William H. Bowers – Making Software Considerate Cooper 14

William H. Bowers – Agenda Designing Considerate Software Designing Considerate Software Characteristics Characteristics –Takes an Interest –Is Deferential –Is Forthcoming –Uses Common Sense –Anticipates Needs

William H. Bowers – Agenda Characteristics Characteristics –Is Conscientious –Doesn’t Burden You with its Personal Problems –Keeps Us Informed –Is Perceptive

William H. Bowers – Agenda Characteristics Characteristics –Is Self-Confident –Doesn’t Ask a Lot of Questions –Fails Gracefully –Knows When to Bend the Rules –Takes Responsibility

William H. Bowers – Designing Considerate Software Put needs of user first Put needs of user first Respectful Respectful Generous Generous Helpful Helpful Independent of UI Independent of UI

William H. Bowers – Characteristics Takes an interest Takes an interest Is deferential Is deferential Is forthcoming Is forthcoming Uses common sense Uses common sense Anticipates needs Anticipates needs

William H. Bowers – Characteristics Is conscientious Is conscientious Doesn’t burden you with its personal problems Doesn’t burden you with its personal problems Keeps you informed Keeps you informed Is perceptive Is perceptive

William H. Bowers – Characteristics Is self-confident Is self-confident Doesn’t ask a lot of questions Doesn’t ask a lot of questions Fails gracefully Fails gracefully Knows when to bend the rules Knows when to bend the rules Takes responsibility Takes responsibility

William H. Bowers – Takes an Interest Remembers our work habits Remembers our work habits Does not demand then discard information Does not demand then discard information

William H. Bowers – Is Deferential Inconsiderate software passes judgment on user actions Inconsiderate software passes judgment on user actions Considerate expresses an opinion Considerate expresses an opinion Makes suggestions Makes suggestions Explains consequences Explains consequences Submits to the user Submits to the user

William H. Bowers – Is Forthcoming Volunteers related information Volunteers related information Provides hardware feedback Provides hardware feedback –Printer status –Printer needs (low paper)

William H. Bowers – Uses Common Sense Puts appropriate functions in appropriate places Puts appropriate functions in appropriate places Doesn’t put dangerous, irreversible actions near routine ones Doesn’t put dangerous, irreversible actions near routine ones

William H. Bowers – Anticipates Needs Pre-loading web pages linked to the current one Pre-loading web pages linked to the current one Read ahead buffers Read ahead buffers

William H. Bowers – Is Conscientious Focuses on goals, not tasks Focuses on goals, not tasks Automatically backs up documents before writing new one without asking Automatically backs up documents before writing new one without asking

William H. Bowers – Doesn’t Burden You with its Personal Problems “Whines at us with error messages” “Whines at us with error messages” Interrupts with confirmation dialogs Interrupts with confirmation dialogs Notifies us of success unnecessarily Notifies us of success unnecessarily

William H. Bowers – Keeps Us Informed Rich feedback Rich feedback Modeless feedback Modeless feedback

William H. Bowers – Is Perceptive Observes usage Observes usage Recognizes patterns of use Recognizes patterns of use Offers relevant information Offers relevant information Remembers and predicts preferences Remembers and predicts preferences

William H. Bowers – Is Self-Confident Does not use unnecessary confirmation dialogs Does not use unnecessary confirmation dialogs Performs actions appropriately as requested Performs actions appropriately as requested

William H. Bowers – Doesn’t Ask a Lot of Questions Too many choices are an ordeal Too many choices are an ordeal Should not interrogate Should not interrogate Presents only valid choices Presents only valid choices

William H. Bowers – Fails Gracefully Crashes usually discard existing data Crashes usually discard existing data Error messages are generally useless Error messages are generally useless Failures are not isolated Failures are not isolated

William H. Bowers – Knows When to Bend the Rules Two states – compliance, non- compliance Two states – compliance, non- compliance No in between allowed No in between allowed “Fudgeability” “Fudgeability” Rigidity is the result of the implementation model Rigidity is the result of the implementation model Humans require fudge factors Humans require fudge factors

William H. Bowers – Knows When to Bend the Rules Flexibility reduces mistakes Flexibility reduces mistakes Inflexibility casts users and software as adversaries Inflexibility casts users and software as adversaries Prevents users from reaching goals Prevents users from reaching goals

William H. Bowers – Takes Responsibility Typical print operation Typical print operation –Spools print –Cancel stops printing –Cancel does not purge printer memory –Reports cancellation –Prints unnecessary pages

William H. Bowers – Questions & Discussion