Models for Interaction

In the book of Interaction Design, four conceptual models for interaction are proposed by Preece, Rogers and Sharp based on type of user activities performed in interaction.

• Instructing – issuing commands to the system
• Conversing – interacting with the system as a conversation
• Manipulating and Navigation – interacting with virtual objects or environment
• Exploring and Browser -  users are provided with structured information

Let’s look deep in to instructing interaction and conversing interaction with sample application available.

Instructing Interaction

Instructional interactions are probably the most common form of conceptual interactions, underlying a diverse of devices and system such as VCRs, vending machines, word processors, etc.

As a sample application of instructional interactions, we can consider Microsoft Word application.In MS word application, user tells system what to do by clicking on icon, selecting menu options, pressing keys or buttons or by voice commands. Though most basic instructional interaction is thought command line, MS word has used icons, menus, buttons and control keys as ways of improving the usability of the application in instructing the system.

-Use of icon in MS word

-Use of Menu option in MS word

With the use of this model, MS word allows users to take most control over the application. Users are facilitated for quick and efficient interaction with the application. Instructing has been applied very much effectively in MS word especially in case of repetitive user command and dealing with multiple objects in the application.

Conversing Interaction

Conversing interaction model the interaction as a conversation between the system and its user. Implementation of conversational model requires voice recognition and text parsing. Help-systems and search engines are the primarily level systems which use conversing interaction.

Siri application available in IOS is one of good example which uses conversing as its interaction model. Siri works as an intelligent personal assistant and knowledge navigator. The application uses UI of human natural language  to answer questions, make recommendations, and perform actions. By taking the advantage of conversational model,  Siri make the user experience more natural. As Siri requires input as voice or text and it provides output as voice or text, interaction become very much easier for system users. So that users can work with the application even without any special knowledge and expertise.

-Below is a demonstration of how Siri works

References

http://cs4760.csl.mtu.edu/2014/lectures/interaction-styles-and-mobile-interactions/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siri