Do we consider mental models of our learner before we design training? Is this necessary? Let us first understand the concept of mental models better. Mental models is a person’s perception of reality and how they understand a particular concept. Cognitive scientists studied mental models to gain a better understanding of how humans think and perceive things. Donald Norman explains that people constantly form mental models of themselves and of things they are interacting with. These models help people understand certain phenomena. Read more…
Ever seen shoes with pockets or a wrist watch that does everything but read time? I’m sure you have. We come across such products everyday but we just don’t pay attention to its unusable nature as we have been ‘conditioned’ to its use. Some of you may disagree, calling it style. But the others who would agree with me, call it a ‘user fatigue syndrome’. With the use of some common everyday products, I will postulate the essence of simple, good design principles that we can adopt while designing for an effective online experience. Read more…
Do you hold your users through the doors of a building to show them the way? Why should you show your learners “Click Next to proceed”?
Do you point an arrow to a doorbell to indicate: Press here to ring the bell? Why do you need to instruct your learner for every tab or a button to say: Click each tab to know more.
Do you need a guide every time you use your lift or go to a theatre?
