{"id":1692,"date":"2015-06-17T02:40:46","date_gmt":"2015-06-17T02:40:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/okomocr.com\/?p=1692"},"modified":"2015-06-17T02:40:46","modified_gmt":"2015-06-17T02:40:46","slug":"interaction-design-time","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cxglobals.com\/interaction-design-time\/","title":{"rendered":"How Time Perception Impacts Interaction Design"},"content":{"rendered":"

How can you use time to your advantage in interaction design\u00a0? Is it even controllable?<\/span><\/h4>\n

The elements of timing can be difficult to describe, but we all feel them, from the annoyance of waiting for something to load, to the exhilaration of breezing through page after page. The scale of timing is wide, ranging from noticeable increments to the tiny milliseconds that individually seem meaningless, but can add up to sway a user\u2019s opinion one way or the other.<\/p>\n

Our discussion in this piece applies all content that changes over time: video, sound, animations, and more. We\u2019ll start by explaining why time matters, then discuss the elements of timing and how they can be improved, and then we\u2019ll explore how speed and simplicity play a role.<\/p>\n

Why Time Matters<\/span><\/h2>\n

Time can be a difficult concept to grasp because its range is so vast. Just as the size of an electron is almost unfathomable compared to the enormity of our galaxy, so too the span of a millisecond seems unrecognizable to the duration of a millenium.<\/p>\n

But digital time is not the same as human time. A few seconds can mean the difference between a frustrating experience and a delightful one. We can attribute that to basic human psychology:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Limits of memory and attention<\/span> \u2014 <\/strong>Designers must evaluate the cognitive load of interfaces. Otherwise, users will suffer from the loss of information in short-term memory, which causes frustration.<\/li>\n
  2. People must feel in control<\/span> \u2014 <\/strong>Nobody wants to be at the mercy of technology. Some people still treat computers as a black box. Digital products that make you wait will give off the impression of incompetence and\/or arrogance.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    There is a rhythm to user actions. In the field of UX, the power of time is measured in\u00a0magnitude 10. It takes users 0.05 seconds to decide if a website is worth their time. If they decide to stay, they usually leave within 2-4 minutes.<\/p>\n

    <\/div>\n

    Whether the goal is getting an update on your Facebook feed or comparing and buying products on Amazon, every experience breaks down into a series of interactions, and the time between interactions has a compounding effect on the user experience.<\/p>\n

    Elements of Time in Interaction Design<\/span><\/h2>\n

    So how exactly does time relate to interaction design? David Malouf, Design Consultant, believes that\u00a0time separates interaction design from all other UX disciplines. \u00a0Time is more than just a linear progression because all interactions happen over time. We can actually examine time from 3 separate perspectives: pace, responsiveness, and context.<\/p>\n

    1. Pace<\/span><\/h3>\n

    In terms of design, pacing relates to how much is accomplished in a given amount of time. Immediately, you may be thinking, \u201cwell, the more the user can accomplish, the better,\u201d but that\u2019s not necessarily true.<\/p>\n

    \"Hicks<\/div>\n

    Source: Hick\u2019s Law<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

    <\/div>\n

    Experiential flow is much more important than the sheer number of available actions. Too many interface objects actually impede decision-making (and therefore goal accomplishment).<\/p>\n

    Consider, for example, the difference between one gigantic signup form and a multi-page series of smaller forms with the same information. The one long form will take less time, but the series of smaller forms will seem more manageable and less complicated to the user.<\/p>\n

    In the below example from LinkedIn, combining a wizard form with a progress bar is a great tactic for improving the pace of the experience. The long process of creating a professional profile is divided into 4 manageable steps. Users can also see how far they\u2019ve progressed, which incentivizes them to proceed further. Pacing is less about efficiency, and more about what the user is comfortable with (UX) \u2014 not overburdening them, but not slowing them down either.<\/p>\n

    \"LinkedIn<\/div>\n

     <\/p>\n

    Source: LinkedIn Wizard Form<\/a><\/em><\/div>\n

    2. Responsiveness<\/span><\/h3>\n

    A product\u2019s reaction time relates directly to the level of user control. The 3 most important response time ranges\u00a0\u00a0for digital products are:<\/p>\n