When designing an Interactive, you need to consider the concept of context and the process. Bill Verplank (2000) has illustrated the eight steps for the process of interaction design, beginning from the coming up of the idea to the presentation.

As a designer we are open to using different tools and learn techniques that assist us to create solutions. A lot of our ideas begin with a paper and pencil, visual diaries, notes, and even boards and these allow us to understand, define and frame the issue. We brainstorm different solutions, following steps, and missing information by the use of diagrams, flows and models. Sketches and notes can help us figure out what issue needs to be solved for and as well as aiming for what we need to achieve out of it.

Prototypes that we design should be trialed by people, most likely the target audience, who will be using either the device or interface in context. Personas need to be created for designers to understand people and how they interact, as well as giving scenarios for better responses. This is helpful, especially by using those who will use these interactives and have real needs from actual situations. As designers we need to know the use and techniques of ethnography and surveys, even giving prototypes to users and by asking their opinions after letting them experience the interactive a bit.

Context breaks into two uses:

• Context for use
• Contexts of use

When designing an interactive we need to understand what people are trying to do, how they may try to do it, what gets in the way and where they might be trying it. An interactive will be made for different reasons, the designer will create solutions once they understand the motivation for and the context of people’s behaviour. By observing the performance of user in scenarios, we can create interaction designs that satisfy their wants and needs and use their answers to improve our interactive design and become successful.  

References:

Verplank’s Process Framework For Interaction Design [Image] (N/A). Retrieved March 13, 2019, from http://www.billverplank.com/Lecture/