Human-Computer Interaction Chapter 5 PDF

chapter 5 User Actions and Controls user action and control entering information knowing what to do affordances entering information Name: Alan Dix Address: Lancaster forms, dialogue...

chapter 5 User Actions and Controls user action and control entering information knowing what to do affordances entering information Name: Alan Dix Address: Lancaster forms, dialogue boxes  – presentation + data input – similar layout issues Name: Alan Dix – alignment - N.B. different label lengths Address: Lancaster logical layout – use task analysis (ch15) – groupings ? Name: Alan Dix Address: Lancaster – natural order for entering information top-bottom, left-right (depending on culture) set tab order for keyboard entry N.B. see extra slides for widget choice knowing what to do what is active what is passive – where do you click – where do you type consistent style helps – e.g. web underlined links labels and icons – standards for common actions – language – bold = current state or action affordances mug handle psychological term ‘affords’ for physical objects grasping – shape and size suggest actions pick up, twist, throw – also cultural – buttons ‘afford’ pushing for screen objects – button–like object ‘affords’ mouse click – physical-like objects suggest use culture of computer use – icons ‘afford’ clicking – or even double clicking … not like real buttons!  appropriate appearance presenting information aesthetics and utility colour and 3D localisation & internationalisation localisation & internationalisation Internationalization is the process of designing a software application so that it can be adapted to various languages and regions without engineering changes. Localization is the process of adapting internationalized software for a specific region or language by translating text and adding locale-specific components. presenting information purpose matters name size – sort order (which column, numeric alphabetic) chap10 chap1 17 12 – text vs. diagram chap10 chap5 12 16 chap11 chap1 51 17 – scatter graph vs. histogram chap12 chap14 262 22 chap13 chap20 83 27 use paper presentation principles! chap14 chap8 22 32 …… … but add interactivity – softens design choices e.g. re-ordering columns ‘dancing histograms’ Aesthetics and utility aesthetically pleasing designs – increase user satisfaction and improve productivity beauty and utility may conflict – mixed up visual styles  easy to distinguish – clean design – little differentiation  confusing – backgrounds behind text … good to look at, but hard to read but can work together – e.g. the design of the counter – in consumer products – key differentiator (e.g. iMac) colour and 3D both often used very badly! colour – older monitors limited palette – colour over used because ‘it is there’ – beware colour blind! – use sparingly to reinforce other information 3D effects – good for physical information and some graphs – but if over used … e.g. text in perspective!! 3D pie charts bad use of colour over use - without very good reason (e.g. kids’ site) colour blindness poor use of contrast do adjust your set! – adjust your monitor to greys only – can you still read your screen? across countries and cultures localisation & internationalisation – changing interfaces for particular cultures/languages globalisation – try to choose symbols etc. that work everywhere simply change language? – use ‘resource’ database instead of literal text … but changes sizes, left-right order etc. deeper issues – cultural assumptions and values – meanings of symbols e.g tick and cross … +ve and -ve in some cultures … but … mean the same thing (mark this) in others   prototyping iteration and prototyping getting better … … and starting well prototyping you never get it right first time if at first you don’t succeed … OK? design prototype evaluate done! re-design pitfalls of prototyping moving little by little … but to where Malverns or the Matterhorn? 1. need a good start point 2. need to understand what is wrong