E xplore the new way of product derivation by integrating the interaction design thinking into the product derivation method. It analyzes the thinking mode of interaction design, describes how to make the product provide better experience for the user, from the perspective of the four elements of people, activity, context and technology, and shows how to combine interaction thinking for product derivation through the cases. Good products in addition to the realization of the function also need to meet the needs of the user experience. Product derived can get new methods and ideas from the interaction design of systematic thinking, so that products can provide better service for users in the digital era.
With the development of information technology, digital interactive products are playing an important role in people’s life. To a certain extent, it changes the way users use the product and the requirements of the product experience. Users want the product to complete the needs and tasks at the same time have a more positive experience. Traditional physical product design cannot just stay in the “useful”, “easy to use” level, but make users “want to use”. Around the user and the product experience, interaction design thinking puts forward the “user-centered design”, “emotional design”, “experience design” and other concepts. These ideas have great value in product derivation. The study how the interaction design thinking applied to product derivation helps to provide new product ideas, and create a better product experience.
The study of interaction design originated in the 1960s, began to appear in the form of “human-computer interaction”, and later extended to a wider range of areas. In 1984, Bill Moric, the founder of IDEO, called the new design “Soft-Face”, and later changed to “Interaction Design”. He proposed a new concept to describe the design of this interactive product system, to make people realize that this kind of design activity is the creation of product use and experience process [
Although the above viewpoints on interaction design focus are different, but can be concluded that there are four important elements in the interactive system, namely people, activity, context and technology. As the “Designing Interactive Systems” mentioned, interaction design thinking requires coordination among the various elements of the system with human-centered, using appropriate technology to support the user’s behavior and with scene behavior coordination. These four elements will be here as a starting point to explain how to derive a product from the perspective of interactive design.
Derived, refers to evolve and produce new material obtained from the parent substance. In the design field, it refers to the use of derivative products of different design techniques on the same or a similar body to produce a differentiated product, there is a difference between the derived products, but also linked. Product derivation is an important means to product development, establish a brand image, enhance the competitiveness of the market.
In the interactive design, a good interactive interface not only can help users to achieve efficient interaction, but also allows users to generate positive emotional experience in the interactive process [
Nowadays, with the rapid development of Internet technology, information technology and digital products affect people’s daily life with unprecedented speed and scale. Users’ mental models for the products also quietly changed. For example, the popularity of iPhone, iPad and other smart phones and tablet PCs allow users to have developed a habit of using the touch screen, “screen touch operation” has become widespread user’s mental model. Due to the diversity of products, the application of complex contexts and the strong support of technology, the relationship between people-product-con- text-technology results in a more diverse form and combination [
The core of the interaction product is “interactive”, which is more deeply than the traditional product design to understand and analyze the product’s user population [
Innovative design is not only to design a beautiful shape, sometimes the concept of innovation can be achieved by changing the relationship between the user and the product [
Interaction behavior refers to the behavior of the user in the process of using the product. Interaction behavior is common in everyday life. By using a computer to send an e-mail, using a mobile phone to make a phone call, running on a treadmill, etc., we are interacting with the product. Interactive behavior is a vital part of the whole process, through the behavior, the user and the product establish contact with each other. The quality of interactions has a direct impact on the user experience of the product.
An interacion behavior includes “action” and “reaction” [
The product is dependent on usage context. Bill Buxton put forward a theory “design for the wildness”. He believes designers are designing for the reality, for the wildness, not limited to independent objects. Design depends on the system, including material factors, emotional factors, social factors and experience factors [
The information age is the era of a “link”, from individual computer to computer network, from a single product to the Internet of things, ubiquitous computing urges people to understand the service and value of the product in a larger space, to understand the user experience and the contained significance in a connection situation [
The development of the Internet of things technology and the trend of intelligent products make it possible to build the platform of solid products. Many companies that produce smart products have been gradually put into practice the idea of platform. By cooperating with some traditional home appliances manufacturer, MI is gradually building m MI smart home platform. MI now has a router as a smart appliance control and a mobile phone as remote control. The next step it will continue to launch intelligent household items, and it has MIUI software advantage, MI company will build a smart home platform as an important direction of development. On the one hand convenience of the platform is beneficial to provide users with a complete and unified use of experience, on the other hand the collaboration between the product helps to create a harmony context. Platform of products is an important concept of its development and derivation.
Technology has been the key factor to promote the product derivation, the new method of interaction and the new interaction scenario is relying on the new technology. The technology of eye tracking, speech recognition and motion recognition enable people to interact with the product through the sight, sound, touch, movement and other methods. The multiple senses of human being are mobilized, and the interaction process is more abundant (refer with:
Product | Company | Launch Date | Technology | Interaction |
---|---|---|---|---|
HoloLens | Microsoft | 01/22/2015 | Virtual Reality | Gestures and Voice |
Siri (for iOS 10) | Apple | 06/13/2016 | Computationa Knowledge and speech recognition | Voice |
iPhone 6s | Apple | 09/10/2015 | 3D Touch | Press |
Tobii Pro Glasses2 | Tobii | 11/10/2015 | Eye-tracking | Eye Movement |
General Electric Company released a smart lighting, it is achieved by GE’s new technology Ge align. By controlling the composition of the spectrum, it regulates the body’s natural sleep cycle. During the day, Align technology can simulate the sun to inhibit the production of melatonin, while in the night, it can promote the production of melatonin the by reducing the blue light. Through a certain technological innovation, the traditional products become intelligent. It is an important way of product derivation.
Digital products are popular in the Internet era, the traditional products not only need to solve problems and achieve intended funtions, but also need to provide good experience for the users. Interaction design thinking provides important ideas and methods for the traditional product derivation. An interaction system of good experience need coordination of people, activity, context and technology. There are four important methods of product derivation: “user-centered”, “design new interaction behavior”, “establish better product usage context” and “promote product derivation through new technologies”. The interaction design thinking helps to enhance the experience of derived products.
Zhang, R. and Liang, G.W. (2016) Research on the Product Derivation Method under the Interaction Design Thinking. World Journal of Engi- neering and Technology, 4, 168-173. http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/wjet.2016.43D020