| Usability and Europe -- Standards and Regulations | | BIBAK | 1-8 | |
| Tom Stewart | |||
| The purpose of this paper is to review a number of important international
initiatives concerning ergonomics regulations, and in particular to consider
the European Directive on display screen equipment. This Directive is driving
the development of ergonomics based user interface standards in Europe. Since
European standards are based on International Standards, the regulatory
requirements in Europe are likely to have world-wide impact, not only on
international suppliers but also on employers as computer users in other
continents use the European experience as the basis for their expectations and
demands. Other standards activities are briefly discussed. Keywords: Usability, Standards, Regulations, User interface | |||
| Usefulness: The Ecological Value of Usability | | BIBAK | 9-14 | |
| Gitte Lindgaard | |||
| This paper deals with the importance of conducting User Needs Analyses prior
to designing, modifying or purchasing computer systems. Cases are presented
that illustrate the effects one might expect on systems usage and usability
when such analyses are not carried out. It is argued that User Needs Analyses
conducted from within a wide framework or organisational, job and task needs be
incorporated as an integral part of usability testing and evaluation plans. A
warning is issued against the strong tendency to concentrate on development and
refinement of usability measurement tools which can, it is argued, lead to a
state of usability myopia in which the bigger issues of understanding users,
their tasks and needs are overlooked. Keywords: Usability measures, User needs analysis, Ecological validity | |||
| Integrating Usability with Software Development | | BIBAK | 15-20 | |
| Ronald Beilinson; Brendan McManus | |||
| This paper concerns the difficulty of including human factors, a major
component of quality, within the software development process. It acknowledges
unsuccessful efforts of the past which are indicated through a study. There
exists a large gap between understanding and implementing the key principles of
usability. Understanding the cause of this chasm can give software developers
the perspective and awareness needed to create positive change. These changes
can lead to improved product usability and enhanced product development
life-cycles. Keywords: Usability, Software, Human factors, Implementation | |||
| Using Models in Group Design Processes | | BIBAK | 21-26 | |
| Mark Andrew | |||
| Models play important roles in design, as they can provide useful
representations of particular aspects of systems (such as task demands, or
error types). Models are frequently developed and used by groups of people
with different interests, in order to facilitate a "common view" of a system
under design or review (and this process may be implicit or explicit). Three
examples of explicit models used recently in local industry are described
within a framework, the purpose of which is to illustrate some of the range and
utility of models in interaction design processes. Keywords: Models, Design, Groups | |||
| Making the Users Part of the Design Team | | BIBAK | 27-32 | |
| A Ira S. Winkler | |||
| This paper discusses the range of end user participation needed for a
developing system during the design process. Relying upon interviews and
customer representatives to obtain user input is inadequate. The methodologies
inferred by this paper have resulted in optimized system usability, a
dramatically high degree of system acceptance, and a high degree of customer
satisfaction. Keywords: Systems analysis, Systems design, User involvement, Participatory design | |||
| Retrospective Application of User Interface Guidelines: A Case Study of a Language-Based Editor | | BIBAK | 33-38 | |
| Mark A. Toleman; Jim Welsh | |||
| This study examines the relevance of user interface design guidelines, such
as the extensive set developed by Smith and Mosier (1986), to the relatively
sophisticated user interface of an existing language-based editor. The aims of
the study were to ascertain the potential impact of the advice offered by the
guidelines on this type of software product and to investigate whether any
issues, relevant to this and future versions of the editor, were not addressed
by the guidelines. Keywords: User interface guidelines, Language-based editors, User interface evaluation | |||
| User Interface Management Systems and Prototyping Tools: A State of the Art Survey and Feasibility Assessment | | BIBAK | 39-46 | |
| Jukka Rantanen | |||
| According to recent surveys usability engineering methods are not much used
in actual projects, because they neither provide clear goals and milestones nor
evaluation metrics. Much of the user interface development starts from scratch
or rough sketches and relies on tool-driven prototyping. It seems evident that
one should try to build support for usability engineering methodologies and HF
expertise into HCI tools as much as possible so that they would be widely
disseminated in practice.
The User Interface Management Systems (UIMS) and recently introduced rapid prototyping tools are promising to change actual practices. This paper is a state of the art survey of UIMS and UI prototyping tools and supporting methodologies. It also considers evaluation and selection criteria for HCI tools. Finally, a case study about tool selection for an application project is described, which highlights the practical arguments that affect the selection of a HCI tool. Keywords: User interface management system, HCI prototyping tools, Evaluation of HCI
tools | |||
| Interacting with Graphical User Interfaces: States, Processes and Resources | | BIBAK | 47-52 | |
| S. Howard; Y. K. Leung | |||
| A study aimed at understanding user interaction with map-based user
interfaces is presented. The study concerns itself with user modelling issues,
rather than with the utility of the user interface per se. In accounting for
the observed behaviour (in terms of a conception based upon three constructs:
states, processes and resources) current theoretical work in modelling HCI is
extended. Keywords: GUI, MUI, Cognitive modelling | |||
| Evolution and Evaluation of Graphical User Interfaces for Electronic Mail | | BIBAK | 53-58 | |
| Michael J. Rees | |||
| The evolutionary development and evaluation of a graphical user interface
for Unix electronic mail is described. Preliminary interface designs were
tested by controlled experiments with groups of subjects. The results were
applied to a gradually evolving interface which has supported the day-to-day
e-mail requirements of a small group of active users over a three year period.
Some experiences and outcomes of this action research are reported. Keywords: Graphical user interface, Electronic mail, Interface design, Interface
evaluation, Action research | |||
| Applications of Graphics to Surgery and Other Invasive Therapy | | BIBAK | 59-64 | |
| John Hiller; John Nicholls; Roderick McEwin | |||
| The generation of computer models from computerised tomographic scan and
nuclear magnetic resonance data is well established. The hardware to allow
rotation of the models and concentration on particular parts of a model runs
sufficiently fast to be useful. Software is readily available to provide
visualisation which increases appreciation and knowledge of the images. This
will permit sectioning of the object and isolation of its parts.
The components of a system that could be used by surgeons and others providing invasive treatment are in place. These techniques provide an effective ability to visualise pathological lesions, and so increase the accuracy of the approaches, and decrease damage to normal tissues. In part the role of this paper is to outline the components of the technique; in part, the intention is to reflect on the conditions needed for early adoption. Keywords: Visualisation, Stereo-lithography, Surgical planning, CAT-scan and NMR data | |||
| A Development Method for a Self Service Marketing Terminal in a Banking Environment | | BIBAK | 65-69 | |
| Fiona Ingram | |||
| Developing a methodology for a self-service marketing terminal for a banking
environment has special issues regarding the customer interface that need to be
solved. Information other than technical and interface design is required to
address these issues. Resources from within the organisation, for instance a
marketing department, are often able to supply the material required. Whilst
information may have been gathered for a different end, appropriate analysis
can extract the relevant portions. Applying this approach to a prototype
self-service terminal shows the value of a research-based approach to
computer-human interface design.
Developing a team of experts to conduct a heuristic evaluation of a system prior to usability testing can provide a low-cost indication of likely problems. With the right mix of team skills problems involving navigation, visual and language inconsistencies and information credibility can all be highlighted. Often these points (and more) are confirmed by a first, and even brief, round of testing. Keywords: Methodology, Marketing, Heuristic evaluation, Usability testing | |||
| Strategy Effects in Visual List Search | | BIBAK | 71-78 | |
| Elizabeth S. Bednall | |||
| Bednall (1990) demonstrated that when subjects search for targets in lists
presented on a computer screen, the way in which the screen is formatted
determines how rapidly targets are located. In the current paper, data from
that study are analyzed with respect to strategies subjects adopt when
searching lists. Search strategy was inferred from questionnaire data and an
examination of both the effect of target serial position and task instruction
on search time. The main findings were that search strategy was affected by
the amount of structure provided on the screen and could also be influenced by
instruction. Keywords: Visual list search, Strategy effects | |||
| Interfacing Multimedia Telecommunications -- The Research Work of CREATE | | BIBAK | 79-84 | |
| Eric Gidney; Annmarie Chandler | |||
| When linked to telecommunications systems, multimedia acquires a new level
of functionality. Multimedia telecommunications constitutes a flexible, new
medium which can facilitate human-human interaction. However, communicating
via images represents a new paradigm for many professionals. The arts and
humanities have an important, if neglected, role to play in this area. CREATE
is an interdisciplinary creative research team working between the School of
Humanities at UTS and the College of Fine Arts at UNSW to develop projects
which examine operating methods, interfaces and applications for multimedia
communications systems in conjunction with visually-based end users. Keywords: Multimedia, Telecommunications, Visual arts, Humanities, Collaboration,
Production | |||
| Simulation of Human Performance in Electronic Calculator Use | | BIBAK | 85-90 | |
| Mark G. Stewart | |||
| A "calculation task" model has been developed to simulate the effects of
human error on simple calculation tasks when using an electronic calculator.
Results obtained from analyses of the model were compared to existing survey
data. It was found that a keying error rate of approximately 0.0015 was
appropriate for a typical keyboard layout. The "calculation task" model was
verified by comparing error magnitude results with appropriate survey data. Keywords: Human error, Simulation, Calculator, Error magnitude, Calculations | |||
| A Framework for Intelligent User Interfaces | | BIBAK | 91-96 | |
| Bertrand T. David; Kamel Ouadou; Salah Sadou; Christian Vial | |||
| This paper presents our perception of an intelligent user interface. First
this definition is discussed, then the corresponding functional framework is
given. A software architecture model is also described as well as an
elaboration environment with several specialized tools. This presentation is
completed by two examples of interactive applications using this kind of
intelligent interface. Keywords: Intelligent user interface, User friendliness, User model, Heterogeneous and
homogeneous object model, Interactive application EPAC architecture | |||
| How to Make Usability Work in the Real World | | BIBAK | 97-102 | |
| Brendan McManus; Judy Hammond | |||
| This paper outlines some of the pitfalls, in terms of organisational change,
that may be met when introducing usability as a major contributor to product
quality. Issues addressed are: Keywords: Usability, Human factors, Organisational culture, Software development | |||
| Usability Testing a GUI Mail Application | | BIBAK | 103-107 | |
| Stephen McIntosh; Tony Piper; Ilana Kaplan; Adrian Cheung | |||
| Usability testing is an excellent tool for determining whether a software
product is easy to learn and use. This paper describes our experiences with
incorporating usability testing into the design process for a graphical user
interface to an electronic mail system. The procedures necessary to conduct
the usability test and to maintain a constant focus on end users in the initial
design phases are described. Keywords: Usability testing, Software development, Prototype, Electronic mail | |||
| A Prototype User Interface Testing Tool | | BIBAK | 109-113 | |
| Rye Senjen | |||
| Current research into user interfaces has largely concentrated on the
end-users, and more recently on tools for interface developers -- few if any
tools are available for the human factors analyst to evaluate user interfaces.
Rather than building a UIMS (User interface management system) from scratch (an
expensive and multi-disciplinary effort), we have concentrated on developing
software for the evaluation part of an UIMS, We have modified and combined
existing software to create three functional modules: screen creation,
recording, and compiling. The tool enables human factors specialists to design
various text-based user interfaces and then test these on users (record time,
keystrokes and task sequence). A first prototype version of the user interface
testing tool has been completed. It is presently being tested. The tool
requires no programming knowledge. Keywords: User interface management system, Data logging tool | |||
| Role-Playing Users | | BIBAK | 115-120 | |
| Penny Collings; David Walker | |||
| User-interface design requires constant interaction with the user, both to
develop and clarify the requirements specification, and to test out ideas for
solutions. The involvement of real users is often not possible or desirable in
a teaching situation, but the commonly used alternative of a written problem
specification supplemented by "clarifications" from a tutor provides neither
the richness of interaction nor the flexibility to cope with the range of
problems raised by different solutions to the same problem. This paper
describes and attempts to evaluate an alternative approach, in which a staff
member role-plays the user, meeting with each design team regularly during the
design process. Keywords: User-interface design, Teaching | |||
| An Empirical Study of the Users of Educational Software | | BIBAK | 121-126 | |
| Helen Hasan | |||
| The effectiveness of any software, and educational software in particular,
depends upon its usability. It is unlikely that learning will occur where
students (users) have difficulties using a particular learning package.
Software usability is typically evaluated by observing and questionning users,
or evaluating their mastery of the package under test conditions. In the study
presented in this paper various aspects of student use of a piece of
educational software have been logged by the system in actual use. This has
provided a large quantity of data which has been correlated against several
factors including student background, success in mastering the subject matter
presented and the type of task undertaken. The results of the study provide
guidelines not only to improve this software package but could be applied to
other such products. Keywords: Usability, Pseudocode, Computer-aided learning | |||
| All the Interface Widgets in CAI | | BIBAK | 127-132 | |
| Kok-Lan Chiu | |||
| This paper attempts to share the author's experience in some of the problems
faced in teaching user interface design at the Centre and how CAI can assist
the students in learning the subject. A discussion of a prototype CAI system
which was recently developed for teaching the subject will be presented. The
author will also attempt to discuss the future of a CAI system for user
interface at the Centre. Keywords: Human-computer interaction, User interface, Computer-aided instruction,
Training, Computer studies | |||
| Planning for HCI Education and Training | | BIBAK | 133-134 | |
| Judith H. Hammond | |||
| The last session of the OZCHI91 conference is a panel presentation and
discussion about HCI education and training. It follows three papers presented
on educational studies and activities and is intended to raise questions and
(hopefully) find answers on the subject of what (if anything) needs to be done
to ensure that HCI practitioners are well-educated and trained. Keywords: Education, Training | |||