Test your basic knowledge |

Design Principles

Subject : engineering
Instructions:
  • Answer 50 questions in 15 minutes.
  • If you are not ready to take this test, you can study here.
  • Match each statement with the correct term.
  • Don't refresh. All questions and answers are randomly picked and ordered every time you load a test.

This is a study tool. The 3 wrong answers for each question are randomly chosen from answers to other questions. So, you might find at times the answers obvious, but you will see it re-enforces your understanding as you take the test each time.
1. The tendency for people to perform better or worse based on the expectations of another.






2. A relationship between variables in a system where the consequences of an event are fed back in order to modify the event in the future.






3. The relative ease with which a destination - idea - or concept may be reached.






4. The tendency for people to behave differently when they know they are being studied






5. A technique used to teach a desired behavior by reinforcing increasingly accurate approximations of the behavior.






6. There are three ways to organize materials to support a load or to contain and protect something: Mass structures - frame structures - and shell structures.






7. A method of creating imagery - emotions - and understanding of events through an interaction between a storyteller and an audience.






8. The tendency to see attractive people as more intelligent - competent - moral and sociable than unattractive people.






9. A strategy for managing information complexity in which only necessary or requested information is displayed at any given time.






10. A term used to describe a set of data - that when plotted - forms a symmetrical - bell- shaped curve.






11. A property of visual equivalence among elements in a form.






12. The use of more elements than necessary to maintain the performance of a system in the event of failure of one or more of the elements.






13. Elements that are similar are perceived to be more related than elements that are dissimilar.






14. A phenomenon of memory in which noticeably different things are more likely to be recalled that common things. (AKA Isolation/Novelty Effect)






15. A point of physical or attentional entry into a design. (Minimal Barriers - Points of Prospect - Progressive Lures)






16. The designs that help people perform optimally are often not the same as the designs that people find most desirable.






17. It is often preferable to settle for a satisfactory solution - rather than pursue an optimal solution.






18. Adjusting parts of a device in relation to each other to create a sense of unity and cohesion.






19. The usability of a system is improved when its status and methods of use are clearly visible.






20. When participants realise the aim of the study and may change their behaviour to help or disrupt the study.






21. The deliberate use of a weak element that will fail in order to protect other elements in the system from damage.






22. All products progress sequentially through four stages of existence: introduction - growth - maturity - and decline.






23. A phenomenon in which mental processing is made slower and less accurate by competing mental processes.






24. Repeated exposure to stimuli for which people have neutral feelings will increase the likeability of the stimuli.






25. A preference for a particular ratio of waist size to hip size in men and women. Men prefer 0.7 in women. Women prefer 0.9 in men.






26. A technique used to asociate a stimulus with an unconscious physical or emotional response.






27. A technique used to modify behavior by reinforcing desired behaviors - and ignoring or punishing undesired behaviors.






28. The tendency to perceive objects as unchanging - despite changes in sensory input. (such as perspective - lighting - color or size)






29. A method of illustrating relationships and patterns in system behaviors by representing two or more system variables in a controlled way.






30. The quality of system output is dependent on the quality of system input.






31. A technique of composition in which a medium is divided into thirds - creating aesthetic positions for the primary elements of a design.






32. An original model on which something is patterned






33. A technique for bringing attention to an area of text or image.






34. A process in which similar characteristics evolve independently in multiple systems.






35. A tendency to interpret ambiguous images as simple and a complete unit - versus complex and incomplete. (Gestalt principle of perception).






36. A process of repeating a set of operation until a specific result is achieved.






37. A technique that influences decision making and judgement by manipulating the way information is presented.






38. Using more elements than is necessary to offset the effects of unknown variables which may cause a system failure.






39. Tendency to form an overall positive impression of a person on the basis of one positive characteristic






40. Elements that are close together are percieved to be more related than elements that are farther apart.






41. 80% of the effects generated by any large system are caused by 20% of the variables.






42. Hierarchical organization is the simplest structure for visualizing and understanding complexity.






43. A Gestalt law of organization; elements arrange in a straight line or a smooth curve are perceived as a group - and are interpreted as being more related than elements not on the line or curve.






44. The act of measuring certain sensitive variable in a system can alter them - and confound the accuracy of the measurement.






45. An ability to detect threatening stimuli more efficiently than nonthreatening stimuli.






46. A state of mental focus so intense that awareness of the 'real' world is lost - generally resulting in a feeling of joy and satisfaction.






47. The visual clarity of text - generally based on the size - typeface - contrast - text block - and spacing of the characters used.






48. Memory for recognizing things is better than memory for recalling things.






49. A ratio within the elements of a form - such as height to width - approximating 0.618.






50. An action or ommission of action yielding an unintended result.