What Is The User Interface Design

1. What Is The User Interface Design Lecture # 2 Gabriel Spitz

2. What is the User Interface (UI) Gabriel Spitz • A user interface is the means and methods that we provide to the users to achieve their goal • The user-interface always includes: • A concept of what the user is trying to achieve • A goal • Process or flow - the sequence of steps by which an intent can be achieved • How will it happen • Mechanisms that are used to control and manipulating objects in the work area • In what way • Language, images and controlsused in communicating between the user and the application • Using what means

3. Example of User Interfaces Gabriel Spitz

4. What is included in the User Interface Gabriel Spitz • User Interface includes more than the functionality it offers the user. It also includes • Physical characteristics–Size, resistance • Perceptual/Cognitive characteristics– Color, font size, label, work flow • Conceptualcharacteristics–What is this like • When designing a user interface we need to consider all of the above aspects

5. User Interface Design Needs UI Experience Scope Usefulness Predictability Concept Task Convenience Activity Flow Human Efficiency Representation Expectations Presentation Personal Trust Gabriel Spitz

6. Interfaces are Everywhere Gabriel Spitz • Interfaces are used in controlling or manipulating • Products – PIM, Cell Phones, Cars, etc. • Applications – Excel, Word, etc. • Our environment – Thermostat, Appliances, etc. • Interfaces are the medium through which the user communicate with the computer application

7. UI Example Watch Controls Displays Procedure Guidance-labels Gabriel Spitz

8. UI Example Telephone Controls Displays Procedure Guidance-labels Gabriel Spitz

9. UI Example Controls Displays Procedure Guidance-labels Gabriel Spitz

10. UI Example Kiosk Controls Displays Procedure Guidance-labels Gabriel Spitz

11. Importance of the Interface Gabriel Spitz • The “quality” of the interface design directly drives the user experience • user attitude and satisfaction • user performance • safety • Poor user interface can have serious consequences

12. Poor Interface – Can Ruin an Election Florida Ballots (2000) Users could not figure out How to use –Poor mapping between stimulus & response Gabriel Spitz

13. Poor Interface – Can Ruin your Dinner Poor Mapping Gabriel Spitz

14. Poor Interface – Can Ruin a Product Bob Microsoft 1995 Users simply did not like this interface – User satisfaction Gabriel Spitz

15. Poor Interface - Can be a Safety hazard Renault 4 circa 1970 Negative transfer of training resulting in many errors Gabriel Spitz

16. Poor Interface - Can Ruin a Trip Lavatory sink –It is difficult to use Performance Incompatibility between control design and task Gabriel Spitz

17. The Importance of Usable Interface Gabriel Spitz • From a user’s perspective there is no good user interface in the absolute sense only usable and useful interface • An interface is bad or good only to the extent that it hinders or supports users in performing a specific task in a specific environment • Poor interface = Poor product/application

18. What is a Usable Interface Gabriel Spitz • Our goal is to design the user interface for products so they enable users to achieve their intentions in an easy and pleasant way • An interface is considered usable if it: • Helps user achieve their goal • Easy to learn • Easy to use – e.g., recall vs. recognition, simple • Facilitates performance –speed, errors • Fun to use • These aspects of the interface are also called Usability Indicators

19. Usability of an Airline Kiosk Gabriel Spitz • Key usability indicators • Goal achievement – to obtain a boarding pass (but sometimes to get onto an earlier flight) • Learning - no learning required • Ease of use – system leads users (hand holding) • Performance– not applicable (from passenger perspective) • Fun– nice to have, but not critical • Rarely can we maximize all of them