Why User Interface

Any system/product – human interaction

If a product is to be successful, it must
exhibit good usability
usability - a qualitative measure of the ease
and efficiency with which a human can
interact with system
Initially people are required to conform to
technology but now technology conforms to
people
If software is difficult to use,
if it forces you into mistakes,
or if it frustrates your efforts to accomplish
your goals,

 you won’t like it, regardless of the

computational power it exhibits,
the content it delivers,
or the functionality it offers
What is UI
UI design creates an effective communication
medium between a human and a computer

A set of golden rules

A set of interaction mechanisms
Interface Design
Easy to learn?

Easy to use?

Easy to understand?
Interface Design
Typical Design Errors

lack of consistency
too much memorization
no guidance / help
no context sensitivity
poor response
Arcane/unfriendly
THE GOLDEN RULES

Place the user in control.

Reduce the user’s memory load.

Make the interface consistent.

Place the User in Control
Most interface constraints and restrictions
that are imposed by a designer are intended
to simplify the mode of interaction. But for
whom? In many cases, the designer might
introduce constraints and limitations to
simplify the implementation of the interface.
The result may be an interface that is easy to
build, but frustrating to use.
Define interaction modes in a way that
does not force a user into unnecessary or
undesired actions.
Provide for flexible interaction
Allow user interaction to be interruptible
and undoable
Streamline interaction as skill levels
advance and allow the interaction to be
customized.
Hide technical internals from the casual
user
Design for direct interaction with objects
that appear on the screen.
Reduce the User’s Memory Load
The more a user has to remember, the more
error-prone the interaction with the system
will be.
It is for this reason that a well-designed user
interface does not tax the user’s memory
Reduce demand on short-term memory
Establish meaningful defaults
Define shortcuts that are intuitive.
The visual layout of the interface should
be based on a real world metaphor
Disclose information in a progressive
fashion.
Make the Interface Consistent
The interface should present and acquire
information in a consistent fashion.
This implies that
(1) all visual information is organized according
to a design standard that is maintained
throughout all screen displays,
(2) input mechanisms are constrained to a limited
set that are used consistently throughout the
application.
(3) mechanisms for navigating from task to task
are consistently defined and implemented
Allow the user to put the current task
into a meaningful context.
Maintain consistency across a family of
applications
If past interactive models have created
user expectations, do not make changes
unless there is a compelling reason to do
so
User Interface Design Models
User model — establishes the profile of all
end users of the system
To build an effective user interface, “all
design should begin with an
understanding of the intended users
Novices
Knowledgeable, intermittent users
Knowledgeable, frequent users
Design model — a design realization of the user
model
Mental model (system perception) — the
user’s mental image of what the interface is
E.g working with any word processor software
Implementation model — the interface “look
and feel” coupled with supporting information
that describe interface syntax and semantics
Mental model and Implementation model are
same
User feel comfortable in using that system
Interface Design Process
Interface analysis and modeling
profile of the users who will interact, skill level,
business understanding (Slide No 21 & 22)
task analysis is conducted, tasks that the user
performs to accomplish the goals (Slide No 23
& 24)
Analysis of display content (Slide No 25)
Interface Design
define a set of interface objects and actions
enable a user to perform all defined tasks
Interface Construction
creation of a prototype that enables usage
scenarios
Iterative process
Interface Validation
the ability of the interface to implement every
user task correctly
the degree to which the interface is easy to use
and easy to learn
the users’ acceptance of the interface
Are users trained professionals, technician,
clerical, or manufacturing workers?
What level of formal education does the average
user have?
Are the users capable of learning from written
materials or have they expressed a desire for
classroom training?
Are users expert typists or keyboard phobic?
What is the age range of the user community?
Will the users be represented predominately by
one gender?
How are users compensated for the work they
perform?
Do users work normal office hours or do they
work until the job is done?
Is the software to be an integral part of the work
users do or will it be used only occasionally?
What is the primary spoken language among
users?
What are the consequences if a user makes a
mistake using the system?
Are users experts in the subject matter that is
addressed by the system?
Do users want to know about the technology the
sits behind the interface?
Answers the following questions …
What work will the user perform in
specific circumstances?
What tasks and subtasks will be
performed as the user does the
work?
What specific problem domain
objects will the user manipulate as
work is performed?
What is the sequence of work tasks
—the workflow?
What is the hierarchy of tasks?
Use-cases define basic interaction
Task elaboration refines interactive tasks
Object elaboration identifies interface objects
(classes)
Workflow analysis defines how a work process is
completed when several people (and roles) are
involved
Are different types of data assigned to consistent
geographic locations on the screen (e.g., photos
always appear in the upper right hand corner)?
Can the user customize the screen location for
content?
Is proper on-screen identification assigned to all
content?
If a large report is to be presented, how should it be
partitioned for ease of understanding?
Will mechanisms be available for moving directly to
summary information for large collections of data.
Will graphical output be scaled to fit within the
bounds of the display device that is used?
How will color to be used to enhance understanding?
How will error messages and warning be presented to
the user?
Interface Design Steps
Using information developed during interface
analysis, define interface objects and actions
(operations).
Define events (user actions) that will cause the
state of the user interface to change. Model this
behavior.
Depict each interface state as it will actually look
to the end-user.
Indicate how the user interprets the state of the
system from information provided through the
interface.
Design Issues
Response time
Help facilities
Error handling
Menu and command labeling
Application accessibility
Internationalization