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






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






3. A tendency to interpret shaded or dark areas of an object as shadows resulting from a light source above the object.






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






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






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






7. As the flexiblity of a system increases - its usability decreases.






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






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






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






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






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






13. 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.






14. 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.)






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






16. 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.






17. 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.






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






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






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






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






22. A phenomenon of memory in which items presented at the beginning and end of a list are more likely to be recalled than items in the middle of a list.






23. 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.






24. A Gestalt principle of organization holding that aspects of perceptual field that move or function in a similar manner will be perceived as a unit






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






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






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






28. A sequence of numbers in which each number is the sum of the preceding two.






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






30. A phenomenon of visual processing in which certain line orientations are more quickly and easily processed and discriminated than other line orientations.






31. A tendency to see people and things iwth baby- faced features as more naive - helpless - and honest than those with mature features.






32. 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.






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






34. An activity will be pursued only if its benefits are equal to or greater than the costs. (ie. How much reading is too much to get the point of a message?)






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






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






37. A phenomenon of memory in which information that is analyzed deeply is better recalled than information that is analyzed superficially.






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






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






40. A method of reorganizing information to make the information simpler - more meaningful and easier to remember. (ie. First Letter - Keyword - Rhyme - Feature Name)






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






42. Elements that are connected by uniform visual properties - such as color - are perceived to be more related than elements that are not connected.






43. 80% of the effects generated by any large system are caused by 20% of the variables.






44. A relationship between controls and their movements or effects. When th effect corresponds to the expectation - the mapping is considered to be good or natural.






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






46. 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.






47. A tendency to prefer environments with unobstructed views (prospects) and areas of concealment and retreat (refuges).






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






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






50. The use of simplified and incomplete models of a design to explore ideas - elaborate requirements - refine specifications - and test functionality.