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Further reading 163

(b) Next, look at an e-commerce website that does not include virtual sales agents but
is based on a conceptual model of browsing (e.g., Amazon.com). How does it com-
pare with the agent-based sites you have just looked at?
Is it easy to find information about products?
What kind of mechanism does the site use to make recommendations and guide
the user in making a purchase?
Is any kind of personalization used at the interface to make the user feel welcome
or special?
Would the site be improved by having an agent? Explain your reasons either
way.
(c) Finally, discuss which site you would trust most and give your reasons for this.

Summary

This chapter has described the different ways interactive products can be designed (both de-
liberately and inadvertently) to make people respond in certain ways. The extent to which
users will learn, buy a product online, chat with others, and so on depends on how comfort-
able they feel when using a product and how well they can trust it. If the interactive product
is frustrating to use, annoying, or patronizing, users easily get angry and despondent, and
often stop using it. If, on the other hand, the system is a pleasure, enjoyable to use, and
makes the users feel comfortable and at ease, then they are likely to continue to use it, make
a purchase, return to the website, continue to learn, etc. This chapter has described various
interface mechanisms that can be used to elicit positive emotional responses in users and
ways of avoiding negative ones.

Key points
Affective aspects of interaction design are concerned with the way interactive systems
make people respond in emotional ways.
Well-designed interfaces can elicit good feelings in people.
Aesthetically pleasing interfaces can be a pleasure to use.
Expressive interfaces can provide reassuring feedback to users as well as be informative
and fun.
Badly designed interfaces often make people frustrated and angry.
Anthropomorphism is the attribution of human qualities to objects.
An increasingly popular form of anthropomorphism is to create agents and other vixtual
characters as part of an interface.
People are more accepting of believable interface agents.
People often prefer simple cartoon-like agents to those that attempt to be humanlike.