Designer: Constraints Game

Beyond UX: The Game ← Reality Matters: Working with Constraints ←
Lens: Type:
Designer: Constraints Game:

Observe a situation to determine if how your design idea will work within it.

Before you start designing, you want to know how to design the outcome so it will be successful. Complete these steps.

  1. Watch the actor carefully.
  2. Use AoE4D to guide your observations. Use multiple lenses.
  3. After the actor finishes their activity, ask them two questions to get answers to your questions.

Use the constraints and alignments version of AoE4D to guide your process.

After the actor finishes their activity, ask them two questions to get answers to your questions.

Use the evaluation version of AoE4D to guide your process.

Design Prompt

Your design role is...

Position Title
Developer/Engineer

Developer/Engineer

Position Title
Organization Type
Innovation Startup

Innovation Startup

Organization Type

...and you want to design this...

Design Outcome
Shipping Box

Shipping Box

Uncategorized
woman with a shipping package

AoE4D Evaluation Stack

Use this evaluation version of AoE4D to guide your analysis of the experience design scene.

Context

Context

Component
a street at night in Portland, OR

The physical spaces, ideas, and prevailing attitudes of a place and time affect experience design scenes.

More About Context
Location

Location

Characteristic

A place and time where an experience design scene takes place.

More About Location

Where and when is this scene located?

People

What effect does this location have on the person's experience?

Design

How is the design affected by the place where this scene is located?

Laws

Laws

Characteristic
a parking lot

Physical and social conventions that govern settings.

More About Laws

What laws affect what goes on in this setting?

People

How do laws in this setting affect the ways people behave and feel?

Design

How do laws in this setting impact ways the design functions?

Size: Context

Size: Context

Characteristic
inside a subway car

The dimensions of physical spaces where experience design scenes take place.

More About Size: Context

What is the size of the space that surrounds the people and the design?

People

How does the context's size affect the person's experience?

Design

How does the size of this space affect how well the design functions?

Non-User Actors

Non-User Actors

Characteristic
woman walking down wooded path with dog

People and objects in a context that are not the user.

More About Non-User Actors

What are the other actors in the scene, including people, animals, natural and human-made objects?

People

How do others in the scene impact the person's experience?

Design

How do others in the scene affect how well the design functions?

Available Resources

Available Resources

Characteristic
a library

Materials available for use in a setting.

More About Available Resources

What resources that people and design rely upon are available such as light, funding, or wi-fi?

People

How does an abundance or lack of available resources affect the person's experience?

Design

How is the design's function affected considering resources that are readily available in this scene?

Climate

Climate

Behavior
a bike outside in the snow

Physical conditions and perceived attitudes in a setting.

More About Climate

What real conditions (weather, temperature) and perceived conditions (social unrest, economic prosperity) are in this setting?

People

How does the climate in this scene impact the person's experience?

Design

What impact does the climate have on how well the design functions?

Sensory

Sensory

Behavior
people dancing at a concert

Stimuli in a context that can be perceived with the senses.

More About Sensory

What conditions in the setting activate a person's senses, such as sounds, smells, and sights?

People

How do sensory conditions in the scene affect the person's experience?

Design

What impact do sensory conditions have on how well the design functions?

Context

Context

Component
a street at night in Portland, OR

The physical spaces, ideas, and prevailing attitudes of a place and time affect experience design scenes.

More About Context
Time

Time

Complex Level
wall clocks for many time zones

The duration of time in which experience design scenes take place.

More About Time

How much time is available to complete the activity in this scene?

People

How does the amount of time allowed for the activity affect the person's experience?

Design

Is there enough time allotted for the design to work correctly? How does the amount of available time affect how the design functions?

Interconnections

Interconnections

Underlying Level
aerial view of freeways

Exchanges between components in experience design scenes.

More About Interconnections

What components in the scene depend upon and affect one another, impacting the whole scene by the ways these components behave?

People

How is the person's experience affected by how each part of the scene works together?

Design

How do dependencies in the scene affect how well the design functions?

Hierarchy

Hierarchy

Underlying Level
man viewing fireworks in a city from the roof

Power or influence relationships between aspects in a context.

More About Hierarchy

What are the real objects or perceived attitudes that get the most attention in the setting?

People

How do parts of the setting that vie for attention affect the person's experience?

Design

How does the hierarchy of stimuli and systems affect how well the design functions?

Social Norms

Social Norms

Core Level
two people shaking hands

Unwritten "rules" that define acceptable behavior.

More About Social Norms

What are socially accepted behaviors in this setting?

People

How do socially accepted behaviors in this setting affect the person's experience?

Design

How well does the design "fit into" the social norms in this setting? How does that affect its ability to function successfully?

People: Self

People: Self

Component
close up of a man's face

A person's internal and physical identity.

More About People: Self
Age

Age

Characteristic
portrait of an older man

How long a person has lived.

More About Age

How old is the person?

Context

How do conditions in the setting affect people in this age group's experience?

Design

How do the design's age requirements or presentation of age impact the user's experience?

Sex

Sex

Characteristic
woman and man looking at camera

A person's assigned sex at birth.

More About Sex

What is the person's sex?
(Sex is not binary, though a person's sex has ramifications in some societies.)

Context

How do conditions in the setting affect people of this sex's experience?

Design

How do the design's requirements or presentation of a person's sex impact the user's experience?

Race

Race

Characteristic
portrait of a mixed-race woman

A person's race based on physical appearance.

More About Race

What is the person's race?

Context

How do conditions in the setting affect people of this race's experience?

Design

How do the design's characteristics and functionality affect a person of this race's experience when using it?

Gender Identity

Gender Identity

Characteristic
group of diverse people on a beach

A person's sense of their own gender.

More About Gender Identity

What is the person's gender identity?

Context

How do conditions in the setting affect people of this gender identity's experience?

Design

How do the design's requirements or presentation of a person's gender identity impact the user's experience?

Size: People

Size: People

Characteristic
a woman who is pregnant

A person's physical size.

More About Size: People

What is the person's physical size? This can include the size of their parts such as fingers or ears.

Context

How do conditions in the setting affect people's experiences with these physical dimensions?

Design

How do the design's requirements or presentation of a person's physical size impact the user's experience?

Condition

Condition

Characteristic
man lying on couch with blanket over head sick

A person's physical and mental condition.

More About Condition

What is the person's current physical and mental condition?

Context

How do conditions in the setting affect people's experiences in these physical and mental conditions?

Design

How do the design's requirements and characteristics impact users' experience when they are in this condition?

Habits

Habits

Behavior
woman driving while talking on phone

People's behavioral tendencies.

More About Habits

What are the person's habits? What tendencies do they demonstrate, both intentional or not?

Context

How do conditions in the setting affect people's experiences with these habits and tendencies?

Design

How do the design's requirements and operation affect the user's experience considering their habits and tendencies?

Movements

Movements

Behavior
woman in wheelchair speaking with man

The ways people physically move.

More About Movements

In what ways does the person physically move?

Context

How do conditions in the setting affect people's experiences who move in these ways?

Design

How do the design's requirements and characteristics impact users' experience when they move in this manner?

People: Self

People: Self

Component
close up of a man's face

A person's internal and physical identity.

More About People: Self
Language

Language

Complex Level
man making a presentation

The bank of words and gestures a person knows and uses.

More About Language

What languages does the person use to communicate?

Context

How do conditions in the setting affect people's experiences who communicate via these languages?

Design

How do the design's requirements and characteristics impact users' experience when they communicate via these languages?

Culture

Culture

Underlying Level
three older adults playing guitars

Patterns of behavior that unify a people group.

More About Culture

What is the person's cultural background? What groups do they belong to and represent?

Context

How do conditions in the setting affect people's experiences who represent these cultures?

Design

How do the design's requirements and characteristics impact users' experience who represent these cultures?

Values

Values

Underlying Level
women lighting candles

Fundamental beliefs about what is desirable and ideal.

More About Values

What are the person's deeply-held values?

Context

How do conditions in the setting affect people's experiences who hold these values?

Design

How do the design's requirements and characteristics impact users' experience who hold these values?

Self-Concept

Self-Concept

Core Level
silhouette of a woman

People's collected beliefs about themselves.

More About Self-Concept

How does the person perceive themself? What comprises their identity?

Context

How do conditions in the setting affect people's experiences who have this view of themself?

Design

How do the design's requirements and characteristics impact users' experience who have this view of themself?

Worldview

Worldview

Core Level
man looking at a city

How a person conceives the overall "tone" of the world.

More About Worldview

What is the person's impression of how the world "works"? How do they feel the "world" treats people and other beings?

Context

How do conditions in the setting affect people's experiences who "see the world" and perceive how it "works" in these ways?

Design

How do the design's requirements and characteristics impact users' experience who "see the world" and perceive how it "works" in these ways?

People: Relational

People: Relational

Component

Ways people relate to others and how they perceive themselves in those relationships.

More About People: Relational
Sexual Orientation

Sexual Orientation

Characteristic
man and woman hugging

Emotional and/or romantic attraction to another person.

More About Sexual Orientation

To whom are the person emotionally and/or romantically attracted?

Context

How do conditions in the setting affect people's experiences of this sexual orientation?

Design

How do the design's characteristics and presentation of sexual orientation impact users' experiences?

Relationships

Relationships

Characteristic
man and woman holding each other and a dog

Ways people are connected to others.

More About Relationships

What relationships in this person's life guide their decisions and shape their experience?

Context

How do conditions in the setting affect people's experiences with these relationships?

Design

How do the design's requirements and characteristics impact users' experiences who have these relationships in their life?

Knowledge

Knowledge

Characteristic
man welding

Facts, information, and skills a person has acquired.

More About Knowledge

What information, skills, and memories does the person know?

Context

How do conditions in the setting affect people's experiences who do or do not have a specific knowledge and experience level?

Design

How do the design's requirements and characteristics impact users' experiences with a specific knowledge and experience level?

Personality

Personality

Behavior
person with bag over head and grapefruits for eyes

A person's distinctive character.

More About Personality

What is the person's demeanor and temperament?

Context

How do conditions in the setting affect people's experiences with this personality type?

Design

How do the design's requirements and characteristics impact users' experiences with this personality type?

People: Relational

People: Relational

Component

Ways people relate to others and how they perceive themselves in those relationships.

More About People: Relational
Attention

Attention

Complex Level
man reading a newspaper

Concentration on the activity at hand.

More About Attention

Where is the person's attention focused? How much of their attention is dedicated to this actvity?

Context

How do conditions in the setting affect people's experiences with this level of attention for the activity?

Design

How do the design's requirements and characteristics impact users' experience with this level of attention?

Attitude

Attitude

Complex Level
woman disgusted looking at apple

A way of thinking or feeling about an activity or design object.

More About Attitude

What is the person's attitude about the activity they are doing?

Context

How do conditions in the setting affect people's experiences with this attitude about the activity?

Design

How do the design's requirements and characteristics impact users' experience with this attitude about the activity?

Subjective Norm

Subjective Norm

Complex Level
woman looking disgusted in thought

What a person believes others will think of them when they perform a behavior.

More About Subjective Norm

What does the person think important others will think about them while they do the activity?

Context

How do conditions in the setting affect people's experiences when they are concerned about what others will think about them?

Design

How do the design's requirements and characteristics impact users' experience when they are concerned about what others will think about them?

Abilities

Abilities

Complex Level
person holding crochet

Competence or skill to complete an activity.

More About Abilities

How physically, mentally, or financially is the person able to do the activity?

Context

How do conditions in the setting affect people's experiences who have this level and combination of abilities?

Design

How do the design's requirements and characteristics impact users' experience with this level and combination of abilities?

Intention

Intention

Underlying Level
man reaching for a book

A person's determination to complete an activity.

More About Intention

How dedicated is this person to completing the activity? What are they intent on doing?

Context

How do conditions in the setting affect people's experiences, considering where their intent lies?

Design

How do the design's requirements, characteristics, and goals impact users' experience considering where their intent lies?

Role

Role

Underlying Level
grandmother with grandchild

The functions a person plays in different situations.

More About Role

In what role is the person acting during this scene?

Context

How do conditions in the setting affect people's experiences considering the roles they are acting out?

Design

How do the design's requirements, characteristics, and goals impact users' experience considering the roles they are acting out?

Sensations

Sensations

Core Level
boy grimacing in pain

Physical sensations such as pain or coldness.

More About Sensations

What physical sensations are the person feeling?

Context

How do conditions in the setting affect people's experiences while they are feeling these sensations?

Design

How do the design's requirements and characteristics impact users' experiences while they are feeling these sensations?

Mood

Mood

Core Level
group of men and women smiling

A person's emotional state.

More About Mood

What emotions are the person feeling?

Context

How do conditions in the setting affect people's experiences while they are feeling these emotions?

Design

How do the design's requirements and characteristics impact users' experiences while they are feeling these emotions?

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Sources

References and sources that support the inclusion of this Aspects of Experiences for Design component.