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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






9. 80% of the effects generated by any large system are caused by 20% of the variables.






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






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






12. 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






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






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






15. 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.)






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






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






18. 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.






19. The tendency for people to perform better or worse based on the expectations of another.






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






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






22. 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?)






23. An original model on which something is patterned






24. The level of control provided by a system should be related to the proficiency and experience levels of the people using the system.






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






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






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






28. The greater the effort to accomplish a task - the less likely the task will be accomplished successfully.






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






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






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






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






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






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






35. 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.






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






37. The ratio of relevant to irrelevant information in a display. The highest possible signal- to- noise ratio is desirable in design.






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






39. 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.






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






41. 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.






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






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






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






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






46. The distressing state of thought caused by recognizing an inconsistency between behavior/thought and value/belief.






47. An attribute of an object that allows people to intuitively know how to use it






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






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






50. 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.