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Usage Profiles

Usage Profiles. Usage profiles. Process of “knowing the user” is never-ending So much to discover (social background, organisational character, culture, age, education, sex etc.) Users keep changing

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Usage Profiles

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  1. Usage Profiles

  2. Usage profiles • Process of “knowing the user” is never-ending • So much to discover (social background, organisational character, culture, age, education, sex etc.) • Users keep changing • “Every step ...in recognizing them as individuals whose outlok is different from the designer’s is likely to be a step closer to successful design” (Shneiderman p.66)

  3. Novice users • “first user” community - no syntactic computer knowledge using the machine) and probably less semantic knowledge of computer systems in general. • distinguish between first-time users (may have high task knowledge) and novices - though both may suffer “technophobia” • overcoming these limitations is a serious challenge to the designer

  4. Novice users - design implications • Restrict interaction vocabulary to small number of constantly used terms • Permit novice to carry out a few simple tasks easily to build confidence • Informative feedback on each task is helpful • Provide specific error messages • Minimise burden of “computer” concepts and jargon • Maximise help (user manuals, on line help etc.)

  5. Knowledgable intermittent users • Maintain semantic knowledge of both task and computers • Unable to maintain syntactic knowledge of system (i.e. how to access, manipulate it) • Protection from danger of failure necessary for relaxed exploration of features

  6. Knowledgable intermittent users - design implications • Lighten burden of memory with simple and consistent structure in command language, menus, terminology etc. • Emphasize “recognition” over “recall” • Provide consistent sequences of actions to assure users they are accomplishing tasks • Provide online help screens, and well-organised reference manuals

  7. Expert frequent users • A.k.a. “power” users • Thoroughly familar with semantic and syntactic aspects of system • Seek rapid completion of tasks • Design implications same as for Computer Experts

  8. Multiple usage classes • Designing for one class of users is easy; satisfying several is hard • When designing for multiple classes use a layered approach to learning: • teach novices a minimal subset of objects and actions; expose experts to wide range, rapid feedback • then progress through “layers” of expertise • design of layers should be governed by progress through task semantics • consider providing user control of layering

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