Activity Flow Design Gabriel Spitz 1 Lecture # 12 Guiding the flow of activities

Activity Flow - Recap  Is concerned with the dynamic aspect of the interface  The focus in designing the Activity Flow is on helping user navigate through the interface effectively and efficiently Gabriel Spitz 2

Consideration in Activity Flow Design  The design of Activity flow for a unit of work needs to consider:  The set of steps that must be executed to accomplish a unit of work  The temporal order in which interaction steps should or must be executed  The way by which the interface enforces and communicate to users the desired order of the interaction  The way by which the interface supports the user during the interaction Gabriel Spitz 3

Activity Flow – Communicating & Enforcing  The interface can communicate & enforce the desired sequence of the interaction by:  Using wizards  Using Modal dialogs  Using Modes Gabriel Spitz 4

Enforcing Action Sequence – Using Modality  One way of communicating & enforcing a desired sequence of action is by force  Modal dialog boxes force the user to respond before another action can occur Gabriel Spitz 5

Enforcing a Sequence of action – Using Wizard Gabriel Spitz 6  Wizard, is another form of modal interaction, it is often used to enforce a specific sequence of action

Enforcing an action - Using Mode  Modes like modality forces the user down a specific path  Mode is state of the system in which the same users ’ action in the application is interpreted differently depending on the mode  Modality forces user action  Mode determines the outcome of an action Gabriel Spitz 7

Mode - Example Gabriel Spitz 8 Same input action Arrow tool Basic shape tool

Modes -Examples  Tool Mode  The output of users ’ action is determined by the selected tool Gabriel Spitz 9

Modes Gabriel Spitz 10 Modes of MS Word Note; these modes apply only within word document

Attitude Toward Modes  Modes are fundamentally evil and should be avoided  Modes provide support and guidance and should be included in UI design  A major problem is in the scope of the mode  Within or between conceptual spaces Gabriel Spitz 11

Value of Modes  Users can inform the application of their intentions  In turn the application can guide the user  For example  By limiting the scope of what users ’ action can do – e.g., using a text box tool, vs., using a rectangle tool Gabriel Spitz 12

Maximizing Value of Modes  Use modes consistently  Do not initiate modes unexpectedly  Make it clear / visible to the user that s/he is entering a specific mode  E.g. Insert vs. Overwrite modes in Word  Always enable users to escape from modes harmlessly Gabriel Spitz 13

Restricting Sequence of Access  An additional way of communicating & enforcing a desired sequence of action is to restrict access to “ non-valid ” commands or objects  This can be done by disabling or locking out the “ non-valid ” commands Gabriel Spitz 14

Disabling Commands - Example Gabriel Spitz 15 By disabling “ inappropriate ” commands the application: -informs the user - constrains the next user action - ensures only valid action

Invisible Restricted Access Gabriel Spitz 16 A less usable way of restricting access to a specific command The Send button is enabled, but cannot be sent

Aiding Users in Sequencing Tasks  The third mechanism used to communicate to users the sequence of steps to be taken is the Activity List  A Activity list is a suggested set of steps that needs to be completed in order to execute a unit of work Gabriel Spitz 17

An Activity List - Example Gabriel Spitz 18 A training application Each time a task is completed a check mark is placed next to the completed task

Activity List - Example Gabriel Spitz 19

Activity List  Activity List is a highly usable approach of leading users through a set of tasks  The required flow is explicit and visible  The flow can be made modeless or modal  The interface supports users memory  The interface supports partial work Gabriel Spitz 20

Guidance  The fourth and least imposing mechanism for guiding users through a sequence of steps  Common examples of guidance mechanisms include:  Tutorials  Help Gabriel Spitz 21

Guidance - Example Gabriel Spitz 22

Summary - Supporting Activity Flow  Limiting the user to one sequence of tasks  Modal dialogs, Modes, Wizards  Presenting users with only valid commands  Disabling invalid commands and objects  Presenting users with the list of tasks to be completed  Providing users with optional guidance Gabriel Spitz 23