which is a general, repeatable solution to a commonly occurring problem (in any discipline or field). |
Synonyms |
Design pattern; style guide; pedagogical patterns; architectural patterns. |
Elaboration |
Identifying an interaction design pattern is a way of "crystallising" - qua capturing or bringing into focus - a particular user experience and can help to:
- Avoid repeating errors
- Introduce existing interaction system to new designers
- Facilitate training and education
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An ID pattern usually consists of the following six (6) elements:
- The problem - problems are related to the usage of the system and are relevant to the user or any other stakeholder that is interested in usability
- The context - a situation (in terms of task, user and the context of use) giving rise to a usability problem. This section extends the plain problem-solutions dichotomy by describing situations in which the problems occur
- The principle - a pattern is usually based on one or more ergonomic principles such as user guidance, or consistency, or error management.
- The solution - a proven solution to the problem. A solution describes only the core of the problem, and the designer has the freedom to implement it in many ways. Other patterns may be needed to solve sub problems
- The rationale - an analysis of how and why the pattern actually works, including how it may affect certain attributes of usability. The rationale should provide a reasonable argument for the specified impact on usability when the pattern is applied. The why should describe which usability aspects should have been improved or which other aspects might suffer
- The examples - each example shows how the pattern has been successfully applied in a real life system. This is often accompanied by a screenshot and a short description.
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