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






2. Pictures are remembered better than words.






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






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






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






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






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






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






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


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






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






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






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






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






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






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






17. A property in which a form is made up of parts similar to the whole or to one another.






18. 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.






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






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






21. 80% of the effects generated by any large system are caused by 20% of the variables.






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






23. Beauty in design results from purity of function. Interpreted in 2 ways: A description of beauty or a prescription for beauty.






24. The time it takes to make a decision increases as the number of alternatives increases.


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






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






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






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






29. 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.






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






43. 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.






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






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






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






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






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






49. 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.)






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