FAQ > Interaction Design Interview > Do you have any simple rules-of-thumb for IxD?
Yes, thanks for asking! Here are my three basic principles which guide the way I think about application design:
Structure: What is the overall purpose for which we are designing and how can we create a conceptual framework that integrates the various user goals and tasks?
Behavior: How can we leverage the user expectations and experiences to create a layout and interaction idiom that is predictable, learnable and user-friendly?
Presentation: How can we use colors, icons, typefaces and other visual elements to reinforce the structure and behavior and to promote perceptions of quality, brand and responsiveness?
Working with those three questions on every project really helps to guide my thinking and the design process. Furthermore, knowing which level of a project we are working on is good for estimating the work and managing customer expectations. Sometimes we'll also use an analogy with clients to help them understand these elements better. See the next FAQ.
Last updated on March 29, 2010 by Ralph Lord