1. Comp 15 - Usability & Human Factors
Unit 8c - Approaches to Design
This material was developed by Columbia University, funded by the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology under Award Number 1U24OC

2. Design Principles to Support Usability (Dix et al, 2004)
Learnability
Ease with which new users can achieve a) basic proficiency and then b) mastery
Flexibility
Flexible ways in which the user and system exchange information
Robustness
Level of support provided to user in determining successful achievement and assessment of goals
Component 15/Unit 8c
Health IT Workforce Curriculum Version 2.0/Spring 2011

3. Health IT Workforce Curriculum Version 2.0/Spring 2011
Learnability Factors
Predictability
Support for the user to determine the effect of future action based on past
Synthesizability
User can understand effect of past operations on the current state of system
Familiarity
Extent to which a user’s knowledge and experience can be applied when interacting with a new system
Component 15/Unit 8c
Health IT Workforce Curriculum Version 2.0/Spring 2011

4. Learnability Factors Cont.
Generalizability
Support for the user to extend knowledge within and across applications
Consistency
Likeness in input-out behavior arising from similar situations or similar task objectives
Component 15/Unit 8c
Health IT Workforce Curriculum Version 2.0/Spring 2011

5. Usability Principles and Design Heuristics (Nielsen, 1993)
Visibility of system status
Match between system and the real world
User control and freedom
Consistency and standards
Error prevention
Error handling
Recognition rather than recall
Flexibility and efficiency of use
Aesthetic and minimalist design
Help and documentation
Component 15/Unit 8c
Health IT Workforce Curriculum Version 2.0/Spring 2011

6. Health IT Workforce Curriculum Version 2.0/Spring 2011
1. Visibility
Keep users informed
Make state transitions explicit
Animate dynamic processes
Component 15/Unit 8c
Health IT Workforce Curriculum Version 2.0/Spring 2011

7. Health IT Workforce Curriculum Version 2.0/Spring 2011
Be Obvious
Where am I?
What’s happening?
What can I do?
What do I need to know?
Most users are not interested in “exploration”
Component 15/Unit 8c
Health IT Workforce Curriculum Version 2.0/Spring 2011

8. Animate Slow Processes
Progress Bar
Added
Component 15/Unit 8c
Health IT Workforce Curriculum Version 2.0/Spring 2011

9. Health IT Workforce Curriculum Version 2.0/Spring 2011
2. Match System to World
Avoid Jargon
Speak the users' language
Follow real-world conventions
Present information in a natural and logical order.
Component 15/Unit 8c
Health IT Workforce Curriculum Version 2.0/Spring 2011

10. 3. User Control and Freedom
Clearly marked "emergency exit"
Support undo, redo and “back”
User configurable preference and interfaces
Avoid fixed sequences
Component 15/Unit 8c
Health IT Workforce Curriculum Version 2.0/Spring 2011

11. 4. Consistency and Standards
Consistent placement
Consistent action models
Beware modal behaviors
Follow platform conventions
Component 15/Unit 8c
Health IT Workforce Curriculum Version 2.0/Spring 2011

12. The Law of Least Astonishment
The system should never “surprise” the users. It should always behave in the “expected” manner
Component 15/Unit 8c
Health IT Workforce Curriculum Version 2.0/Spring 2011

13. Health IT Workforce Curriculum Version 2.0/Spring 2011
5. Error Prevention
Make “bad things” hard to do
Data checks before “submit”
Identify errors early
Confirm unrecoverable actions
Avoid “dialog escape”
Component 15/Unit 8c
Health IT Workforce Curriculum Version 2.0/Spring 2011

14. Health IT Workforce Curriculum Version 2.0/Spring 2011
6. Error Handling
Help users recognize, diagnose, and recover from errors
No codes
Error messages should be expressed in plain language
The very worst error messages are those that don't exist
Precisely indicate the problem
Suggest a solution
Component 15/Unit 8c
Health IT Workforce Curriculum Version 2.0/Spring 2011

15. Some Favorite Error Messages
Abort? Retry? Fail? Ignore?
-3162
Incorrect Magic Number
does not like recipient.
Permanent Compiler Error
Panic
Error: An unexpected error has occurred
Error: The operation completed successfully
Component 15/Unit 8c
Health IT Workforce Curriculum Version 2.0/Spring 2011

16. 7. Recognition, not Recall
Minimize users’ memory load
Minimize hidden functions
Make objects, actions, and options visible.
Instructions visible or easily retrievable.
The user should not have to remember information from one screen to another.
Make sequential steps explicit
Minimize command languages
Proper Default Doses & Routes
Component 15/Unit 8c
Health IT Workforce Curriculum Version 2.0/Spring 2011

17. Health IT Workforce Curriculum Version 2.0/Spring 2011
Icon If You Can
Use icons to reinforce content
Pictures recalled better than words
Test your icons
Avoid subtle distinctions
Avoid “cute” metaphors
Component 15/Unit 8c
Health IT Workforce Curriculum Version 2.0/Spring 2011

18. 8. Flexibility and Efficiency
Allow users to tailor frequent actions.
Keyboard Shortcuts
Macros / Scripting
Programmable Interfaces
Order Sets
Component 15/Unit 8c
Health IT Workforce Curriculum Version 2.0/Spring 2011

19. 9. Aesthetic and Minimalist Design
Screen content should relate to user’s goals
Many users will not be able to separate relevant from irrelevant
Design and Decoration should enhance visibility
Remove item
Test application
If the application still works, leave it out
The removal test
Component 15/Unit 8c
Health IT Workforce Curriculum Version 2.0/Spring 2011

20. Color With Care Design in black and white Four or fewer colors
Avoid saturated colors
Do not encode only in color
Use color consistently
Avoid color opposites
Beware unintended color meaning
Component 15/Unit 8c
Health IT Workforce Curriculum Version 2.0/Spring 2011

21. Health IT Workforce Curriculum Version 2.0/Spring 2011
Funday
Component 15/Unit 8c
Health IT Workforce Curriculum Version 2.0/Spring 2011

22. 10. Help and Documentation
… until something breaks
No one reads the manual
Plan instructions for problem solving
Many users accustomed to paper, not computer
Step-wise, pictorial instructions
Invaluable for remote support
Test your documentation
Component 15/Unit 8c
Health IT Workforce Curriculum Version 2.0/Spring 2011

23. Reducing System Barriers for Older Adults
IDEATel Informatics for Diabetes Education And Telemedicine
Large-scale home-based telemedicine project for medically-underserved diabetic patients
Older adults with limited computer literacy
Usability testing revealed a range of user problems that impeded productive use
Component 15/Unit 8c
Health IT Workforce Curriculum Version 2.0/Spring 2011

24. Health IT Workforce Curriculum Version 2.0/Spring 2011
Changes to Design
Simplify without reducing functionality!
Go Big: large text and buttons
Reduce memory load/minimize task complexity
Improve contrast
Enhance navigation
Reduce burden on psychomotor skill
Mouse-based system to touch screen
Component 15/Unit 8c
Health IT Workforce Curriculum Version 2.0/Spring 2011

25. Health IT Workforce Curriculum Version 2.0/Spring 2011
Generations
Component 15/Unit 8c
Health IT Workforce Curriculum Version 2.0/Spring 2011

26. Health IT Workforce Curriculum Version 2.0/Spring 2011
Gen 1a
Component 15/Unit 8c
Health IT Workforce Curriculum Version 2.0/Spring 2011

27. Health IT Workforce Curriculum Version 2.0/Spring 2011
Gen 1b
Component 15/Unit 8c
Health IT Workforce Curriculum Version 2.0/Spring 2011

28. Health IT Workforce Curriculum Version 2.0/Spring 2011
Gen 2
Component 15/Unit 8c
Health IT Workforce Curriculum Version 2.0/Spring 2011

29. Health IT Workforce Curriculum Version 2.0/Spring 2011
Pedometer
Component 15/Unit 8c
Health IT Workforce Curriculum Version 2.0/Spring 2011

30. Health IT Workforce Curriculum Version 2.0/Spring 2011
References
Dix A., Finlay J.E., Abowd G.D., Beale R. (2004). Human-Computer Interaction. 3rd ed. Essex, England: Prentice-Hall;.
Kaufman D.R., Patel V.L., Hilliman C., Morin P.C,. Pevzner J., Weinstock R.S., et al. (2003). Usability in the real world: assessing medical information technologies in patients' homes. Journal of Biomedical Informatics. Feb-Apr;36(1-2):45-60.
Mayhew, D. J. (1999). The usability engineering lifecycle. San Francisco, CA.: Morgan Kaufmann Publishers, Inc.
Nielsen, J. (1994). Heuristic evaluation. In J. Nielsen & R. L. Mack (Eds.), Usability Inspection methods (pp ). New York: Wiley.
Norman DA. Cognitive engineering. In: Norman DA, Draper SW, editors. User centered system design: New perspectives on human-computer interaction. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates; p
Polson, P. G., Lewis, C., Rieman,J., & Wharton, C. (1992). Cognitive walkthroughs: A method for theory-based evaluation of user interfaces. International Journal of Man-Machine Studies, 36,
Preece, J. Rogers, Y. & Sharp, H. (2007) Interaction Design: Beyond Human-Computer Interaction. 2nd Edition. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons
Ruland CM, Starren J, Vatne TM. Participatory design with children in the development of a support system for patient-centered care in pediatric oncology. J Biomed Inform Nov 13;
Shea, S. Starren, J. Weinstock, R.S, Knudson, P.E., Teresi J. and Holmes, D. et al., Columbia University’s Informatics for Diabetes Education and Telemedicine (IDEATel) Project: rationale and design, J Am Med Inform Assoc 9 (1) (2002), pp. 49–62.
Starren J, Hripcsak G, Sengupta S, et al. Columbia University's Informatics for Diabetes Education and Telemedicine (IDEATel) project: technical implementation. J Am Med Inform Assoc. 2002;9:25–36.
Starren, J. Weinstock, R.S, Palmas, W., Izquierdo, R., Morin, P. and Kaufman, D.R. Diabetes. In: R. Wootton, S.L. Dimmick and J.C. Kvedar, Editors, Home telehealth, Connecting care within the community (2006), pp. 171–183.
Component 15/Unit 8c
Health IT Workforce Curriculum Version 2.0/Spring 2011