I think it's both :-) Affordance is the noun, the perceived clue that suggests an action (based upon context, situation, goals, etc.). Afford is the verb, like what does this object afford, or the particular action the user would perform based upon the clue perceived. (a chair affords sitting, a window affords looking)
As Paul Dourish says, "Technically, an affordance is a property of the environment that affords action to appropriately equipped organisms...an affordance is a three-way relationship between the environment, organism, and an activity. This three-way relationship is at the heart of ecological psychology, and the challenge of ecological psychology lies in how it is centered on the notion of an organism acting in an environment: being in the world" (from "Where The Action Is") Personally, I like to frame affordance as a matter of communication: "This reflexive relationship [referring to language and interaction] becomes more evident by looking at the affordances and constraints upon interaction of everyday real objects. Through affordances a design speaks to users, provoking or inviting an encounter to ensue. Its level of success depends on the clarity, appropriateness, and conceptual linkage of the affordance to the user's goals and expectations...Affordances are a form of communication, telling the user what's possible with a design--and constraining him to that possibility by virtue of materials, mechanics, etc." (from "Thoughts on Interaction") Hope that helps... Uday Gajendar Sr. Interaction Designer Voice Technology Group Cisco | San Jose ------------------------------ [EMAIL PROTECTED] +1 408 902 2137 ________________________________________________________________ Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ....... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe ................ http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines ............ http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .................. http://www.ixda.org/help
