Database Reference
In-Depth Information
Figure 2.2:
The
Triangle of Joy in Use
describes the impact of using the product itself.
The three Cool Concepts of the Triangle of Joy in Use show how the design of the
product itself can enhance (or detract from) the
joy of use
by creating moments of “magic”
or by eliminating the hassle people have come to expect from technology:
Direct into Action:
Provide immediate, simple fulfillment of core intents: I think of
what I want, I get the solution—with no thought, no figuring, no deciding. It just happens
like magic. Think for me—give me what I want without my having to ask for it, just as
Pandora did for music when it first came out. Produce the desired result with little or no
direction from me. Of the Cool Concepts in the Triangle of Joy in Use, Direct into Action
has the most impact on the user joy in the use of the product. Direct into action calls for
much more than good usability and fewer clicks; it calls for true instant into action so that
achieving an intent in moments is possible.
The Hassle Factor:
Remove all inconveniences, set-up, plugging in, logging in, boxes,
customization and technology hassles from the product. Create joy by removing all the
glitches and inconveniences that interrupt the flow oflife. A “good enough” user experien-
ceisnolongergoodenough.Usersnolongertoleratetechnicalhasslesandnolongervalue
new function if it is not instant into action. The Hassle Factor combines with Direct into
Action in the Cool Metric to create one powerful design focus for creating joy in product
use.
The Learning Delta:
Reduce the time it takes to learn the tool as close as possible to
zero by building on known interaction paradigms and natural interactions like touch and
voice. Nudge the user into use with tiny hints. Reduce complexity; reduce the number of
things the user has to know and places the user has to go to use the product. Avoid design-
ing in actions and options that increase complexity. Make product use so direct that there's
nothing to learn.
ThisistheageoftheascendencyofUX.GoodUXandUIdesignarenolongerjustnice
to have—they can determine whether your product is cool or not, valued or not, bought or
not. Even a product that is cool in concept can become uncool if its use is not Direct into
Action.
This is as true of business products as it is of commercial products. The term “the con-
sumerization of business products” describes how users' expectations, driven by consumer
