Affordance is a concept in design that refers to the perceived and actual properties of an object, particularly those fundamental properties that determine how the object could possibly be used. It is a term coined by psychologist James J. Gibson in his 1979 book, The Ecological Approach to Visual Perception, and later popularized by cognitive scientist Donald Norman in the context of human-computer interaction. In design, affordance is the intuitive understanding of how an object should be used, based on its physical characteristics and the user's prior knowledge and experiences. For example, a door handle affords pulling or pushing, a button affords pressing, and a knob affords turning. The concept of affordance is crucial in creating user-friendly and intuitive designs across various fields, including product design, user interface design, and architecture. It involves considering the user's perspective and designing objects or interfaces that communicate their purpose and functionality through their appearance and form. By leveraging affordances, designers can create products and spaces that are easy to understand and navigate, reducing the need for explicit instructions or labels. The concept has been further developed to include perceived affordances, which are visual cues that suggest how an object should be used, even if the actual affordance differs. In the digital realm, affordances are often represented through skeuomorphic design, where interface elements mimic real-world objects to provide familiar visual cues. Understanding and applying the principles of affordance is essential for designers to create products and environments that are intuitive, efficient, and user-friendly. Interestingly, the term affordance is derived from the verb to afford, which means to provide or to make available.
user interface, usability, human-computer interaction, industrial design
CITATION : "Stephan Trump. 'Affordance.' Design+Encyclopedia. https://design-encyclopedia.com/?E=435893 (Accessed on November 04, 2024)"
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