Ep 226| Constraints in Design-4 Ways to turn in to an advantage

Constraints are one of the major important factor in UI design. In interaction design, many people take constraint as a bad thing and I'll not produce a perfect output. No, it's exactly the other way around. It can enhance the user experience, reduce the errors and the engagement of the user goes up like 2x3x. What does this mean by what you call this constraint? In this video we're going to learn. Constraint means having a restricted boundary. Having the user not taking certain make you the concepts. It limits the possibility of the user taking certain action. Let's say if you take a prong string is there in this tape. Like you can't move this tape. Even though I'm cutting this action, the tape is constrained in this direction. If I'm taking this direction, this direction. No, it's only constrained to give rotation in this direction. So you tend to have an interaction very clear which is error free. Like let's say if you don't have this constraint, if a user takes out this tape, what happens? This tape goes in a different direction. You're not intending to achieve a particular output. So that leads to a frustration, right? Even though when you take this tape only one side is stickable, right? The other side is just for interaction. It's meant to be designed in this way. The constraint is you can't stick it in this way. Intended function is for you to stick in this way and operate a good. So constraint should be seen in a proper way, in a positive way, in a feedback. So that user can have a error free operations. Which is actually a foolproof way. You can say like let's say if you have a koka yoke system when you have a Japanese concept like koka yoke. So even the fools cannot make a mistake in that. So constraints are to be seen in that way many times. Project constraint will also be there. Customer will ask you to take only one particular brand, one particular color, one particular brand guidelines. So you cannot go beyond this. So constraints could be also taken in that way happening inside the brain. Why it is very important. See, when you have a constraint in your design, it reduces your cognitive load. It simplifies your decision making. You will have a very clear decision action to be taken in a short span of time so that the error is reduced. That's the direct background behind it. Paretal lobe is important and involved in doing this. Because in our brain if you confuse user with lot of interactions, they tend to make ultimate backing of it. Can I give you some examples? Like let's say Lego toy, the Lego blocks Fit in a certain way so that the users are constrained to take that particular action. The round edges can be only put with the round edges. Even the kid when operating for the very first time will know very clearly square holes will not fit here even if it try feedback is very clear that it cannot fit. So that it will try another possibility and then it will know yes, it's happening. So you get a dopamine hit, you get a very satisfaction like yes, this is happening. You can build only blocks in this way, you can't build it in sideways. So the constraints are put in a way in the toy so that even a kids can operate. Even the kids can know very clearly that this is exactly what it's needed for the particular action to be taken on. Even when you take USB port only in one direction, you can insert it, you cannot insert it in the other way around. So the constraint is very clearly given here. So this is effectively enhancing the user in an error proof way. You can read a IBM case study and Google Material design case study. You will know lot of constraints has been put in terms of designing a button, color, typeface, primary button, secondary button, graphics effects. You will know why Constraints are very important when a scalability happens in a different project. Like let's say a big industry is working on a design system and they are doing with multiple designers in a whole. So constraints will make sure the consistency is happening across your brand. Whether you design an app, website, browser, the brand will have the same consistency so that the scalability is much higher. So constraint should be seen in that way. Also constraint is good in a way to make sure it is happening. Why does very, very vital what impact it can create? Let me tell you very clearly. It enhances user attention rate up to 35 percentage. Forester reports say constraints in design can reduce user error up to 30 percentage. Imagine if you're designing a safety critical part. If you're not constraining, the option will happen. Instead of the user intending to press that option, he will press the other way around. Like let's say if this remote is having only one button, what can go wrong? User can only interact with one button. Either he can press it or not the moment. If you have two, three buttons, you are making the cognitive load happen more. The errors are more prone to happen. So the user makes a mistake. That's good. What if wrong happens? What if it's a critical medical surgery? What if it's a critical interaction? It leads to even death. It leads to even worst interaction where people cannot tolerate. That is why having a proper constraint can reduce the errors up to 30% so understand this. You can also read an article called Cognit Constraints and their impact on cognitive load in the User interface design. A journal of Human computer interaction in 2019 has said that so having learned all these things now you should be able to have a clarity why constraints are very important. Take a product study what are the constraint of. You can take a product like this or you can name it this. Understand what is the constraint and how you are seeing it positively and pin me in this video what did you learn? Because watching this video will not have a big impact. Taking action and analyzing will make your awareness grow big towards applying it. The moment if you are increasing your awareness to go for the projects you will implement it. You will see a huge difference in your output. Okay I hope this video has made it clear. We'll see you in another video.