Mapping

toc =Mapping=

Mapping refers to the relationship between physical controls and the actions they perform.

There are many examples of good and bad mapping. In Chapter One of //Interaction Design// by Preece, Rogers and Sharp, up/down arrows on a keyboard were used to illustrate this difference. The mapping of arrows according to direction is easier to learn and use efficiently than the side to side mapping. This is because one cannot easily guess which arrow is where in the latter mapping; up and down is not really up or down but somewhere between left and right and it is up to the user to remember this seemly arbitrary configuration.

Fig 1 (Preece, Rogers, Sharp, 2002)

Donald A. Norman noted that, //"natural mapping, by which I mean taking advantage of physical analogies and cultural standards, leads to immediate understanding"//. The mapping in the previous example takes advantage of physical analogies. The direction of the controls obviously reflects what each button does. There are other physical analogies that are consistent among most cultures:


 * Rising Level = More or Hotter
 * Lowering Level = Less or Colder
 * Up = Forward or On
 * Down = Back or Off
 * Mercedes Benz Seat Adjustment Control**


 * BMW Seat Adjustment Control**

If we want to apply the natural mapping concept to the reality, a great example would be the seat adjustment control offered in many high end level luxury cars. The shape of the seat adjustment control looks similar to the shape of the seat that promotes user to think that the control is used to adjust seating positions. This allows users to recognize the function of it just by looking at the shape of the control. In order to adjust the seat to a higher position, just lift the control that looks like the shape of the bottom of the seat upwards. Integrating the physical analogy of the seat positions and apply this concept to design the seat adjustment control is a typical example to demonstrate natural mapping. Another example of good/bad mapping would be the controls of a stove. Controls that are not placed in the right area will confuse the user and might cause accidents. Therefore, good mapping is a key safety issue in design.

There are also cutural standards that may affect how individuals from certain cultures learn to use controls. For example, the colour red can be used in many cultures to signify //"Stop"// or //"There's a problem"//. Alternatively, the colour green can be used to signify //"Go"// or //"Everything is ok"//. One must be aware of the culture they are designing for and understand that many conventions may be different. For example, in many Asian cultures, books are not read from left to right but from right to left. This can have implications in designing bookmarks or other reading materials.

**Sources:**
Norman, Donald A. __The Design of Everyday Things__. New York: Basic Books, 1988. Preece, Rogers, Sharp. __Interaction Design__. New York: John Wiley & Sons Inc. 2002 Picture Source: http://justonething.us/bmwx5/images/BMW_X5_driver_controls.jpg (BMW) Picture Source: http://www.familycar.com/RoadTests/MercedesE-Class/Images-E500/SeatControls.jpg (Mercedes)

Additional Links:
Donald A. Norman