Affordance conditions of product parts in user-product interaction

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to identify the influences of affordance conditions, both perceptible and hidden affordances, in product interfaces on user-product interactions. An analysis scheme was used to analysis the affordance conditions of a digital camera's parts used as example. Moreover, a usability evaluation was carried out to examine what affordance conditions would influence users' operations while they practiced the operational tasks. The results show that affordances for functionality should not only be perceptible, but more importantly, also should be lucid for users in user-product interactions; the evidence presented by other comprehensive perceptual information and conventional layouts can deal with affordances being hidden in interfaces of a product. © 2009 Springer Berlin Heidelberg.