CIS 577 Software User Interface Design and Analysis
Course Introduction
Expectations
- user task modeling
- design emphasis
- not platform specific programming
Project types
- Evaluation and critique of existing user interfaces
- User modeling and interface design
- Design and implementation of multimedia user interfaces
- Larger group project
What is Human-Computer Interaction (HCI)?
- Not just human factors
- No strong agreement
Main emphasis of HCI is user interface design
User interface involves
- Hardware
- Behavior of software
- Supporting documentation
Where do user interfaces come from?
- Designed by programmers
- Functionality dominates SW design and marketing
- Designer intuition is often used rather than user modeling (not good)
How are product managers rewarded?
Note: The omission of usability from this list.
Course Goals for System Engineering
- Improve user's quality of life by building quality (not flashy) interactive systems
- Promote attention to user interface issues which should be considered by managers
- Become successful designers of systems that go beyond intuitive concepts like "user friendliness" and focus on supporting the user's real task goals
US Military Standard for Human Engineering and Design
- Achieve required performance
- Minimize personnel training requirements
- Achieve required reliability
- Foster design standardization
How is this done?
- Ensure functionality by basing design on user task analysis
- System reliability requires designer attention to details like privacy, security, and data integrity
- Standardization requires attention to issues like system integration, consistency, and portability
- Schedule and budget must allow for human factors work like user analysis and testing
Typical Human Factors Measures
- Time to learn
- Speed of performance
- User error rates
- Retention over time
- Subjective satisfaction
Motivation for Including HF in UI Design
- Life critical systems
- Industrial and commercial uses
- Personal applications
- Exploratory, creative, and cooperative systems
Accommodating Human Diversity in Design
- Physical workspaces
- Cognitive and perceptual ability differences
- Personality differences
- Cultural and international diversity
- User disabilities
- Elderly users
Goals of UI Education
- Influence future researchers
- Provide tools and techniques for systems implementation
- Raise computer consciousness of general public