Human Computer Interaction Questions
In the context of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), affordances refer to the perceived or potential actions that a user can take with a digital interface or system. It is a concept that originated from the field of psychology and was later applied to HCI by Donald Norman.
Affordances are the visual or functional cues provided by an interface that suggest how it can be used or interacted with. They help users understand the possible actions they can perform and guide their behavior. For example, a button with a raised appearance suggests that it can be pressed, while a slider indicates that it can be moved horizontally.
Affordances can be both explicit and implicit. Explicit affordances are directly perceivable, such as buttons, icons, or text labels that clearly indicate their purpose. Implicit affordances, on the other hand, are less obvious and require prior knowledge or experience. For instance, a scrollable area may not have a visible scrollbar, but users may understand that they can scroll by swiping or using gestures based on their familiarity with similar interfaces.
Designers aim to create interfaces with clear and intuitive affordances to enhance usability and user experience. By providing appropriate affordances, users can easily understand how to interact with a system, reducing the learning curve and minimizing errors.