# Design context: the environment

The physical environment in which the user interacts with a product may have a significant effect, not only because the product itself may be affected, but because the user’s ability to interact with the product may be altered.

For example, is it cold and rainy when people are jogging? Would the cold stiffen their hands or the rain wet their phone and prevent them from using the touchscreen? Are they running in the dark in poorly lit areas, and would the low visibility affect their ability to use the interactive product? Are they running in a place where they feel insecure, so that they don’t want to display their phone? Is the environment too noisy for audio input or feedback? Are they running in a remote area where the signal is poor and the app can only use data that is stored on the phone?

OpenLearn - An introduction to interaction design
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