Control is an important factor in user interface and service design. In services, control issues are magnified as control is split among many stakeholders and constraints. The document proposes a framework for understanding control with three types: behavioral, cognitive, and decisional. Behavioral control is direct action capability. Cognitive control involves information access and experience appraisal. Decisional control is capability of choice. Design lenses are introduced as tools to frame control-related design problems. A case study of airport travel uncovered control perception issues and opportunities through user research.
3. Control in User Interface Design
Control is often an extremely crucial factor in design,
and it’s pretty well-recognized in HCI and UI design.
But what about service design?
4. ...and in service design
Control issues are magnified in services.
Control is split amongst a huge number of stakeholders.
Intense amount of constraints (TSA).
User doesn’t always want full control.
5. Our Work: Understanding Control Perceptions
1 Literature Review 2 Control Framework
prior psychological research understanding types of control
3 “Design Lenses” for Control 4 Case Study (Airport)
tools to frame design problems surfacing design opportunities
6. Our Work: Understanding Control Perceptions
1 Literature Review 2 Control Framework
prior psychological research understanding types of control
3 “Design Lenses” for Control 4 Case Study (Airport)
tools to frame design problems surfacing design opportunities
7. Literature Review Prior Control Typologies
Averill (1973) Thompson (1981) Lewis (1987) Miller (1965)
Behavioral Behavioral Existential Potential
Cognitive Cognitive Processual Instrumental
Decisional Informational Contingency Self-Administration
Retrospective Behavioral
Cognitive
8. Our Work: Understanding Control Perceptions
1 Literature Review 2 Control Framework
prior psychological research understanding types of control
3 “Design Lenses” for Control 4 Case Study (Airport)
tools to frame design problems surfacing design opportunities
9. Our Proposed Framework
Cognitive control
intellectual management
Perceived Control
sense of control
gained by...
Behavioral control Decisional control
capability of action capability of decision
10. Behavioral Control
Capacity for direct action. Cognitive
Examples: earlier phone support, tapping or clinching to
signal pain to your dentist.
Speculated retrospective effects (Fiske & Taylor, 1991)
Behavioral Decisional
11. Cognitive Control
Intellectual management of an experience. Cognitive
We separate it into two halves:
Information: sense of control gained from
obtaining necessary information.
Behavioral Decisional
Appraisal: personal interpretation of experience.
Includes cognitive strategies used to cope with
negative experiences: avoidant (focus your mind
off of the event) and nonavoidant (focus on the
event or impose meaning) strategies.
12. Cognitive Control
Intellectual management of an experience. Cognitive
We separate it into two halves:
Information: sense of control gained from
obtaining necessary information.
Behavioral Decisional
Appraisal: personal interpretation of experience.
Includes cognitive strategies used to cope with
negative experiences: avoidant (focus your mind
off of the event) and nonavoidant (focus on the
event or impose meaning) strategies.
13. Cognitive Control
Intellectual management of an experience. Cognitive
We separate it into two halves:
Information: sense of control gained from
obtaining necessary information.
Behavioral Decisional
Appraisal: personal interpretation of experience.
Includes cognitive strategies used to cope with
negative experiences: avoidant (focus your mind
off of the event) and nonavoidant (focus on the
event or impose meaning) strategies.
14. Decisional Control
Capability of decision and availability of choice. Cognitive
Choice between alternatives and decisions: the timing
of the service, whether to partake at all, which course of
action to take...
Behavioral Decisional
Too many choices, of course, can be overwhelming or
undesirable.
15. Our Work: Understanding Control Perceptions
1 Literature Review 2 Control Framework
prior psychological research understanding types of control
3 “Design Lenses” for Control 4 Case Study (Airport)
tools to frame design problems surfacing design opportunities
16. Design Lenses
What is a design lens?
Jesse Schell and The Art of Game Design
Each lens concisely encapsulates a principle, with:
• title
• picture
• brief description
• related questions aimed to raise new perspectives
and design opportunities
19. Our Work: Understanding Control Perceptions
1 Literature Review 2 Control Framework
prior psychological research understanding types of control
3 “Design Lenses” for Control 4 Case Study (Airport)
tools to frame design problems surfacing design opportunities
20. Case Study Control Issues in the Airport Experience
Quick user research to frame a design problem with control.
Directed storytelling sessions with 40 students; focused on control perceptions during
the airport experience and surfaced design opportunities accordingly.
21. Conclusion & Discussion
Control beliefs contribute to perceived service quality.
Nevertheless, just a starting point. Some other considerations:
• What is the “right” amount of desired control in a service?
• Individualistic approaches to control perception (Rotter’s locus of control, etc.)