The Illusion of Control
The psychological term for a button designed to make users feel in control, even if it has no practical function
Placebo button
The term for our internal, personal understanding of how an object or system is supposed to work is called
a mental model
The famous quote by Steve Jobs referenced in Chapter 8 says design is "not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is..."
... how it works
True or false:
Placebo buttons in elevators serve a genuine purpose and actually close the doors.
False
When a designer's physical model doesn't align with a user's internal model, it results in this immediate emotion from the user
Frustration (or confusion)
What is the word for when a product's value is solely determined by how pretty or visually appealing it is?
superficial design (prioritizes aesthetics)
What is the name of this classic example of bad physical design regarding doors? (mentioned in chapter 1)
Norman Door
What are other techniques described in the chapter that designers use in order to give people this perceived feeling of control?
mirrors in elevators, longer wait-time estimates in amusement parks
The degree to which you have this feeling of being in control is called
the "locus of control"
According to Berkun, the visual appearance isn't completely useless - it matters because how an object looks directly indicates this to the user...
how to use it
Great design is often described by this adjective because when it works flawlessly, the user is able to accomplish their task without ever consciously noticing the interface.
invisible
What is cognitive load?
the total amount of mental effort and working memory a user needs to process information, learn, and interact with an interface
When an object looks incredibly beautiful, but is a nightmare to use, it is said to suffer from this specific imbalance
prioritizing form over function (or style over usability)
What are some attributes of good design that are often overlooked?
prioritizes:
reliability, ease of repair, environmental safety, etc.
Providing a placebo button is a design pattern used to manage this specific human emotion while waiting.
Anxiety (impatience)
What did one of Houston's airports do to the design of their baggage system and how does this apply to mental models?
after complaints about long waits, they routed bags to the furthest carousel from the arrival gates, making the walk six times longer (it was a counterintuitive solution that lead to better user experiences bc by making passengers walk further to collect their bags, it creates the illusion of reduced wait times, leading to higher satisfaction)
How does the design of food products manipulate our instincts?
exploits natural cravings for sweet, salty, and fatty flavors
entices us to consume products that are engineered to b e more appealing than their nutritional benefits warrant
taps into evolutionary drivers that encourage calorie consumption in the past, making us susceptible to unhealthy choices in a modern context
In what ways can design be both beneficial and manipulative?
Beneficial: enhances user experience, simplifies tasks, improves quality of life
Manipulative: exploits emotional triggers or cognitives biases for profit, leads to unhealthy consumption patterns, or short-lived satisfaction