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Interface Guidelines & Principles

Explore the essential principles and guidelines for creating interfaces focused on users and tasks, not technology. Learn how to apply user-centered design, prevent errors, optimize operations, and empower users in the design process.

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Interface Guidelines & Principles

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  1. Interface Guidelines & Principles Focus on Users & Tasks Not Technology

  2. Interface Guidelines & Principles • 7 principles for Interface Design • Focus on the users & tasks, not technology. • Easier said than done for programmers.

  3. Interface Design vs. Development • Design • Somewhat, creative human activity for interface. • Specifies interface’s appearance & interactions. • Here is where we do mock ups, specs, etc. • Development • Interface production. • Implementation of design. • Here is where Java, C++, HTML, etc. come in • HCC does both

  4. How to focus on users & tasks? • Must asks a few questions in the beginning.

  5. Who • For whom is this product or service being designed? • Who are the customers, users, experts, etc. • Customers = Users = Experts ? • What is the background of the users? • education, culture, ethics, age, sex, etc.

  6. What • What is the product or service for? • What problem does it solve? • What value will it add? • What activity is it intended to support? • What are the skills/knowledge of the users? • What are the motivations for users?

  7. How • How do the users work in the domain now? • How will the product or service fit in or replace it? • How do users conceptualize the tasks now? • How will they conceptualize the tasks later?

  8. User Centered Design

  9. A way to force yourself to identify and consider the relevant human factors in your design Helps reduce the number of decisions made out of the blue, and helps focus design activities Helps document and defend decisions that may be reviewed later User Centered Design

  10. UCD - Know the Users • Ask the Who questions • Skills, background, etc. • Know the user’s job • Possible exception • World Wide Web, who are your users?

  11. UCD – Participatory Design • Participatory Design • The user takes a participatory role in the design process. • Involve the users as much as possible, but don’t over do it. • How many people does it take to screw in a light bulb?

  12. UCD – Design to Prevent Errors • Common errors should be avoided. • rm *.*, delete *.* • Through experience, you will learn how to spot vulnerable areas that are error prone. • Much easier said than done!

  13. UCD – Optimize User Operations • Add shortcuts where necessary. • CAUTION!!! • Shortcuts can be over rated in some systems. • Know your users first and then decide on shortcuts.

  14. UCD – Keep Control with User • The user should be in control or at least think he/she is in control. • Manage user interaction and control point of view.

  15. UCD – Help the User • Provide assistance throughout your system. • The user should be able to get help any time he/she wishes (control point of view). • Help is a difficult task because sometimes users need help with the help.

  16. User Centered Design DESIGN IMPLEMENT USE & EVALUATE

  17. Define the Context Describe the User Task Analysis Function Allocation System Layout / Basic Design Mockups & Prototypes Pilot Test & Usability Testing Iterative Test & Redesign Updates & Maintenance UCD: 9 Step Overview

  18. Context: Life critical systems, applications Industrial, commercial, military, scientific, consumer Office, home, entertainment Exploratory, creative, cooperative Market Customer (not the same as the User) …Design Impacts?… 1. Define the Context

  19. Physical attributes(age, gender, size, reach, visual angles, etc…) Physical work places(table height, sound levels, lighting, software version…) Perceptual abilities(hearing, vision, heat sensitivity…) Cognitive abilities(memory span, reading level, musical training, math…) Personality and social traits(likes, dislikes, preferences, patience…) Cultural and international diversity(languages, dialog box flow, symbols…) Special populations, (dis)abilities 2. Describe the User (!!)

  20. Talk to and observe users (NOT customers) doing what they do List each and every TASK Break tasks down into STEPS ABSTRACT into standard tasks(monitor, diagnose, predict, control, inspect, transmit, receive, decide, calculate, store, choose, operate, etc.) 3. Task Analysis

  21. Consider the whole system! Decide who or what is best suited to perform each task (or each step) Base this on knowledge of system hardware, software, human users, communications protocols, etc. Allocation constraints: Effectiveness; Cognitive/affective; Cost; Mandatory 4. Function Allocation

  22. Summary of the components and their basic design Cross-check with any Requirements Documents; Human Factors refs; Hardware specs; Budgets Ensure that the system will support the design and comply with constraints 5. System Layout / Basic Design

  23. “Informed Brainstorming” RAPIDLY mock up the user interfaces for testing with real people Pen and paper or whiteboard to start Iterate, iterate, iterate!! Increasingly functional & veridical List audio & visual details at same levels of detail in the prototypes 6. Mockups & Prototypes

  24. Pilot Test Small usability study before the real study. Pilot tests are conducted as a prelude to the real usability test. Helps to refine the usability test process and procedures. Get preliminary results before the real test. 7. Pilot Test & Usability Testing

  25. Get real (or representative) users to do what they do, using the prototypes Subjective and objective feedback. Sometimes users “want” features that actually yield poor performance Video tape, lots of notes Feedback into the iterative evaluation & redesign of the system “Discount” usability testing can be very effective, using fewer subjects, more rapid results 7. Pilot Test & Usability Testing

  26. Repeat cycles of testing and reworking the system, subject to cost/time constraints Focus on Functionality First ! Plan for several versions during development 8. Iterative Test & Redesign

  27. In-the-field feedback, telemetry, user data, logs, surveys, etc. Analyze and make iterative redesign/test recommendations Updates and maintenance plan as part of the design! 9. Updates & Maintenance

  28. Define the Context Describe the User Task Analysis Function Allocation System Layout / Basic Design Mockups & Prototypes Pilot Tests & Usability Testing Iterative Test & Redesign Updates & Maintenance UCD: 9 Step Overview

  29. There are real-world constraints Cutting out steps is not the way to economize! Optimize the efficiency of each step Here: Focus on the context and the user, to get the most value for the time spent UCD: Focusing Your Efforts

  30. No “cookbooks” (sorry!) No simple, universal checklists Think from perspective of user There are many concepts, principles, and guidelines to help you Focus on higher level principles that apply across situations, display types, etc. Concepts, Principles, Guidelines

  31. Humans will use your system Considering their many attributes, abilities, and limitations will lead to a better design It’s not just common sense! Human Factors is the study of how our “human factors” affect design User Centered Design is a philosophy and a process to help designers sort it all out It matters! And it ain’t easy! Practice makes better (never perfect!) Summary

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