088 Mental Model
A mental simulation of how things work.
• People understand and interact with things by comparing their mental models with the real world. People make errors when their mental models disagree with how things really work.
• Mental models about how things work are called system models. Mental models about how people interact with things are called interaction models.
• Engineers necessarily have strong system models, but typically have weak interaction models. Users develop strong interaction models, but typically have weak system models. Designers must develop strong system and interaction models.
• Leverage existing mental models in design, referencing established conventions and behaviors. Develop strong interaction models by personally using products—i.e., “eating your own dog food”—and observing people using the product.
See Also Affordance • Expectation Effects • Visibility
