affordancebased

Affordance-based is an adjective used in design and human–machine interaction to describe approaches that emphasize affordances—the action possibilities that a user perceives or can realize when interacting with an object, interface, or environment. The term draws on James J. Gibson's ecological psychology, and in design discourse it has been influenced by Don Norman’s discussion of perceived affordances and signifiers. In practice, affordance-based design seeks to align what users believe they can do with what they actually can do.

An affordance-based approach distinguishes actual affordances (what the object enables) from perceived affordances (what users think they can do). The goal is to render these possibilities obvious through form, material, texture, and layout, so interactions feel intuitive and require less cognitive effort. Good affordances communicate function without verbal explanation, supporting quicker learning and fewer errors.

Applications span user interface design, product design, architecture, and robotics. Examples include a door handle shaped to suggest pulling, a touchscreen control that resembles a physical button, or visual cues such as shading and shadows on a digital control to imply clickability. In software, raised surfaces, contrast, and consistent placement help users infer actionable elements and possible workflows.

Benefits of affordance-based design include reduced cognitive load, faster task completion, and improved accessibility. Limitations include cultural or individual variation in cue interpretation, potential misinterpretation in unfamiliar contexts, and the risk of overemphasizing cues at the expense of safety or clarity. Some actions remain possible but not obvious, requiring redundancy through additional signaling or user education.

Related concepts include signifiers, mapping, feedback, and usability evaluation methods such as cognitive walkthroughs and heuristic analysis to assess how well an interface communicates its affordances.