Many comparisons have been drawn between written language and interface design. That’s understandable considering both design and language are essentially forms of communication. The better at communicating we are, the easier it is for our audience to understand our messages and intentions, and the easier it is for them to use and appreciate our design solutions (be they Web applications, posters, maps, or more.).
“When you design an interactive product, you are creating the setting for thousands of conversations. You are creating the language, which will be spoken between product and person. It argues that when we do interaction design, we are creating the language which people will need to use if they want to converse with a product.” -
Marc Rettig"A user interface is a kind of language. Many of the operations within a user interface require both a subject (an object to be operated upon), and a verb (an operation to perform on the object). This naturally suggests that actions in the user interface form a kind of grammar.” -
A Summary of Principles for User-Interface DesignAs a result, the ability to communicate effectively with words (most notably written language) could be considered a key skill set for interaction designs.
“If you are trying to decide between a few people to fill your position, always hire the better writer. This is especially true with designers since copywriting is interface design. Interfaces are written. If you think every pixel matters then you also need to think every letter matters.” –
Jason Fried, 37 SignalsAnyone who has observed even a single usability test knows the importance of the words used to label navigation, actions, and content for user comprehension and task completion. But a writer’s skill set extends beyond
copywriting. When
designing solutions for activities, it is especially important to understand that an activity, like a written narrative has a beginning, an end, and above all a point.
Leading users through a narrative requires maintaining enough context and information to communicate current status as well as enough interest and clarity to get them to the end. Likewise enabling activities through design requires the right amount of communication: some verbal and some visual. This wide definition of Design Communicator (DC) is reflected in the evolution of the role at Cooper:
“We originally started out thinking that DCs were either going to be like tech writers, or be junior Interaction Designers (IxDs) who would eventually move into the IxD role. As the role evolved, though, we realized that when we combined a visual, structural thinker (the IxD) with a more sequential, verbal thinker (the DC), great things happened. We could iterate the design and uncover potential problems very quickly, and the end result was better and more thoroughly articulated than it otherwise would have been.” -
Kim Goodwin, Cooper
译文:
交互设计和书面语
在书面语言和交互设计之间，已经存在着许多的比较。即考虑设计又考虑到语言，这本质上就是交流的形式。在沟通方面我们做得越好，我们的观众越容易去理解我们的信息和目的，他们也越容易去使用并欣赏我们的设计方案（无论是网络应用、发布、地图、或者其他）。
“当你设计一个交互式的产品，你正为数千个谈话创造框架。你正在创造产品与人之间的语言。它认为，当我们在作交互式设计时，我们正在创造一种语言。这种语言当他们在逆转一个产品时，他们会需要用到。”——Marc Rettig
“用户界面也是语言的一种。许多用户界面的操作需要即有主题，又有动词。这表明了在用户界面的操作，形成了一种语法。”——用户界面设计的概要原则
结果，能有效沟通的话语（最显著的是书面语言）可以看作是交互设计中一个主要的技能。
“如果你决定试图找人来填补你的职位，请雇佣比较好的写手。这对设计者来说犹为重要，因为文案就是交互设计。界面是写出来的。如果你思考了每个象素的问题，那么你还需要思考每个字母的问题。”——37 Signals的Jason Fried
任何已在观察一个单一的实用性测试的人都会了解措辞的重要性，常常为了用户理解和各项任务的完成去分类导航栏、操作和内容。但是一个写手的技能超越了文案。当为行动设计方案时，理解一个行动（比如一篇叙述性文章要有一个开始、一个结束，以及以上各点）是非常重要的。
通过叙述去引导用户，需要有足够的上下文关系和信息，去交流当前情况，也要有足够的兴趣和清晰度去让他们走到最后。同样的，通过设计让活动变得可行，需要适量的沟通：一些口上的和一些视觉上的沟通。设计交流器的广泛定义在Cooper公司反映了角色的转变：
“我们最初开始思考认为设计交流器既不是像工科院的作者，也不是那些最后迈入IxD角色的年轻的交互设计师。随着角色的演变，我们意识到，当我们把视觉、结构、思维（IxD）与更具连贯性的、口头想法（设计交流器）结合在一起时，美妙的事情发生了。我们能够反复重申设计，并且快速地揭开潜在的问题，最后的结果会更好，并且与它本来的相比，会表达地更彻底。”——Cooper公司的Kim Goodwin