1. Human and Computer Interaction (H.C.I.) &Communication Skills
Lecture (5)
Prepared by
Dr. Dunia Hamid Hameed

2. Guidelines for Dialog Design
Dialog is the communication between the computer and a person. Well designed dialog makes it easier for people to use a computer and lessens their frustration with the computer system.

3. There are several key points for designing good dialog
There are several key points for designing good dialog. They include the following:
1. Meaningful communication, so that the computer understands what people are entering and people understand what the computer is presenting or requesting. 2. Minimal user action. 3. Standard operation and consistency.

4. 1- Meaningful Communication
The system should present information clearly to the user. This means having an appropriate title for each display, minimizing the use of abbreviations, and providing clear user feedback.

5. 2- Minimal User Action
Keying is often the slowest part of a computer system, and good dialog will minimize the number of keystrokes required.

6. You can accomplish this goal in a number of different ways: 1
You can accomplish this goal in a number of different ways: 1. Keying codes, such as airport codes when making a flight reservation, instead of whole words on entry screens. 2. Entering only data that are not already stored on files. 3. Supplying the editing characters (for example, slashes as date field separators). 4. Using default values for fields on entry screens.

7. 5. Designing an inquiry (or change or delete) program so that the user needs to enter only the first few characters of a name or item description. 6. Providing keystrokes for selecting pull-down menu options. 7. Use radio buttons and drop-down lists to control displays of new Web pages or to change Web forms. 8. Provide cursor control for Web forms and other displays so that the cursor moves to the next field when the right number of characters has been entered.

8. 3- Standard Operation and Consistency
Consistency makes it easier for users to learn how to use new portions of the system once they are familiar with one component.

9. You can achieve consistency by: 1
You can achieve consistency by: 1. Locating titles, date, time, and operator and feedback messages in the same places on all displays. 2. Exiting each program by the same key or menu option. 3. Canceling a transaction in a consistent way, usually by pressing the Esc key on a PC or by using a function key (usually F12) on a mainframe. 4. Obtaining help in a standardized way.

10. 5. Standardizing the colors used for all displays or Web pages. 6
5. Standardizing the colors used for all displays or Web pages. 6. Standardizing the use of icons for similar operations when using a graphical user interface. 7. Using consistent terminology in a display screen or Web site. 8. Providing a consistent way to navigate through the dialog. 9. Using consistent font alignment, size, and color on a Web page.