Section 4 summary

Section 4 has offered a general introduction to the interaction design process that combines the activities introduced in Section 1 with some data gathering methods. In particular:

• We presented an overview of different types of methods for collecting data on user behaviour and user experiences (including asking the users and observing the users) in order to gain insights into interaction design.
• We discussed designing and prototyping as the other side of the coin, as the activities in which designers conceptualise their ideas and make them concrete through sketches or prototypes, in order to communicate these ideas to others and get their input.
• We discussed the interaction design life cycle, in particular pointing out that the four interaction design activities are interrelated and iterative.
• We ‘stepped back’ briefly to consider interaction design as a discipline within a broader professional context, not just as a process.