When to separate visual and interaction design

http://www.fhiosinsights.com/?p=888

In almost all cases, the way a system works is independent of the way it looks; this means that once the interaction is perfected, it can have many different visual styles applied to it.

Interaction design covers:

* How to navigate around the system
* How novel or traditional the interaction style is
* How to separate novice from advanced controls
* How long it takes to complete a task
* How much information the user has access to
* Whether data entry is flexible or restricted and validated

Visual design influences the customer’s perception of:

* Brand – should it look new or tie in with traditional brand imagery or a specific campaign?
* Trustworthiness – is it a financial or medical product for example
* Excitement – is it a travel or creative product for example