Human-computer interaction: users, tasks & designs

Introduction

Use with Human Computer Interaction by Serengul Smith-Atakan ISBN 1-84480-454-4 2006 Middlesex University Press

HCI

HCI stands for Human-computer interaction It is the study of computer systems from the users point of view Its goal is to understand why computer systems are easy/difficult to use, and... ...be able to design easier systems

Use with Human Computer Interaction by Serengul Smith-Atakan ISBN 1-84480-454-4 2006 Middlesex University Press

Aim

The aim of this study is to introduce you to the fundamental and exciting area of human computer interaction (HCI) and to prepare you for more advanced HCI topics.

Use with Human Computer Interaction by Serengul Smith-Atakan ISBN 1-84480-454-4 2006 Middlesex University Press

What is useful or usable?

For something to be useful means that the user can actually achieve the task they want to.

For example, the user wants to write a letter. The system supports letter writing. Thus a useful system supports the objectives of the user.
For something to be usable it must allow the users to achieve the task they want to easily and enjoyably. For example, one letter production might be easy and pleasant to use, whilst another letter production system might be difficult and frustrating to use.

Use with Human Computer Interaction by Serengul Smith-Atakan ISBN 1-84480-454-4 2006 Middlesex University Press

Useful or usable?
The ticketing system is useful, ...but not usable Useful the system can do the task which it is for Easy to measure (so long as you know what the task is) Usable the system can easily do the task Difficult to measure

Use with Human Computer Interaction by Serengul Smith-Atakan ISBN 1-84480-454-4 2006 Middlesex University Press

Who designed that?

The more interesting question is why? It doesnt take an HCI degree to see that there are fundamental problems with this system But it was not programmed by idiots: on the contrary

Use with Human Computer Interaction by Serengul Smith-Atakan ISBN 1-84480-454-4 2006 Middlesex University Press

User Centred System Design UCSD

Central focus on the people who will use the systems, on their preferences and requirements Building simple models of the users, the tasks An iterative process Prototyping and the evaluation of alternatives by the users

Use with Human Computer Interaction by Serengul Smith-Atakan ISBN 1-84480-454-4 2006 Middlesex University Press

User Centred System design

Analysis of users and their world
Evaluate ideas ideally with potential users Iteration is the key
Problem statement Observation of existing systems

Task analysis

HTA

Usability guidelines & heuristics

Technical & legal etc. constraints

Requirements gathering

Requirement statement
Functional Non-functional

Design and storyboarding

Storyboard

Prototype implementation

Prototype

Evaluation

Transcript & evaluation report

Installation

Final implementation

Use with Human Computer Interaction by Serengul Smith-Atakan ISBN 1-84480-454-4 2006 Middlesex University Press

This lecture...
A closer look at tools for designing interactive systems What is design Why is design problematic for HCI Different design methodologies Benefits Drawbacks

Use with Human Computer Interaction by Serengul Smith-Atakan ISBN 1-84480-454-4 2006 Middlesex University Press

A gap in the UCD

Requirements to design is a big step What do (should) designers do? Redevelop old designs Create new designs Justify what theyre doing

Use with Human Computer Interaction by Serengul Smith-Atakan ISBN 1-84480-454-4 2006 Middlesex University Press

Design as a process
Design step

Design space

Requirements
Use with Human Computer Interaction by Serengul Smith-Atakan ISBN 1-84480-454-4 2006 Middlesex University Press

Implementation

(What really happens...)

???

Requirements
Use with Human Computer Interaction by Serengul Smith-Atakan ISBN 1-84480-454-4 2006 Middlesex University Press

Implementation

Designers...
Designers plot a course through the design tree Each step is a design decision At any point in the design tree there are several possible decisions The possible decisions make a design space

Use with Human Computer Interaction by Serengul Smith-Atakan ISBN 1-84480-454-4 2006 Middlesex University Press

The design space...

Possible to explicitly define functionally correct design decisions Very difficult to define usability correct design decisions Difficult to define Difficult to measure Usability reqs may contradict one another etc... Engineering process is geared towards producing things that work, rather than things that are usable
Use with Human Computer Interaction by Serengul Smith-Atakan ISBN 1-84480-454-4 2006 Middlesex University Press

So what?
UCD puts the user in at every stage of the process to test usability reqs Very expensive Other design methods Usability engineering Questions Options Criteria Attempts to force usability issues on designers

Use with Human Computer Interaction by Serengul Smith-Atakan ISBN 1-84480-454-4 2006 Middlesex University Press

Usability engineering
An attempt to... Define HCI in an HCI language Make HCI challenges look like engineering challenges Deals with... Explicit goals Explicit metrics etc

Use with Human Computer Interaction by Serengul Smith-Atakan ISBN 1-84480-454-4 2006 Middlesex University Press

Example...
Menu system on a mobile phone... Lots of functions Limited screen space Challenge... How to (sensibly) organise those functions into a small screen space

Use with Human Computer Interaction by Serengul Smith-Atakan ISBN 1-84480-454-4 2006 Middlesex University Press

Mobile phone menu system

Small size of screen: limited menu size Therefore compensate by menu depth Problem: User may not be aware of where they are in menu system We want to avoid menu lostness How much? What is menu lostness?

Use with Human Computer Interaction by Serengul Smith-Atakan ISBN 1-84480-454-4 2006 Middlesex University Press

So what?
Specification: Says what is expected of the system Not how the system should do it Not a design solution Makes the design space clearer What is acceptable as a design solution How to measure the acceptableness

Use with Human Computer Interaction by Serengul Smith-Atakan ISBN 1-84480-454-4 2006 Middlesex University Press

Specification to design
Usability specification defines the design space... How to choose the best option in the design space? 1st: Design some options (Creative: hard to systematise) 2nd: Analyse those options 3rd: Decide which is best

Use with Human Computer Interaction by Serengul Smith-Atakan ISBN 1-84480-454-4 2006 Middlesex University Press

The real world...

HCI used to be purely academic Usability didnt sell, therefore no interest Post boo.com, much more interest in usability Usability consultancy money for old rope emerging professional bodies BCS HCI group Usability professionals group

Use with Human Computer Interaction by Serengul Smith-Atakan ISBN 1-84480-454-4 2006 Middlesex University Press