Which concept serves as a framework for thinking about user interactions and their outcomes in design?

The concept that serves as a framework for thinking about user interactions and their outcomes in design is conceptual models. A conceptual model provides a mental representation of how a system works, which helps users understand the functionality and expected outcomes of their interactions with the design. By creating a clear and intuitive conceptual model, designers enable users to predict the results of their actions within the system, improving usability and user experience.

Conceptual models guide how users expect the interface to behave, inform their actions, and set their expectations. This understanding helps to create a more intuitive design that aligns the user's mental model with the system's model, reducing confusion and enhancing overall interaction.

In contrast, feedback involves communicating the results of user actions back to the user, while affordances relate to the properties and cues that suggest how an object should be used. Constraints limit user actions in a way that prevents error, but they don't inherently provide a framework for understanding user interaction and outcomes.