Characteristics are a detailed inventory of anything in a setting. In a park, characteristics would include trees, fire ants, leaves on the ground, the time of day, the weather, and park benches. In order to design or research within a setting, designers must account for factors involved in the context. These factors set constraints. If there are no park benches in a park, then a design for a new park bench seat cushion would be pointless.
Context-specific characteristic aspects.
The physical spaces, ideas, and prevailing attitudes of a place and time affect experience design scenes.
A place and time where an experience design scene takes place.
Physical and social conventions that govern settings.
The dimensions of physical spaces where experience design scenes take place.
People and objects in a context that are not the user.
Materials available for use in a setting.
Researching characteristics help designers define constraints when designing. Products, services, and systems exist in the world, and they are used in different settings within the world. When designers have an understanding of the accepts of a context, they can design based on the constraints and opportunities those aspects limit or make possible.
References and sources that support the inclusion of this Aspects of Experiences for Design component.