Tech Glossary
What is Interaction Design?
Interaction design, or user experience, means creating products that are easy and intuitive to use. It's about developing products that meet users' needs and expectations. A good interaction design takes into account all the different ways a user can interact with the product, whether it's an app, a website, a TV or a kitchen table. Everything from how the user handles the product, to how it looks, smells and sounds affects the user experience. To create a good interaction design, you have to understand the users' behaviors and needs. Afterwards, different sketches and prototypes of the product are created to test different ideas. Once you have found a solution that works best for the users, you start building the finished product. An interaction designer often has to collaborate with different professional groups, such as graphic designers, web developers and engineers, to create the best possible user experience. Interaction design can be compared with other competencies such as graphic design, usability and UX design. Graphic design is primarily about creating aesthetically pleasing products, while usability and UX design focus more on user needs and experience.