Design Languages by John Rheinfrank and Shelley Evenson

“Design Languages” by John Rheinfrank and Shelley Evenson from Bringing Design to Software by Terry Winograd Catherine Schell CSC 509 January 11, 2005

About the Authors n John Rheinfrank n n Senior strategist at Doblin Group Previously was Senior Vice-President at Fitch n n Cofounder of the Exploratory Design Laboratory Shelley Evenson n Design strategist at Doblin Group Originally trained as a graphic designer, now works in interaction design Previously Vice-President at Fitch n Cofounder of the Exploratory Design Laboratory

Definition of Design Language n n Natural languages “are the basis for how we generate and interpret phrases and sentences” Similarly, design languages “are the basis for how we create and interact with things in the world”

Design Languages in Use n Xerox photocopiers use a design language: n n Doors have obvious handles Color coding distinguishes different areas of the copier: n n Areas for original documents are green Areas where paper is loaded are blue Areas for the copy output are red All products in the Xerox photocopier family use this design language

Design Languages and Meaning n Design languages enable… n n n … designers to build meaning into objects, so that the objects have meaning to people. … people to understand use the objects … objects to become part of people’s experiences and activities.

Design Languages and Meaning cont’d n Design languages consist of the following: n n Collections of elements Sets of organizing principles Collections of qualifying situations Other properties of design languages: n n They are not fixed, formal languages. They usually evolve gradually.

Benefits of Design Languages n Interpretation n n Designers can use a design language to give users cues and resources for learning “Transparent-box design” vs. “black-box design”: n n n In a black box, all functionality is hidden from view In a transparent box, functionality is exposed so users can learn how the artifact they are using works Patterns of use can be transferred from one artifact to another

Benefits of Design Languages cont’d n Generation n Coherence: Businesses create coherent ways to give customers a favorable impression of the corporation Relevance: Businesses ensure their product line plays a crucial role in customers’ regular activities Quality: Businesses ensure their products meets customers’ needs

Benefits of Design Languages cont’d n Assimilation n Design languages are usually most influential when they are assimilated into people’s lives n n People unconsciously assume they are valid People stop considering whether they are appropriate for a particular situation

The Design-Language Approach n There are five steps in the development of a design language: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Characterization Reregistration Development and demonstration Evaluation Evolution

The Design-Language Approach: Characterization n n Characterization is the “process of describing the existing underlying assumptions and precedent-setting design languages. ” Example: n The interface to digital control systems for manufacturing facilities mimics the readouts from the dials and faceplates of the individual machines that are used on the production line.

The Design-Language Approach: Reregistration n n Reregistration is “the creation of a new assumption set and design framework. ” Example: n After some research, the designers realized that the control room in the manufacturing plant was a “primary center of business, ” rather than a “place to keep a big control panel. ”

The Design-Language Approach: Development and Demonstration n n Development occurs when the design team gives “concrete visible form to the assumptions and to the design framework. ” Demonstration occurs at the same time as development, using scenarios, sketches, or prototypes.

The Design-Language Approach: Evaluation n n Demonstrations are “placed within real or hypothetical situations of use. ” Example: n In the process-control interface, “people buttons” for direct-dialing a worker made sense to the design team but not to the actual users.

The Design-Language Approach: Evolution n A design language needs to be extended or changed as necessary once it is in use. n “Needs and practices change constantly. ”

Conclusion n The authors believe that creating software design languages according to the steps they’ve outlined will result in an evolution or revolution of the WIMP language to “an era of more meaningfull interaction with computers. ”