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System users often judge a system by its interface rather than its functionality A poorly designed interface can cause a user to make catastrophic errors Poor user interface design is the reason why so many software systems are never used Software engineers generally must do interface design
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Most important part of any computer system Interface is the system for most users Increasingly important
GUIs a big improvement over previous approaches Platforms (e.g. Mac/ Microsoft) have style guides 50% of code devoted to interface
Interface should disappear users can focus on their task, not the interface Biggest enemy of good interface design is time
Galitz
Ian Sommerville 2000 Software Engineering, 6th edition. Chapter 15 Slide 5
Galitz
Ian Sommerville 2000 Software Engineering, 6th edition. Chapter 15 Slide 6
Most users of business systems interact with these systems through graphical interfaces although, in some cases, legacy text-based interfaces are still used
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GUI characteristics
Windows
Icons
Menus
Pointing
Graphics
Ian Sommerville 2000 Software Engineering, 6th edition. Chapter 15 Slide 8
GUI advantages
They are easy to learn and use. The user may switch quickly from one task to another and can interact with several different applications. Fast, full-screen interaction is possible with immediate access to anywhere on the screen
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User-centred design
The aim of this chapter is to sensitise software engineers to key issues underlying the design rather than the implementation of user interfaces User-centred design is an approach to UI design where the needs of the user are paramount and where the user is involved in the design process UI design always involves the development of prototype interfaces
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Design prototype
Executable prototype
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UI design must take account of the needs, experience and capabilities of the system users Designers should be aware of peoples physical and mental limitations (e.g. limited short-term memory) and should recognise that people make mistakes UI design principles underlie interface designs although not all principles are applicable to all designs
Software Engineering, 6th edition. Chapter 15 Slide 12
Description
Interface should use terms familiar to users
Consistency
Minimal Surprise Recoverability
Comparable operations should be started the same way Users should never be surprised
Users should be able to recover from their errors
User Guidance
User Diversity
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Visibility of system status Match between system and the real world User control and freedom Consistency and standards Error prevention Recognition rather than recall Flexibility and efficiency of use Aesthetic and minimalist design Help users recognize, diagnose, and recover from errors Help and documentation Nielsen
Ian Sommerville 2000 Software Engineering, 6th edition. Chapter 15 Slide 16
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Automate unwanted workload Reduce uncertainty Fuse data Present new info with meaningful aid to interpretation Use names that are conceptually related to functions Group data in consistently meaningful ways to reduce search time Limit data-driven tasks Include in displays only info needed by user at a given time Provide multiple coding of data where appropriate Practice judicious redundancy
Ian Sommerville 2000 Software Engineering, 6th edition. Chapter 15
Galitz
Slide 17
Speak the users language Be consistent Minimize the users memory load Build flexible and efficient systems Design aesthetic and minimalist systems Use chunking Provide progressive levels of detail Give navigational feedback Dont lie to the user
Galitz
Ian Sommerville 2000 Software Engineering, 6th edition. Chapter 15 Slide 18
User interaction and information presentation may be integrated through a coherent framework such as a user interface metaphor
Ian Sommerville 2000 Software Engineering, 6th edition. Chapter 15 Slide 19
Interaction styles
Direct manipulation Menu selection Form fill-in Command language Natural language
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Users feel in control of the computer and are less likely to be intimidated by it Fast and intuitive interaction User learning time is relatively short Users get immediate feedback on their actions so mistakes can be quickly detected and corrected
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The creation of an appropriate information space model (metaphor) for real world tasks and objects can be very difficult Given that users have a large information space, what facilities for navigating around that space should be provided? Direct manipulation interfaces can be complex to program and make heavy demands on the computer system
Software Engineering, 6th edition. Chapter 15 Slide 22
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Menu systems
Users make a selection from a list of possibilities presented to them by the system The selection may be made by pointing and clicking with a mouse, using cursor keys or by typing the name of the selection May make use of simple-to-use terminals such as touchscreens
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Users need not remember command names as they are always presented with a list of valid commands Typing effort is minimal User errors are trapped by the interface Context-dependent help can be provided. The users context is indicated by the current menu selection
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Actions which involve logical conjunction (and) or disjunction (or) are awkward to represent Menu systems are best suited to presenting a small number of choices. If there are many choices, some menu structuring facility must be used Experienced users find menus slower than command language
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Form-based interface
NE W BOOK Title Author Publisher Edition Classification Date of purchase ISBN Price Publication date Number of copies Loan status Order status
Software Engineering, 6th edition. Chapter 15 Slide 29
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Command interfaces
User types commands to give instructions to the system e.g. UNIX, DOS Advantages:
Powerful and flexible good for experts Easy to process using compiler techniques Commands of arbitrary complexity can be created by command combination Concise interfaces requiring minimal typing can be created
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Users have to learn and remember a command language. Command interfaces are therefore unsuitable for occasional users Users make errors in command. An error detection and recovery system is required System interaction is through a keyboard so typing ability is required
Slide 34
Command languages
Often preferred by experienced users because they allow for faster interaction with the system Not suitable for casual or inexperienced users May be provided as an alternative to menu commands (keyboard shortcuts). In some cases, a command language interface and a menu-based interface are supported at the same time
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The user types a command in a natural language. Generally, the vocabulary is limited and these systems are confined to specific application domains (e.g. timetable enquiries) NL processing technology is now good enough to make these interfaces effective for casual users but experienced users find that they require too much typing
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Information presentation is concerned with presenting system information to system users The information may be presented directly (e.g. text in a word processor) or may be transformed in some way for presentation (e.g. in some graphical form) The Model-View-Controller approach is a way of supporting multiple presentations of data
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Information presentation
Information to be displayed
Presentation software
Display
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Information presentation
Static information
Initialised at the beginning of a session. It does not change during the session May be either numeric or textual Changes during a session and the changes must be communicated to the system user May be either numeric or textual
Dynamic information
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Is the user interested in precise information or data relationships? How quickly do information values change? Must the change be indicated immediately? Must the user take some action in response to a change? Does the user need to interact with the displayed info via a direct manipulation interface? Is the information textual or numeric? Are relative values important?
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Digital presentation
Compact - takes up little screen space Precise values can be communicated Easier to get an 'at a glance' impression of a value Possible to show relative values Easier to see exceptional data values
Analogue presentation
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Pie chart
Thermometer
Horizontal bar
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Textual highlighting
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Ian Sommerville 2000
The filename you have chosen h as been used. Please choose an other name Ch. 16 User interface design OK Cancel
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Data visualisation
Concerned with techniques for displaying large amounts of information Visualisation can reveal relationships between entities and trends in the data
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Colour adds an extra dimension to an interface and can help the user understand complex information structures Can be used to highlight exceptional events Common mistakes in the use of colour in interface design include over-use of colour in the display
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Don't use too many colours Use colour coding to support user tasks Allow users to control colour coding Design for monochrome then add colour Use colour coding consistently Avoid colour pairings which clash Use colour change to show status change Be aware that colour displays are usually lower resolution
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User guidance covers all system facilities to support users including on-line help, error messages, manuals etc. The user guidance system should be integrated with the user interface to help users when they need information about the system or when they make some kind of error The help and message system should, if possible, be integrated
Software Engineering, 6th edition. Chapter 15 Slide 51
Error messages
Error message design is critically important. Poor error messages can mean that a user rejects rather than accepts a system Messages should be polite, concise, consistent and constructive The background and experience of users should be the determining factor in message design
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Skill level
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Help? means help I want information Help! means HELP. I'm in trouble Both of these requirements have to be taken into account in help system design Different facilities in the help system may be required
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Help information
Should not simply be an on-line manual Screens or windows don't map well onto paper pages. The dynamic characteristics of the display can improve information presentation. People are not as good at reading screen as they are paper text. Content should be prepared with help of application specialists Content should not be too large dont overwhelm user
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Multiple entry points should be provided so that the user can get into the help system from different places. Some indication of where the user is positioned in the help system is valuable. Facilities should be provided to allow the user to navigate and traverse the help system. Index, TOC, and Search should be provided
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Help on WWW
Easy to implement Easy for users to use Difficult to link to applications themselves
users may need to make extra effort to get to help Help doesnt know context where you needed help cannot provide context sensitive help
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As well as on-line information, paper documentation should be supplied with a system Documentation should be designed for a range of users from inexperienced to experienced As well as manuals, other easy-to-use documentation such as a quick reference card may be provided
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Functional description
Installation document
Introductory manual
Reference manual
Administrators guide
Description of services
Getting started
Facility description
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Some evaluation of a user interface design should be carried out to assess its suitability Full scale evaluation is very expensive and impractical for most systems Ideally, an interface should be evaluated against a usability specification. However, it is rare for such specifications to be produced
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Usability attributes
Attribute Learnability Speed of operat ion Robust ness Recoverability Adapt ability Des cripti on How long does it t ake a new user to become product ive with t he system? How well does t he system response match t he users work practice? How t olerant is the syst em of user error? How good is t he syst em at recovering from user errors? How closely is t he system t ied t o a single model of work?
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Things to Test
Conformance with a requirement Conformance with guidelines for good design Identification of design problems Ease of system learning Retention of learning over time Speed of task completion Speed of need fulfillment Error rates Galitz Subjective user satisfaction
Ian Sommerville 2000 Software Engineering, 6th edition. Chapter 15 Slide 70
Galitz
Ian Sommerville 2000 Software Engineering, 6th edition. Chapter 15 Slide 71
Effectiveness
Speed of performance, # errors (against some standard) Tasks completeable by required pct of target users
Learnable
Time to learn, amount of training and tech support needed (against some standard) Relearning time for intermittent users
Galitz
Ian Sommerville 2000 Software Engineering, 6th edition. Chapter 15 Slide 72
Questionnaires for user feedback Video recording of system use and subsequent tape evaluation. Observation of users at work with system and thinking aloud about how they are trying to use system Instrumentation of code to collect information about facility use and user errors. The provision of a gripe button for on-line user feedback.
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Kinds of Tests
Guidelines review Heuristic evaluation (will be covered last due to extensive coverage) Cognitive walkthrough Think aloud evaluations Usability test Classic experiments Focus groups
Galitz
Ian Sommerville 2000 Software Engineering, 6th edition. Chapter 15 Slide 74
Nielsen
Ian Sommerville 2000 Software Engineering, 6th edition. Chapter 15 Slide 75
Scenarios
Take prototyping to extreme reduce functionality AND number of features Small, can afford to change frequently Get quick and frequent feedback from users Compatible with interface design methods
Nielsen
Ian Sommerville 2000 Software Engineering, 6th edition. Chapter 15 Slide 76
Bring in some users, give them tasks, have them think out loud Fewer users in user testing
Nielsen
Ian Sommerville 2000 Software Engineering, 6th edition. Chapter 15 Slide 77
Heuristic Evaluation
Context part of iterative design Goal find usability problems Who small set of evaluators How study interface in detail, compare to small set of principles
Nielsen
Ian Sommerville 2000 Software Engineering, 6th edition. Chapter 15 Slide 78
More than one evaluator to be effective. Each evaluator inspects the interface by themselves General heuristics may be supplemented Results can be oral or written Evaluator spends 1-2 hours with interface Evaluator goes through interface > 1 time Evaluators may follow typical usage scenarios Interface can be paper
Nielsen
Ian Sommerville 2000 Software Engineering, 6th edition. Chapter 15 Slide 79
State and the action alternatives should be visible Should be a good conceptual model with a consistent system image Interface should include good mappings that reveal the relationships between stages User should receive continuous feedback
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Aesthetically Pleasing
Meaningful contrast between screen elements Create groupings Align screen elements and groups Provide 3 dimensional representation Use color and graphics effectively and simply
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Clarity
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Compatible
With the user With the task and job With the product (past systems)
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Comprehensibility
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Configurability
Users should be able to set preferences Good Default Settings should be provided for non-tinkerers
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Consistency
One of Shneidermans 8 golden rules for interface design Similar components should
Have similar look Operate similarly
Same action should always produce the same result Function of elements should not change Position of standard elements should not change Same terminology used for same thing throughout Standards and Guidelines increase the odds of consistency
Software Engineering, 6th edition. Chapter 15 Slide 89
Control
Context maintained is from the users perspective More than one way to do things Avoid modes Configurable
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Directness
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Efficiency
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Familiarity
Use language and concepts familiar to the user Keep the interface natural Use real world metaphors
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Flexibility
compatible with the users skills, experience, habits, and preferences, and current conditions Danger: more flexibility increases complexity of system
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Forgiveness
Prevent errors from occurring when possible Tolerate and forgive common and unavoidable human errors When an error occurs, provide constructive error messages Protect against catastrophic errors
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Predictability
User should be able to anticipate the flow of the task Expectations should be fulfilled
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Recovery
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Responsiveness
Respond rapidly to user requests Provide acknowledgement of user actions Beginners need more / more informative feedback than experts do
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Simplicity
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Transparency
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Trade-offs
Final Design will always represent a series of trade-offs Peoples requirements always take precedence over technical requirements
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