Blog 5

We have new experiences and we interact with objects every day. Over time we think we are building an understanding of how things work. A file isn't there anymore after we delete it, so most people assume it is gone forever. A graphical user interface with large buttons and icons is what even a first time user will feel comfortable with. You don't need to know how to read to use a mouse and point at what you want. As far as the user's mental model goes, with respect to an object's personality and surrounding interactions, the designers need to make sure things behave as users expect them to. A fridge shouldn't expose all the functionality of the hardware, just the bits that users expect it to have.

Programmers try to include every bell and whistle. If something can be done, they will try to implement it. Anyone who is familiar with the terminal or the command line knows they are capable of things far beyond what normal graphical browsers can do. If it were not for the mental model, all our computer interactions would still be text based. We wouldn't even need a mouse, let alone track pads capable of recognizing multiple simultaneous inputs.

- Marius Francu