Course Year

: T0084 / Human Computer Interaction : 2010

Guidelines, Principles and Theories (1) Session 02

Learning Outcomes
At the end of this session the students should be able to understand Theories, to use Principles, and to practice Guidelines in designing the user interface

Content Outline
Introduction Guidelines Principles Determine Users Skill Level Identify the User Tasks Choose an Interaction Style

Introduction
User-interface designers and researchers have collected experiences, empirical evidence and theories, which can be organized into:
Specific, practical guidelines that prescribe good practices and caution against danger Principles to analyze and compare design alternatives Theories and models for comprehensive explanation can be made

Guidelines
Guidelines, principles and theories make grand opportunity to improve the user interfaces Guidelines help to develop shared languange and consistency among designers in terminology, appearance, and actions

Guidelines
There are many guidelines e.g in navigating the interface, organizing the display, getting users attention, facilitating data entry

Guidelines
Guidelines in navigating the interface, developed by National Cancer Institute:
Standardize task sequences Ensure that embedded links are descriptive Use unique and descriptive headings Use radio buttons for mutually exclusive choice Use check boxes for multiple choices Develop pages that will print properly Use thumbnail images to preview larger images

Guidelines
Guidelines in navigating the interface for disabilities:
Provide text alternatives for every non-text content Provide alternatives for time-based media. Synchronize equivalent alternatives with presentation Make it easier to see and hear content Make web pages appear and operate in predictable ways

Guidelines
Guidelines in organizing the display, offered by Smith and Mosier (1986):
Consistency of data display Efficient information assimilation by the user Minimal memory load on the user Compatibility of data display with data entry Flexibility for user control of data display

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Guidelines
Guidelines in getting users attention Intensity. Use two intensity levels only to draw attention Marking. Use underline, box, arrow or asterisk etc Size. Use up to four sizes, larger size for more attention

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Guidelines
Choice of fonts. Use up to three fonts Inverse video. Use inverse coloring Blinking. Use blinking display (2 -4Hz) Color. Use up to four standard color Audio. Use soft tones for regular positive feedback, harsch sounds for emergency

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Guidelines
Guidelines in facilitating data entry Use consistence data entry transactions Minimize input actions by user Minimize memory load on users Aware to compatibility of data entry and data display Provide flexible user control of data entry

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Principles

Principles tend to be more fundamental, widely applicable, and enduring Principles also tend to need more clarification

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Principles
Focusing on following priciples:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Determine users skill levels Identify the user tasks Choose interaction styles Use The Eight Golden Rules Prevent errors Ensure human control while increasing automation

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Determine Users Skill Level

Designers should know their users Users differ in aging, gender, physical and cognitive abilities, education, cultural or ethic background, training, motivation, goals, and personality There are communities of users for an interface, especially for web applications and mobile devices, so the design effort is multiplied

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Determine Users Skill Level

Designer should design based on (assumed) skill level Novice or first-time users, e.g. ATM users were assumed as novice Knowledgeable intermittent users, e.g. Students as users of word processor Expert frequent users, e.g. Cashier on a point of sales terminal An application with difference users level skill should be designed in multi layer designs

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Identify the User Tasks

Developver must identify the user tasks in which they observe and interview users long hours to analyse the user tasks Relative task frequence can be used to subdevide users into novice, intermitten, or expert users

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Identify the User Tasks

Query by Patient Job title Nurse Physician Supervisor Appointment personal Medical-record maintainer Clinical researcher 0.08 Database programmer 0.14 0.06 0.01 0.11 0.04 0.01 0.04 Update data Query across Patients Add Relations Evaluate System

0.26

0.07

0.04

0.04

0.01

0.02

0.02

0.05

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Identify the User Tasks

Tasks can be subdevided into actions Frequent actions performed by pressing special key e.g. Arrow keys, Del, Insert Less frequent actions performed by pressing special letter plus Ctrl key e.g. Ctrl + s Infrequent or complex actions performed by a sequence of menu selection

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Choose an Interaction Style

Direct Manipulation. Visual representation in action world Menu selection. Users select an item of a list of services provided by interactive system Form fill-in. Required by entry data Command language. More appropriate for frequent users Natural language. Computer should response to arbitrary naturallanguage sentence

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Choose an Interaction Style

Advantages
Direct manipulation
Visually presents task concepts Allows easy learning Allows easy retention Allows errors to be avoided Encourages exploration Affords high subjective satisfaction

Disadvantages
May be hard to program May require graphics display and pointing devices

Advantages
Command language
Is flexible Appeals to power users Supports user initiative Allows convenient creation of user defined macros

Disadvantages
Has poor error handling Requires substantial training and and memorization

Menu selection
Shortens learning Reduces keystrokes Structures decision making Permits use of dialogmanagement tools Allows easy support of error handling

Natural language
Presents danger of many menus May slow frequent users Consumes screen space Requires rapid display rate
Relieves burden of learning syntax Requires clarification dialog May require more keystrokes May not show context Is unpredictable

Form fillin
Simplifies data entry Requires modest training Gives convenient assistance Permits use of form-management tools

Consumes screen space

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Q&A
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