1
Design Languagesby John Rheinfrank and Shelley
Evensonfrom Bringing Design to Softwareby Terry
Winograd

• Catherine Schell
• CSC 509
• January 11, 2005

2
About the Authors

• John Rheinfrank
• Senior strategist at Doblin Group
• Previously was Senior Vice-President at Fitch
• Cofounder of the Exploratory Design Laboratory
• Shelley Evenson
• Design strategist at Doblin Group
• Originally trained as a graphic designer, now
  works in interaction design
• Previously Vice-President at Fitch
• Cofounder of the Exploratory Design Laboratory

3
Definition of Design Language

• Natural languages are the basis for how we
  generate and interpret phrases and sentences
• Similarly, design languages are the basis for
  how we create and interact with things in the
  world

4
Design Languages in Use

• Xerox photocopiers use a design language
• Doors have obvious handles
• Color coding distinguishes different areas of the
  copier
• Areas for original documents are green
• Areas where paper is loaded are blue
• Areas for the copy output are red
• All products in the Xerox photocopier family use
  this design language

5
Design Languages and Meaning

• Design languages enable
• designers to build meaning into objects, so
  that the objects have meaning to people.
• people to understand and use the objects
• objects to become part of peoples experiences
  and activities.

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Design Languages and Meaning contd

• Design languages consist of the following
• Collections of elements
• Sets of organizing principles
• Collections of qualifying situations
• Other properties of design languages
• They are not fixed, formal languages.
• They usually evolve gradually.

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Benefits of Design Languages

• Interpretation
• Designers can use a design language to give users
  cues and resources for learning
• Transparent-box design vs. black-box design
• In a black box, all functionality is hidden from
  view
• In a transparent box, functionality is exposed so
  users can learn how the artifact they are using
  works
• Patterns of use can be transferred from one
  artifact to another

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Benefits of Design Languages contd

• Generation
• Coherence Businesses create coherent ways to
  give customers a favorable impression of the
  corporation
• Relevance Businesses ensure their product line
  plays a crucial role in customers regular
  activities
• Quality Businesses ensure their products meets
  customers needs

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Benefits of Design Languages contd

• Assimilation
• Design languages are usually most influential
  when they are assimilated into peoples lives
• People unconsciously assume they are valid
• People stop considering whether they are
  appropriate for a particular situation

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The Design-Language Approach

• There are five steps in the development of a
  design language
• Characterization
• Reregistration
• Development and demonstration
• Evaluation
• Evolution

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The Design-Language Approach Characterization

• Characterization is the process of describing
  the existing underlying assumptions and
  precedent-setting design languages.
• Example
• The interface to digital control systems for
  manufacturing facilities mimics the readouts from
  the dials and faceplates of the individual
  machines that are used on the production line.

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The Design-Language Approach Reregistration

• Reregistration is the creation of a new
  assumption set and design framework.
• Example
• After some research, the designers realized that
  the control room in the manufacturing plant was a
  primary center of business, rather than a
  place to keep a big control panel.

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The Design-Language Approach Development and
Demonstration

• Development occurs when the design team gives
  concrete visible form to the assumptions and to
  the design framework.
• Demonstration occurs at the same time as
  development, using scenarios, sketches, or
  prototypes.

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The Design-Language Approach Evaluation

• Demonstrations are placed within real or
  hypothetical situations of use.
• Example
• In the process-control interface, people
  buttons for direct-dialing a worker made sense
  to the design team but not to the actual users.

15
The Design-Language Approach Evolution

• A design language needs to be extended or changed
  as necessary once it is in use.
• Needs and practices change constantly.

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Conclusion

• The authors believe that creating software design
  languages according to the steps theyve outlined
  will result in an evolution or revolution of the
  WIMP language to an era of more meaning-full
  interaction with computers.