1. The Computer Skills Divide
What you should know
Original: Skills Matter: Further Results from the Survey of Adult Skills
Copyright © 2017 Curt Hill

2. Introduction
The central idea is that you are nowhere near the average user in computer sophistication
You are way way way above
First we will look at a survey of computer skills
Second we will consider the ramifications for designing programs
Especially user interfaces
From:The Distribution of Users’ Computer Skills: Worse Than You Think
by Jakob Nielsen on November 13, 2016
Copyright © 2017 Curt Hill

3. Survey Organization
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
Survey was conducted in and published in 2016
Over 200,000 people in the 33 most industrialized countries
Most countries had more than 5000 people surveyed
Ages were in the range
Looked at job related skills
Copyright © 2017 Curt Hill

4. IT Skills Surveyed users were asked to perform 14 computer based tasks
These tasks varied from very easy to more complicated
Easy: Use reply all in
Complicated: Schedule a meeting room with a scheduling application with information from multiple s
How many of us could do these?
Copyright © 2017 Curt Hill

5. Technology Proficiency
OECD came up with 4 levels
These are described next
Copyright © 2017 Curt Hill

6. Below Level 1 Tasks must be well defined
Only one function of the UI may be used
No sub-goal and no reasoning required
Deleting an is an example
14% were at this level
Copyright © 2017 Curt Hill

7. Level 1 A few steps and minimal number of operators
Familiar types of applications
Like web browser or
The task is easy to infer from the stated goal
Examples of Level 1:
Reply to all
Find all from a particular user
29% are at this level
Copyright © 2017 Curt Hill

8. Level 2 Requires both specific and generic technology applications
Navigation across various pages or screens
Use of tools
Multiple steps and operations
Example:
Find a document with a particular topic sent in limited time period from a particular user
26% are at level 2
Copyright © 2017 Curt Hill

9. Level 3 All of the above Goal may need to be defined by the user
Criteria may not be explicit
Unexpected results may occur
Example:
Scheduling the meeting room
What percentage of s from a particular user were about a certain topic
Only 5% have these skills
Copyright © 2017 Curt Hill

10. 100%?
≠ 100
What is missing?
26% of those surveyed were unable to use a computer at all
They never attempted any of the tasks
Copyright © 2017 Curt Hill

11. Moral of this story You are among the top 5-8%
What you understand about computers is much greater than the overwhelming majority
This most applies to user interface
The fact that a quarter of the adult population cannot use a computer is due to the fact that our interfaces are too complicated
Copyright © 2017 Curt Hill

12. Don’t Tell Me! There are many things you never want to hear
From your doctor:
The medicine is not working
I have never seen anything like this before
From your auto mechanic:
It would make a nice lawn ornament
From your user interface designer says:
I understood how it worked
Copyright © 2017 Curt Hill

13. You are not the user In general we do not design for us
We are supposed to design for people who are much less capable than we are
When you say:
“surely people can figure out how to use our web site”
Then you are likely wrong
Let’s not even talk about your application
Copyright © 2017 Curt Hill

14. Apple
A company that has put a lot of thought and effort into user interface
Who is too technology illiterate to use an iPhone?
Most people cannot use all the features
Everyone can use the basic functions
Good user interface design is possible
Just requires effort
Copyright © 2017 Curt Hill

15. Conclusion The good news is that you are really something special
The bad news is that you have to design for those who are not you
We may call them morons and that makes us feel better
However, if we do not design with them in mind we lose – they pay our salary
Copyright © 2017 Curt Hill