Human Computer Interaction Lecture 21 User Support

User Support If an interactive system is properly designed, user will require little or no help or training. A more helpful approach is to assume that the user will require assistance at various times and design this help into the system. Main Types of user support Quick reference (as a reminder to the user of the details of tools he is basically familiar with and has used before) Task specific help (The help that is offered is directly related to what is being done ) full explanation (full explanation of a tool or command to enable him to understand it more fully.) tutorial Issues different types of support at different times implementation and examples, known errors and error recovery information

Requirements of User Support Availability Available at any time. User should not need to close the main application. continuous access concurrent to main application Windows versus Non-windows based systems Robustness Users who use help system are in difficulty correct error handling and predictable behaviour otherwise user will not rely on help for getting assistance

Requirements of User Support Accuracy and completeness help matches actual system behaviour Otherwise user is disappointed help covers complete system Otherwise user will be frustrated Consistency between different parts of the help system and paper documentation In terms of content, terminology and style of presentation

Requirements of User Support Flexibility Adaptation of help system according to context allows user to interact in a way appropriate to user experience and task at hand Adaptive help systems Unobtrusiveness does not prevent the user continuing with normal work Two Extreme Cases: Windows versus Non-windows based systems A suggest option in case of Adaptive help system

Approaches to User Support Command assistance User help on particular command e.g., UNIX man, DOS help, search in windows help Simple, efficient and good for quick reference Assumes user know what to look for, which is often not the case There can be commands that user need to write

Approaches to User Support Context sensitive help help request interpreted according to context in which it occurs. e.g. tool tips, What’s this option, web rollovers Doesn't assume command knowledge on user side

Approaches to user support (contd.) On-line tutorials user works through basics of application in a test environment (e.g. working with examples or watching a demonstration) User can progress at his own speed can be useful but are often inflexible. An alternate is to learn a reduced version of the system by experimenting and exploring

Approaches to user support (contd.) On-line documentation Provides a full description of the system’s functionality and behaviour in a systematic manner paper documentation is made available on computer. continually available in common medium can be difficult to browse Use of hypertext can help user can lose track of where he is and where he has been Solution: Minimal Manual (40 % faster than full manual) 9

Approaches to user support (contd.) Wizards task specific tool leads the user through task, step by step, using user’s answers to specific questions example: resumé useful for safe completion of complex or infrequent tasks constrained task execution so limited flexibility Should have following characteristics Allow user to go back and forward Indicate progress Offer sufficient information for users to answer questions Another more recent development in user support is the assistant

Approaches to user support (contd.) Assistants monitor user behaviour and offer contextual advice can be irritating e.g. MS paperclip due to its long list of suggestions and continuous animations (Obtrusiveness) must be under user control (activate/de-activate) Command prompts Provide information about correct usage when an error occurs Good for simple / syntactic errors again assumes knowledge of the command 11

Adaptive Help Systems Use knowledge of the context, individual user, task and domain to provide help adapted to user's needs. Operates by monitoring the activity of the user and constructing a user model of him This may contain a model of his experience, preferences, mistakes, or a combination of some or all of these. Using this knowledge adaptive help system will present help relevant to user’s current task and suited to his experience Not so simple as it sounds

Adaptive Help Systems Problems knowledge requirements considerable what should be adapted? what is the scope of the adaptation? Operating System / Application 13

Designing user support Things to consider User support is not an `add on’ should be designed integrally with the system. Will result in more consistency and relevancy Concentrate on content and context of help rather than technological issues. Will help to clarify what type of help is required

Presentation issues Effective presentation requires Instructional Material Design Clear and familiar language Instructional material should be consistent between paper and online manual and even within different types of online help instructional rather than descriptive language To close the window, click on the box in the top-right corner of the window rather than Windows can be closed by clicking on the box in the top right-hand corner of the window Should not make assumptions about what the user knows in advance 15

Presentation issues Effective presentation requires Physical Layout Design Avoid blocks of text rather use clear logical sections Provide summary at the end Index of related topics can be used as summary Consistency: where to look for a particular information clear indication of summary and example information 16

Implementation issues Implementation requires Will help be an operating system command, a meta-command or an application Physical constraints in terms of screen space, memory capacity and speed Speed is specially important How help data is to be structured: a single text file, hypertext files hierarchy, DBMS etc. Should support flexibility and extensibility If user wants to make hard copy of some help topic Will this facility be provided as part of support system? Should support WYSIWYG 17

Guidelines for online documentation Use clear structure with headings to provide signposting. Organize information according to user tasks. Keep sentences short, to the point and jargon free. Use simple language. Set out procedures in order and numbered steps. Highlight important steps. Use examples where possible. Support searching via an index, contents, glossary and free search Include a list of error messages. Include Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) with clear answers.