Object–action interface

This feature of OAI lets the user control their sequence of action and visualize the effects at the runtime.

The computer in this case is seen as a medium through which different tools are represented, which is isomorphic to interacting with objects in the real world.

Designing an OAI model starts with examining and understanding the tasks to be performed by the system.

The figure above shows how the designer maps the objects of the user's world to metaphors and actions to plans.

This means that the users do not have to memorize the course of actions and it reduces the time required to familiarize themselves with the new model of work.

The positional hierarchy of any object and its related action may not be suitable for every user, but by being comprehensible they provide a great deal of usefulness.

The most natural way of solving a complex problem is to divide it into sub-problems and then tackle them independently.

Further lower level actions might involve choosing the name of the file, the folder to save in, dealing with errors such as space shortage and so on.