Solution Manual for Designing the User Interface: Strategies for Effective Human-Computer Interaction, 6th Edition

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Chapter 1:Usability of Interactive SystemsDiscussion Topics withAnswers1.Devise an outline, consistent with the scientific method, which interfaceresearchers should follow to validate their designs.Following the scientific method closely works very well in usability studies.Identify a “control”, formulate a hypothesis, test for hypothesis being true orfalse, etc. is an ideal model for interface researchers.2.List some characteristics of successful user interface designers with respect totheir approach to solving UI problems–Successful UI designers go beyond vague notions of “user friendliness”,“intuitive”, and “natural” doing more than simply making checklists ofsubjective guidelines.–They have a thorough understanding of the diverse community of usersand the tasks that must be accomplished.–They study evidence-based guidelines and pursue the research literaturewhen necessary.–They aredeeply committed to enhancing the user experience, whichstrengthens their resolve when they face difficult choices, time pressures,and tight budgets–Are aware of the importance of eliciting emotional responses, attractingattention with animations, and playfully surprising users3.As noted in the book, some skeptics feel that accommodating diversity requiresdumbing-down or lowest-common-denominator strategies. However, theauthors claim that in their experience, rethinking interface designs toaccommodate these diversity situations will result in a better product for allusers. Give an example of a product that meets the specific needs of a certaingroup of people, yet gives all users a better experience.One answer could be Automated Teller Machines(ATM)seen in ethnicallydiverse neighborhoods, allowing the user to select the language beforecontinuing to interact with the machine.Chapter 6 goes into detail via a CaseStudy on ATM design.4.List several reasons why certain people resist using computers and suggestpossible ways to you can alleviate these concerns.One could argue that a major limitation is the complexity of the interfacescombined with small screens and fonts. Many persons are just not able tocomfortable select a tiny item from a drop down list with a mouse, and, tomany, that still is a difficult concept to grasp: to hold the mouse button downwhen selecting an item as well as knowing when to release the button is a bitcomplex to the novice.Solutions could be touch-screen (mouse-less) designswith large fontsizes.

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5.Suggest three usability measures that can be directly used to produce apractical evaluation of a system. Keep the goals of efficiency and satisfaction inmind with these measures.Examples: Time to learn, rate of human errors, speed of task completion,subjective satisfaction, sales, human retention over time.

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Chapter 2: Universal UsabilityDiscussion Topics withAnswers1.Describe three populations of users with special needs. For each of thesepopulations, suggest three ways current interfaces could be improved to better servethem.Elderly, very young, not computer savvy. Some of this work has begun bytailoring control panels for Windows and Mac interfaces, e.g. default fontsizes. There is still much work to do regarding introduction to computers. TheOne Laptop PerChildinitiative is a start for two of the three items listed here.2.Suppose you need to design a system for users in both the United States and Japan.Present a list of cultural differences that you should be aware of so that a successfuldesign can be made.There are a number of references on internationalization of user interfaces.Not only the difference in the languages, but cultural differences need to beconsidered. Usability testing with both U.S. and Japanese users is a must. Aclassicreference is “International User Interfaces” by Elisa M. del Galdo andJakob Nielsen. Another is available at:http://www.amanda.com/cms/uploads/media/AMA_GlobalizationUserInterfaceDesignWeb.pdf3.In certain interfaces, it is necessary to inform users of an abnormal condition ortime-dependent information. It is important that the display of this informationcatches the user's attention. Suggest five ways a designer can successfully attractattention.Consider an air traffic control system operator display with an alert conditionof two planes being too close to each other. One can alert an operator bychanging the color displayed for the plane’s identification information, using awarning that pops-up, using a warning that flashes on/off, an audible beep, ora constant audio alarm. Certainly usabilitytestingthese proposed solutionswith real air traffic controllersso designers cantrade-off successfullyattracting the attention of the operator vs. causing one to totally lose theirtrain of thought and make conditions worse.4.Name a piece of software you often use where it is easy to produce an error. Explainways you could improve the interface to better prevent errors.Not to mention names, but some desktop operating system vendors dopublish updates to their products without fully testing their changes,sometimes causing more difficulty than not making the change in the firstplace. My suggestion would be to use a beta test group more often of peoplewho are committed to responding with timely, incisive feedback before thechange is released to the general population.5.Listsome human physiological or psychological factors that caninfluencehumanoperator performance.

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Variations in physical abilities and physical workplaces, diverse cognitive andperceptual abilities,personality types, andfactorsaffecting perceptual andmotor performance, such as:‒Arousal and vigilance‒Fatigue and sleep deprivation‒Perceptual (mental) load‒Knowledge of results and feedback‒Monotony and boredom‒Sensory deprivation‒Nutrition and diet‒Fear, anxiety, mood, andemotion‒Stress‒Drugs, smoking, and alcohol‒Physiological rhythms

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Chapter 3: Guidelines, Principles, and TheoriesDiscussion Topics withAnswers1.Give a brief explanation of theEight Golden Rules of Interface Design. State anexample you have seen on a device, computer interface or web site that violatesthose rules.The Eight Golden Rules of Interface Designare listed here (also seeDTUI6Section 3.4 of DTUI6):1)Strive for consistency2)Cater to universal usability3)Offer informative feedback4)Design dialogs to yield closure5)Prevent errors6)Permit easy reversal of actions7)Keep users in control8)Reduce short-term memory load2.Don Norman suggests organizing screens and menus functionally, designingcommands and menu choices to be distinctive, and making it difficult for users totake irreversible actions. Norman also says to provide feedback about the state ofthe interface (e.g., changing the cursor to show whether a map interface is in zoom-in or select mode) and designing for consistency of actions (e.g., ensuring thatYes/No buttons are always displayed in the same order). State one example youhave seen where you know these rules have been violated. Although this is crucial toa user interfaces success, suggest why there may be challenges to implement someof Norman’s guidelines.Many of the GPS-based vehicle navigation systems in automobiles and inportable devices could use some additional usability testing to not violatesome of Don Norman’s premises listed above. Improvements can occur viaintensive usability testing while understanding better the human factors ofcomputer-assisted driving.3.Clarify the difference among guidelines, principles and theories.•Guidelines:Low-level focused advice about good practices and cautionsagainst dangers.•Principles:Middle-level strategies or rules to analyze and compare designalternatives.•Theories:High-level widely applicable frameworks to draw on during designand evaluation, as well as to support communication and teaching.–Theories can also be predictive, such as those for pointing times byindividuals or posting rates for community discussions.4.What are “accessibilityguidelines”? Discuss progress fromorganization(s)thataretaking the lead. State a few exampleguidelines.

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Significant progress has been made by organizations sensitive to those withspecial needs. Visit these web sites to show progress to date and examples:–U.S. Access Board:http://www.access-board.gov/508.htm–World Wide Web Consortium (W3C):http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG20/Sample Guidelines:–Provide a text equivalent for every non-text element–For any time-based multimedia presentation, synchronize equivalentalternatives–Information conveyed with color should also beconveyed without it–Title each frame to facilitate identification and navigation5.What is the differencebetween micro-HCI theories and macro-HCI theories?Micro-HCI theories focus on measurable performance (such as speed anderrors) on multiple, standard tasks taking seconds or minutes in laboratoryenvironments.Macro-HCI Theories focus on case studies of user experience over weeks andmonths, in realistic usage contexts with rich social engagement.

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Chapter4: DesignDiscussion Topics with Answers1.You are the new Chief Design Officer (CDO) of anew start-up, DTUI Inc.The projectisto designa system for hospitals that will allow receptionists to check in people at thehospital faster. They wishto develop an interface that meets both the receptionist andpatient's needs. Describe in detail a design methodology of 4stages to facilitate properdesign of such a system.Write your answer in the form of a management plan for this project. For each stage,indicate the number of weeks that should be allocated.Hint: note the four phases of thedesign process:1.Requirements analysis2.Preliminary (conceptual) and detailed design3.Build and implementation4.EvaluationConsider a wide range of acceptable answers, as long as a complete designmethodology is present like those illustrated in Figure4.1.See if the studentsutilize a design framework as discussed in the chapter, such as: user-centereddesign, participatory design, or agile interaction design.Ensure that the answer is written as a true management plan, where there is aspecific project title, overview, scope or mission of the development team,responsible individuals, duration, possible cost estimate, development facilities,milestone delivery dates, customer acceptance or sell-off process, etc., followinga good project planning discipline.For questions 2-4, refer to the following scenario:The State of Maryland is developing a web-voting interface. For selecting the candidates,one design (RB) is a set of radio buttons and another is (CB) a combo-box (drops downwhen selecting the scroll arrow icon), both using standard fonts at 10-point size.2.Compare these two designs when there are 4 candidates and predict the relativespeed of performance and error rates. Support your choice by a thoughtfulargument.Sketch out one design/diagram each for the radio-button based solution aswell as the combo-box-based solution. Handwritten is fine. List 4 candidatesrunning for office. One method to obtain the answer is a very lightlycontrolled set of experiments, where you time a few people running throughthe election process. Also consider obtaining a fresh (unbiased review) from afriend, classmate or colleague who can provide objective feedback. If timepermits, prototype this interface andsee if the machine-executable solutionchanged your view from the paper-driven, low-fidelity prototype.3.An expert reviewer complains that both designs may work with young users whoare familiar and expert in using a mouse, but that there will be problems for elderlyandmotor-impaired users who have difficulty controlling a mouse. The reviewer

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recommends a new design that includes a larger font (20-point size) and anumbered list to allow selection by keyboard easily.Describe a Participatory Design or Social Impact Statement process that mightclarify this issue with elderly users.Summarize why this is important. For example, with medical breakthroughs,there is an aging population who may have physical limitations but still desireto vote. These voting systems need to achieve universalusability, otherwiseyou risk disempowering the voter and biasing the result to only those who arefamiliar with the technology.These socio-technical systems are importantchallenges for today’s user interface designer.4.Design an experiment to help resolve the issue brought up in Question 3. Assumeyou have substantial resources and access to subjects.As in 2 above, you need to visualize the interface, drawing or prototype whatthis new interface would look like, and again perform experiments withpotential users. It would be ideal to obtain representative users, such as olderindividuals, to compare the new design with the old.5.Provide a definition of participatory design. Give three arguments for and threearguments against participatory design.Participatory design is the direct involvement of people in the collaborativedesign of the things and technologies they use.Many arguments are in favorwhen dealing with user interfaces, such as obtaining feedback fromrepresentative user communities, ensuring ease of use, and verifyingmarketability. Risks include personalities and politics, where one example iswhere the user community suggests one solution while the sponsors (e.g.venture capitalists or marketing department or senior management) preferanother approach. Hopefully a suitable compromise can be reached.6.Consider a system that does notyet exist. An example is a totally automated fast-food restaurant, where customers order via touch screen interactions, pay by swipingtheir debit or credit cards, and then pick up their food—analogous to the self-check-out at some supermarkets, but even more extreme. Discuss how you conduct acontextual inquiry for a system that does not yet exist.Recall the definition of a contextual inquiry: Plan for, prepare, and thenconduct field interviews to observe and understand the work tasks beingperformed. Review business practices. However, note the system does not yetexist! So, you will need a prototype or even a series of sketches with ascenario, to talk potential users through your vision of what the system willdo and how it will perform. Then, you capture the observations much like thatof an existing system, formulating results and trending responses.

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CASE STUDY: Evaluate an existing system where you would propose improvements to theuser interface. For example, visit the local mass transit station (e.g., the subway)and observe users purchasing tickets. If possible, interview users regarding theirpreferences for improvements in usability. One method to facilitate user cooperationmay be to solicit fellow students or colleagues who are new to your community andhave not yet taken aride on the subway system. Plan for contextual interviews bydeveloping questionnaires. Conduct the contextual interviews, then tabulate theresults and analyze them with an eye to understanding the demographics and skillsof the user community. Then follow the remaining steps outlined in this list,eventually developing storyboards and prototypes to evaluate with users.Consider tailoring this assignment that is doable as a team homeworkassignment to be completed in about oneweek. Ensure the students areperforming in a safe environment both for their own personal safety (pictureyour students randomly approaching strangers at a subway station ;-) andmake sure the subject are also reliable, representative users of such assystem. Whenthis author’suniversity chose to implement automatedinformation kiosks on campus to help visitors and new students find their wayaround the campus, I chose that as a class evaluation project rather than thelocal subway station. We were able to perform most of the steps required inthe case study above, in a safe environment where students wanted to helpmy students pass the class and complete the assignment. Students candevelop questionnairesby taking sample questions fromQUIS, but often weretime-constrained and had to just develop a few, quick, poignantinterviewquestions to capture feedback.

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Chapter5: Evaluation and the User ExperienceDiscussion Topics with Answers1.Describeat leastthree different types of expert review methods.SeeDTUI6Section5.2for a discussion of these expert review methods:a)Heuristic evaluationb)Guidelines reviewc)Consistency inspectiond)Cognitive walkthroughe)Formal usability inspection2.Create a bird's-eye view of an interface you wish to investigate. Focus on detectinginconsistencies and spotting unusual patterns.Recall that getting a bird’s-eye view of an interface by studying a full set ofprinted screens laid out on the floor or pinned to walls, fruitful in detectinginconsistencies and spotting unusualpatterns. The bird’s-eye view enablesreviewers to quickly see if the fonts, colors, and terminology are consistentand whether the multiple developers have adhered to a common style. Haveyour students pick a favorite interface to perform thistask, e.g. a popularweb site or commonly-used device such as aSmartphone.3.Compare and contrast controlled psychological experiments and usability tests inthe evaluation process of user interfaces. Be sure to include the benefits andlimitations of each.SeeDTUI6Section 5.3 (Usability Testing and Laboratories) andSection5.7(Controlled Psychologically Oriented Experiments).Clearly an overlyingbenefit of both is obtaining factual, controlled, user input from representativeusers. One of the personal challenges of this author has been justifying thereturn on investment, i.e. convincing management of the benefits ofconducting these experiments and/or usability tests vs. the cost, and how itwill impact the bottom line, increased user satisfaction, sales, reduced usererror rate, and ease of use.4.Give two reasons why expert reviews are useful. Also give two limitations of expertreviews.Expertreviewsprovideknowledgeable, objective, comprehensive insight foruser interface designers. A risk is getting off track if the expert review is notstructured in advance or the expert is not particularly familiar with the taskdomain.See last two paragraphs ofDTUI6Section5.2.For questions 5-7, refer to the following instructions:One argument against the current interface design of a popular word processor isthat it has all the functional menu items appearing together which cause theinterface to be too complex. This complexity results in a confusing and frustratingexperience for novice users. An alternative design is to provide different levels of

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functional complexity, so users can choose the level that is suitable for them, thenadvance to higher level as they get familiar with the tool, thus feel morecomfortable and learn more efficiently. You are asked to conduct usability testingto compare these two designs.5.Which type of usability testing should be used for this situation? Explain why.Walk through all theusability testing methods discussed inDTUI6Section 5.3.4and discuss why they are or are not applicable here. For example, a papermockup may not work as most are familiar with one-ortwo-wordprocessingapplications already. The spectrum of usability testing includes:a)Paper mockups and prototypingb)Discount usability testingc)Competitive usability testingd)A/B testinge)Universal usability testingf)Field tests and portable labsg)Remote usability testingh)Can-you-break-this tests6.List some general principles of subject selection in usability testing. How shouldyou select subjects for this case?Selecting the appropriate subjects is important. The subjects should berepresentative. Make sure sampling techniques for a random subject selectionare appropriate for your application. Consider demographics, experience,confidence level, motivation, convenience, subject groups, and other factorscovered inDTUI6Section5.7.2(Experimental Design).7.List and briefly describe the steps in the usability testing you would conduct.ViewDTUI6Figure5.2 repeated below. One answer may be tailoring of thisguide for your application and situation.

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