Design for Usability: Maximizing User Experience in Software

1. CS 501: Software EngineeringFall 1999 Lecture 23 Design for Usability I

2. Administration  Assignment 4 grades

3. Software Reuse (Application Packages)  Package supports a standard application (e.g., payroll, user interface to Internet information)  Functionality can be enhanced by: => configuration parameters (e.g., table driven) => extensibility at defined interfaces => custom written sources code extensions

4. Reuse and Object Object Oriented Languages Example: Java is a relatively straightforward language with a very rich set of class hierarchies.  Java programs derive much of their functionality from standard classes  Learning and understanding the classes is difficult. => Java experts can write complex systems quickly =>Inexperienced Java programmers write inelegant and buggy programs

5. Design for Usability Usability of a computer system is a combination of factors:  User interface design  Functionality  Performance  Help systems and documentation  Freedom from errors Anything else?

6. Iterative Design Requirements Evaluation Implementation (prototype) Design

7. Methods for Evaluation of Usability  Observing users (user protocols)  Focus groups  Measurements effectiveness in carrying out tasks speed  Expert review  Client's opinions  Competitive analysis

8. Levels of Usability interface design functional design data and metadata computer systems and networks conceptual model

9. The Conceptual Model The conceptual model is the user's internal model of what the system provides:  The desk top metaphor -- files and folders  The web model -- click on hyperlinks  The library model -- search and retrieve  The form filling model -- fill form, submit Example: The Mercury page turner

10. Interface Design Theinterface design is the appearance on the screen and the actual manipulation by the user  Fonts, colors, logos, key board controls, menus, buttons  Mouse control or keyboard control?  Conventions (e.g., "back", "help") Example: Screen space utilization in the Mercury page turner

11. Principles of Interface Design Interface design is partly an art; there are general principles:  Consistency -- in appearance, controls, and function.  Feedback -- what is the computer system is doing? why does the user see certain results?  Users should be able to interrupt or reverse actions  Error handling should be simple and easy to comprehend  Skilled users offered shortcuts; beginners have simple, well-defined options The user should feel in control

12. Disabilities  What if the user: is visually impaired or color blind? does not speak English? is a poor typist?  There is a tradition of blind programmers  Navigation of web sites need not be only visual You may have a legal requirement to support people with disabilities

13. Functional Design The functional design, determines the functions that are offered to the user  Selection of parts of a digital object  Searching a list or sorting the results  Help information  Manipulation of objects on a screen  Pan or zoom

14. Same Functions, Different Interface Example: The desk top metaphor  Mouse -- 1 button (Macintosh), 2 button (Windows) or 3 button (Unix)  Close button -- left of window (Macintosh) right of window (Windows)

15. Data and Metadata Data and metadata stored by the computer system enable the functions and the interface  The desktop metaphor has the concept of associating a file with an application. This requires a file type to be stored with each file: -- extension to filename (Windows and Unix) -- resource fork (Macintosh)  Data validation often requires that a user interface has access to a database (e.g., names and addresses)

16. Computer Systems and Networks The performance, reliability and predictability of computer systems and networks is crucial to usability  Response time instantaneous for mouse tracking and echo of key stroke 5 seconds for simple transactions  Example: Pipelined algorithm for the Mercury page turner  Quality of Service for real time information

17. Design Tensions in Networked Systems  Client computers and network connections vary greatly in capacity  Client software may run on various operating systems; it may be current or an earlier version  System designers wish to control clients; users wish to configure their own environments

18. Usability and Cost  Performance may be expensive in hardware or special software development  User interface development may be a major part of a software development project  Costs are multiplied if a user interface has to be used on different computers or migrate to different versions of systems Web browsers provide a general purpose user interface that others maintain

19. Extensibility in Web Browsers  Data types: helper applications, plug-ins  Protocols HTTP, WAIS, Gopher, FTP, etc. proxies  Executable code CGI scripts at server JavaScript at client Java applets  Style sheets

20. Reading Before next class, read Sommerville Chapters 17, pages 319 to 346