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Reference.org
Natural mapping (interface design)
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<p>The term natural mapping comes from proper and natural arrangements for the relations between controls and their movements to the outcome from such action into the world. The real function of natural mappings is to reduce the need for any information from a user’s memory to perform a task. This term is widely used in the areas of <a href="/facts/Human-computer_interaction/EkmIxGCx">human-computer interaction</a> (HCI) and <a href="/facts/Interactive_design/fWV9yYEp">interactive design</a>. Leveraging the concept of mapping helps bridge the <a href="/facts/Gulf_of_evaluation/BtKKg9Bh">gulf of evaluation</a> and the <a href="/facts/Gulf_of_execution/EsP0wFc4">gulf of execution</a>, which refer to the gap between the user's understanding of the system and the actual state of the system and the gap between the user's goal and how to achieve that goal with the interface, respectively. By mapping controls to mirror the real world, the user will find it easier to create a mental model of the control and use the control to achieve their desired intention. </p>