Applying Physical Human Interaction in the Digital Space

When I interact with my mobile device or the web in general, I always want to consider how it would be done physically. The reason why is because that’s truly the source of what we’re trying to create (for example: m-commerce/e-commerce). We are creating digital process flows and designs with consideration to how it’s done in the physical space. Why we have to be reminded of the physical space is even more interesting. The answer is simple; we truly have arrived as a generation and society of digital thinkers. I will even go so far as to say that we have caught up to the metaphorical space where digital interactions meet with physical interactions, so much so, in fact, that we are now designing for the digital space with the influence of the physical, but without the physical being the true driver behind the design. Sound crazy? Yes, it is, but it’s just the way things will be done from here on out, and very little interactions will be making their way through the traditional, physical to digital, transition.

Despite this revolution in design no one can deny that there is an intrinsic need to keep interactions feeling human and not feeling digital. By this I mean we still want the interaction to have qualities that trigger problem solving, emotions, a connection, recalling facts or data, and generally speaking, we want these interactions to feel like work.

So, how do we design for today’s digital space while implementing human qualities and process flows? We must first identify human qualities and identify digital qualities. Then, we must apply the appropriate human qualities to the digital interactions. So, lets look at a broad list of how humans interact and what expectations they may have when interacting with a simple system.

We interact with preconceived notions and expectations. What those notions are can be influenced by many factors including education, socioeconomic background, and our environment. In a general sense, we can assume that the average user behaves like this when performing a digital task:

1) I am here because I want something. (NEED)

2) I expect my time here to be limited. (DURATION)

3) I want to be told when there’s a problem. (FEEDBACK)

4) I expect there to be a way for me to get help if I need it. (TROUBLE SHOOTING)

So, lets apply these behaviors to a real model. What do you need when you go to a bank? Lets say you want to cash a check. As far as duration goes, lets say you expect this to only take about 10 minutes. Lets say when the teller gets a prompt that tells her she can’t cash the check she lets you know; this covers feedback. The trouble shooting part could be that the teller needs her manager to authorize cashing the check. You had some emotion, perhaps a bit of fear or anxiety that there may be an issue with cashing the check, or perhaps joy because your were successful and you now have some cash in your pocket. Experience, education, and other skills may have helped you trouble shoot if the teller wasn’t fully aware of the check cashing policy, and at which point you could have intervened to speed up the process by asking for the manager. So there you have it. A basic human process flow.

The example of cashing a check is also played out in the digital/physical world with a, you guessed it, ATM. Taking the physical building out of the picture as well as the teller, manager and you are now performing the same behaviors and saving even more time. Taking this a step further, you can perform this flow from the comfort of your couch by using your mobile device, and “Voila,” you’ve successfully transitioned to a digital space.

What if you reverse this process and design for the digital space first. Well, that could work, but the best way to design for this flow is to include natural behaviors and make the interaction feel as natural as possible. Lets use another model to paint the digital process flow with consideration to how it’s done in the physical world.

Lets take a look at “liking” something. Before social media, there was never a physical number hanging on to something you liked. You just liked it, and maybe only a handful of people knew this. But, to make liking, in the digital space, feel like liking in the physical space you, have to understand what a like is. A like is a simple way of providing feedback. We do this all the time in the physical space. We smile, give a thumbs up, or simply comment by saying “I like that.” Now lets apply that to the four items on the check list. Am I fulfilling a need? Yes, I am. I fulfilled the need to provide feedback. Is this interaction quick? Absolutely. Can I tell if my like has posted? Yes! If I wasn’t connected to the internet will I be notified that my like was or was not successful and can I be directed to a place that will help me correct the issue? Yes. So, you see even though these sort of interactions didn’t present themselves the way they do in the digital space, that they do in the physical space, the process still felt human. I still felt some emotion. I still had to press a like button or felt like I had to work in some sense to achieve my goal.

When you’re designing interactions you cannot forget the human factor. After all, that’s who you’re designing for. If it helps, make physical models, stand up, walk from station to station, actually walk yourself through the process. Without this your flows and interactions will be flawed and lack elements that are human. As we edge more-and-more to being less analog it’s important to not forget how we think and what our expectations are when we design.

I hope this helps and don’t forget to design for the digital world with influence from the physical.