1. Interface Guidelines & Principles Conform to the User’s View of the Task

2. Interface Guidelines & Principles  7 principles for Interface Design 1.Focus on the users & tasks, not technology. 2.Conform to the user’s view of the task.

3. Conform to User’s View  Strive for Naturalness  Don’t make user’s commit unnatrual acts  Switching modes in the middle of a software  Requiring the user to explain their actions. Cartoon by Mark Parisi. Used by special permission.

4. Conform to User’s View  Don’t impose arbitrary restrictions –Limiting the length of a user’s name. –Sorting constraints, should sort on all columns. –Forcing all address book entries to have a fax number.

5. Conform to User’s View  Use the User’s Vocabulary (Ontology) –Don’t use computer jargon, agree upon a common vocabulary with the user.

6. Conform to User’s View  Power/Complexity Trade-Off –The more options and controls, the more power … therefore, the more better. –This is FALSE. Microsoft Word, how many options do you really use? –Users get overloaded with options. –Power can be increased by providing a sufficient number of options based upon task analysis.  Techniques –Defaults, Templates/Canned Solutions, Generic Commands

7. Conform to User’s View 1.Strive for naturalness. 2.Don’t impose arbitrary restrictions. 3.Use the users’ vocabulary. 4.Find the correct power/complexity trade-off.

8. Assignment #1  Scholarship search engine.  Did you ask the UCD questions?  Did you take a UCD approach?

9. Acknowledgement Bruce Walker Georgia Institute of Technology bruce.walker@psych.gatech.edu