Interface Design Models

Four different models come into play when a user

interface is analyzed and designed

1: Design model – Created by a software engineer

2: User model – Established by a human engineer or

software engineer

3: Implementation model – Created by the software

implementers

4: User's mental model / system perception

– Developed by the end-user when interacting with the

application

1: Design Model

:black_medium_square: Derived from the analysis model of the requirements

:black_medium_square: Incorporates data, architectural, interface, and

procedural representations of the software

:black_medium_square: Constrained by information in the requirements

specification that helps to define the users of the system

2: User Model

:black_medium_square: Establishes the profile of the end-users of the system

 Based on age, gender, physical abilities, education, cultural or ethnic

background, motivation, goals, and personality

:black_medium_square: Considers syntactic knowledge of the user

 The mechanics of interaction that are required to use the interface

effectively

:black_medium_square: Considers semantic knowledge of the user

 The underlying sense of the application; an understanding of the

functions that are performed, the meaning of input and output, and the
objectives of the system

:black_medium_square: Categorizes users as

 Novices

:black_medium_square: No syntactic knowledge of the system, little semantic knowledge of the

application, only general computer usage

 Knowledgeable, intermittent users

:black_medium_square: Reasonable semantic knowledge of the system, low recall of syntactic

information to use the interface

 Knowledgeable, frequent users

:black_medium_square: Good semantic and syntactic knowledge (i.e., power user), look for shortcuts

and abbreviated modes of operation

3:Implementation Model/System

Image

:black_medium_square: Consists of the look and feel of the interface combined

with all supporting information (from books, videos, help

files) that describe system syntax and semantics

:black_medium_square: When the implementation model and the user’s mental

model are coincident; then users feel comfortable with

the software and use it effectively

:black_medium_square: The design model must have been developed to

accommodate the information contained in the user

model, and the system image must accurately reflect

syntactic and semantic information about the interface .

4:User's Mental Model

:black_medium_square: Often called the user's system perception

:black_medium_square: Consists of the perception of the system

that users carry in their minds.

:black_medium_square: For example, if the user of a particular

word processor were asked to describe its

operation, the system perception would

guide the response. Accuracy of the

description depends upon the user’s

profile and overall familiarity with the

software in the application domain.