Creating User Interfaces

1. Creating User Interfaces User-centered design. Government sites comparisons. Visualizations. Homework: Post sources on accessibility.

2. General advice on User centered design • [Give user or user groups names!] • Use language of the user/customer/client. • Better way: Do NOT assume user knows your language • Business • Technical • Do not assume your organization is foremost in mind of users.

3. Stories • Citibank household account • DIY form for small estates • https://www.nycourts.gov/forms/surrogates/smallestate.shtml • Reflection?

4. My reflections • Sacrifices efficiency for effectiveness • Trade off just presenting form with guiding applicant through process • Did make mistakes and needed to re-do but it's okay. • I wonder if system is self-correcting • Making survey part of document bad idea. • Are questions (e.g., size of estate) recorded for possible change in form.

5. Example • Consumer Reports Health Care Helper • https://tools.healthlawhelper.org/index.html#toolprograms/defac9c0-15d8-4fd5-a6b5-258c16385bdf • What is Consumer Reports? • Why / What is this?

6. Compare • DIY small estates • Health care helper

7. Example • Organization of colleges • Purchase College • Combined mathematics/computer science • New media major is NOT in School of the Arts but in School of Film and Media Studies • There is School of Liberal Studies • ?

8. Example • Problems with hybrid statistics course • Is there a way to communicate • what the course is • Force students to consider if it is for them • Note: a re-design and re-making of the Purchase website (NOT myheliotrope) is about to begin.

9. Common situation • Our myheliotrope is • Partially implemented with a common tool called Banner • Connects to at least one SUNY system for the DPR • Connects to moodle • ?

10. Your example relating to language and/or organization • ?

11. New challenges • Expectation of application working on multiple devices • Even if it may not be appropriate. • Need to educate / guide user. • Expectation of application working on multiple devices, possibly doing different things • Some of sites described by you • others?

12. Government sites • Your example

13. Accessibility • Making applications accessible to the widest variety of people • Including people with disabilities such as • Visual • Auditory • Motor • Cognitive • Seizures

14. Aside • Don't assume all attempts at increasing accessibility are good. • Accessibility [probably] carries a cost and there can be alternatives • Election Plan B machines • Extra credit

15. What should I do … if a student requests the accommodation of taking notes using a computer? • There are studies indicating that taking notes by hand is better at promoting understanding. • One person using a computer can be disruptive.

16. Extra credit • Some years back, a game was reputed to cause seizures. • Find source, summarize, comment.

17. Note • Many government sites have specific requirements to be accessible. • SUNY has requirement.

18. Visualizations • Showing information, generally multi-dimensional • May or may not be 'right' and what does that mean • My favorite: http://gapminder.com Click on Gapminder world for wealth and health of nations. There are others. • Note: user does not input any information. The interactions does make the data give stronger impression. • This probably doesn't pass test of accessibility for visually impaired.

19. Homework • Find a unique source of accessibility, including certification, SUNY requirements. Post a summary and make comments. • Next class: visually impaired person from CTS will visit. • Prepare questions!