Institute of Business Management

College of Computer Science & Information System

NAME OF STUDENT: Sobia Ali STD-ID: 20201-28924

Qno: 01 Explain the Donald Norman’s model and why it is useful in computer?
A. Donald Norman’s Model:
Donald Norman, one of the most notable researchers in the field of human-computer
interaction and user-centered design, provides six key design principles to keep in mind
while designing any interface. Norman’s idea is that devices, computers, and interfaces
should function correctly and be intuitive and easy to use. The six principles that revolve
around this idea are:
1. Visibility:
Users should know, just by looking at an interface, what their options are and how to
access them. This is particularly important in mobile applications because it is a
challenge to make everything visible within the limited screen space; hence, it is essential
to include only the options that are needed. For example, a log-in screen only needs
information about logging in or signing up, so cluttering it with other information would
go against the visibility principle.
2. Feedback:
The user must receive feedback after every action they perform to let them know
whether or not their action was successful. For example, changing the icon on the tab to a
spinner to indicate that a webpage is loading.
3. Affordance:
Affordance is the link between how things look and how they’re used. For example, a
coffee mug has high affordance because you instantly know how to hold it just by
looking at it. The same is true for digital applications; the design should be intuitive
enough that the users know how to access their desired information just by looking at the
interface.
4. Mapping
Mapping is the idea that, in a good design, the controls for something will closely
resemble their effect. This is best understood with the vertical scroll bar; it tells you
where you currently are, and the page moves down at the same pace and sensitivity as the
 Institute of Business Management
College of Computer Science & Information System

NAME OF STUDENT: Sobia Ali STD-ID: 20201-28924

vertical bar. A non-digital example is of a modern stovetop whose control knobs are
arranged in the same order as the burners. This way, you will know exactly which knob
operates which burner.
5. Constraints:
Constraints restrict a particular form of user interaction with an interface. This is
essential because the user could become overwhelmed with the range of possibilities
available through an interface. An example of a constraint is an online form that does not
allow users to enter letters into a phone number field.
6. Consistency:
People learn new things and manage better when they recognize patterns. Consistency is
key for these patterns to be recognized and learned by users. If similar-looking things do
not produce a similar output, the user is bound to become frustrated. For example, if a
website’s buttons are protruding boxes with labels on them, then all of the website’s
buttons should look like that. Similarly, if a backward arrow denotes the back button,
then it should not be changed to something else because that would be inconsistent with
what the user has learned.
Norman applies the Model to explain why some interfaces cause problems to the users.
He uses the terms “Gulf of execution' and 'Gulf of evaluation'. Gulf of Execution
represents the difference between user's formulation of the action to reach their goals and
the actions allowed by the system.
 Institute of Business Management
College of Computer Science & Information System

NAME OF STUDENT: Sobia Ali STD-ID: 20201-28924

Qno:2 Define Basics of user interface design and how it helpful for end user? Can we interact
with computer without user interface? If your answer is yes or no, then provide the best
justification?
A. User Interface:
The user interface (UI) is the point at which human users interact with a computer,
website or application. The goal of effective UI is to make the user's experience easy and
intuitive, requiring minimum effort on the user's part to receive maximum desired
outcome.
UI is created in layers of interaction that appeal to the human senses (sight, touch,
auditory and more). They include both input devices like keyboard, mouse, trackpad,
microphone, touch screen, fingerprint scanner, e-pen and camera and output devices like
monitors, speakers and printers. Devices that interact with multiple senses are called
"multimedia user interfaces". For example, everyday UI uses a combination of tactile
input (keyboard and mouse) and a visual and auditory output (monitor and speakers).
UI’s Importance:
User interface is important to meet user expectations and support the effective
functionality of your site. A well-executed user interface facilitates effective interaction
between the user and the program, app or machine through contrasting visuals, clean
design and responsiveness. When designing a UI for your site, it's important to consider
the user's expectations in terms of accessibility, visual aesthetic and ease of use. An
optimal mix of effective visuals and efficient responsiveness will improve your site's
conversion rates, as it anticipates the needs of the user and then satisfies those needs.
Interaction of computer without UI:
No, there is no way to interact with computer without using an interface either it’s a GUI
or CLI, one must be needed to interact with the computer as computer is a device which
takes commands from the user to manipulate the data / information, if the command is
not given to the computer, then it’s just a simple machine which can’t do things on its
own as computer’s doesn’t have a free will.
 Institute of Business Management
College of Computer Science & Information System

NAME OF STUDENT: Sobia Ali STD-ID: 20201-28924

Qno: 3 Describe the Task centered user interface design and User-centered user interface design,
and what is difference between them?
A. Task Centered UI Deign:
Initially, the focus is based on the profile of users who will interact with the system, i.e.,
understanding, skill and knowledge, type of user, etc, based on the user’s profile users are
made into categories. From each category requirements are gathered. Based on the
requirements developer understand how to develop the interface. Once all the
requirements are gathered a detailed analysis is conducted. In the analysis part, the tasks
that the user performs to establish the goals of the system are identified, described and
elaborated. The analysis of the user environment focuses on the physical work
environment.
User Centered UI Design:
User-centered design (UCD) is an iterative design process in which designers focus on
the users and their needs in each phase of the design process. In UCD, design teams
involve users throughout the design process via a variety of research and design
techniques, to create highly usable and accessible products for them.