Applicability of affordance concept in user-computer interaction

The aim of this study is to explore whether the intuitive-corresponding relation between users and physical objects presented by affordance concept alike exists in interaction between users and virtual buttons. In this study, a type of virtual button is used as the test sample. The intuitive judgments and practical operations to the test sample were carried out to find out whether users could directly pick up the affordances presented by the test sample through the virtual-perceptual information and then make appropriate decisions based on usability. The results show that the users could perceive directly the affordances presented by the virtual button by looking at them and approximately know what sizes of the virtual button are appropriate for usability. That is, the intuitive-corresponding relation described by affordance concept exists in interaction between users and virtual button. The results could serve to explain the rationality of affordance concept in application on GUI design.