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






2. Teh act of copying properties of familiar objects - organisms - or environments in order to realize specifice benefits afforded by those properties.






3. A technique of combining many units of information into a limited number of units or chunks - so that the information is easier to process and remember.






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






5. The debgree to which prose can be understood - based on the complexity of words and sentences.






6. 1) Functionality 2) Reliability 3) Usability 4) Proficiency 5) Creativity. In order for design to be successful - it must meet ppl's basic need before it can attempt to satisfy higher- level needs.






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






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






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






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






11. Given a choice between functionally equivalent designs - the simplest design should be selected.


12. There are five ways to organize information: Category - time - location - alphabet - and continuum.






13. The process of using spatial and environmental information to navigate to a destination.






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






15. The use of pictorial images to improve the recognition and recall of signs and controls.






16. People tend to prefer savanna- like environments to other types of environments. Open areas - scattered trees - water - and uniform grassiness rather than other natural environments such as desert - jungle - and complex mtns.






17. The process of organizing information into related groupings in order to manage complexity and reinforce relationships in the information.






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






19. A tendency to see objects and patterns as 3D when certain visual cues are present.






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






21. 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.






22. Teachers treat students differently based on their expectations of how students will perform.






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






24. An original model on which something is patterned






25. Tendency to perceive a set of individual elements as a single - recogniable pattern - rather than multiple - individual elements.






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






27. 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.






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






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






30. Designs should help people avoid errors and minimize the negative consequences of errors when they do occur.






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






32. A method of presentation in which information is presented in descending order of importance. (Critical information presented first).






33. A tendency to prefer faces in which the eyes - nose - lips and other features are close to the average of a population.






34. A phenomenon in which perception and behavior changes as a result of personal expectations or the expectations of others. (Halo effect - Hawthorne effect - Pygmalion effect - Placebo effect - Rosenthal effect - Demand characteristics.)






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






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






37. A method of limiting the actions that can be performed on a system.






38. Successful products typically follow four stages of creation: requirements - design - development - and testing.






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






40. A space that has territorial markers - opportunities for surveillance - and clear indications of activity and ownership.






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






42. A technique for preventing unintended actions by requiring verification of the actions before they are performed.






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






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






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






46. People understand and interact with systems and environments based on mental representations developed from experience.






47. A diagram that describes the general pattern followed by the eyes when looking at evenly distributed - homogeneous information.






48. The ratio of face to body in an image that influences the way the person in the image is perceived. (High = intelligent / Low = physical)






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






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