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Designing user interfaces

Designing user interfaces. Lecture 1 Introduction. An informal definition: 'Those aspects of the system with which the user comes in contact’ A formal definition: An input language for the user An output language for the machine A protocol for interaction. The user interface. Up to 1960s

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Designing user interfaces

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  1. Designing user interfaces Lecture 1 Introduction

  2. An informal definition: 'Those aspects of the system with which the user comes in contact’ A formal definition: An input language for the user An output language for the machine A protocol for interaction The user interface

  3. Up to 1960s Punched card input and line-printer output. No interactive users Mid 1960s - early 1980s Mechanical or 'glass' teletype alphanumeric displays. Users interact via command line or menu-driven interfaces Early 1980s - mid 1990s Graphical user interfaces (GUI) based on windows, icons, menus and pointing devices (WIMP). Users manipulate these directly Development of the user interface

  4. The future of the user interface Mid 1990s - early 2000s Multimedia interfaces (animation, sound, moving image) but user interaction still limited Next generation Multimodal interfaces will exploit: Different user senses (seeing, hearing and touch) Different types of human interaction (verbal and non-verbal) Full range of user interaction will be opened up

  5. Benefits of good design Increases in: Productivity Sales Decreases in: Training time User errors Development time Customer support Risks of poor design Misinformation Incorrect decision making Ill-health (eyesight, repetitive strain injuries) The need for good design

  6. Three Mile Island: the accident March 28 1979 Apressure valve suddenly malfunctioned at the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. What occurred next - a combination of technical failure, human error, and bad luck - would result in the worst nuclear accident in American history.

  7. Three Mile Island: the problem Source: (http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/three/index.html/)

  8. The light that signalled that the output lines were closed was covered by a maintenance tag The light that signalled that the valve was still open failed to work Technician read temperature for the wrong valve outlet Computer printout was inadequate and misleading Operators were mislead by the incorrect water level indication and opened valves to let pumps remove coolant from the system Three Mile Island: the interface

  9. Swanwick: safety in the air? Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/uk/

  10. Swanwick: simulator display Source: http://www.micronav.co.uk/

  11. Swanwick: the problems EGPF Glasgow EGFF Cardiff FL360 36,000 feet FL300 30,000 feet

  12. What is usability? Describes the effectiveness, efficiency and satisfaction with which users achieve goals. It is important because: Computer systems are ubiquitous Good interface design makes people more productive Bad interface design can lead to disaster Legal requirements and standards cover the use of computers

  13. Legal requirements Employers must ensure that software: Is suitable for the task Is easy to use and where appropriate adaptable to the user's knowledge and experience Provides feedback on performance Displays information in a format and at a pace that is adapted to the user Conforms to the principles of software ergonomics Source: EC Directive 90/270/EEC Work with Display Screen Equipment

  14. Standards For design of hardware (e.g. military standards) For specific devices: ECMA 110 for monochromatic visual display devices ECMA 126 for colour display devices For the design and use of complete systems: ISO 9241 Ergonomics requirements for office work with visual display terminals

  15. What is HCI? Human-computer interaction (HCI) is "a discipline concerned with the design, evaluation and implementation of interactive computing systems for human use and with the study of major phenomena surrounding them” Source: ACM SIGCHI, 1992

  16. A multi-disciplinary approach to HCI Psychology Computer Science Ergonomics Artificial Intelligence HCI Linguistics Engineering Design Philosophy Anthropology Sociology

  17. Interrelationship between topics Source: ACM SIGCHI, 1992

  18. Summary Define the basic concepts of: • User interface • Human-computer interaction (HCI) • Usability Explain why they are important and give examples of: • The benefits of good design • The risks of bad design Further reading and revision: • Dix et al, Introduction • Mayhew, Chap 1, pp. 1-8.

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