DESIGN RULES

The Authority versus generality

The authority versus generality of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) refers to the balance between
having authoritative knowledge in specific domains versus designing systems that can accommodate a
wide range of user needs and preferences. Authority in HCI emphasizes expertise in a particular field,
ensuring that systems are tailored to meet the specific requirements of users within that domain. On
the other hand, generality focuses on creating interfaces and interactions that are flexible and adaptable
across various contexts, allowing for broader usability and accessibility. Striking a balance between
authority and generality is essential in HCI to create systems that are both effective and user-friendly.

Principles, standards, and guidelines in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) are crucial for designing
interfaces that are intuitive, efficient, and satisfying for users. Here's a breakdown of each:

1. **Principles**: These are fundamental concepts that guide the design of interactive systems. They
are based on understanding human behavior, cognition, and emotions. Some key principles include:

- **Visibility**: Interface elements should be visible and easily accessible to users.

- **Feedback**: Users should receive feedback for their actions to understand the system's response.

- **Consistency**: Interface elements should behave consistently across different contexts and
platforms.

- **Affordance**: Elements should visually suggest their functionality or how they can be used.

- **User Control**: Users should have control over the interaction and be able to undo actions.

2. **Standards**: These are established norms and conventions in HCI that help ensure consistency and
usability across different systems. Standards can include design patterns, interaction guidelines, and
accessibility requirements. Examples include the ISO 9241 standard for ergonomic requirements for
office work with visual display terminals and the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) for web
accessibility.
3. **Guidelines**: Guidelines are specific recommendations for designing interfaces based on principles
and standards. They provide practical advice for implementing effective interaction design. Guidelines
can cover various aspects of HCI, such as layout, navigation, text, and color usage. Examples include the
Nielsen Norman Group's usability heuristics and Apple's Human Interface Guidelines.

In summary, principles provide a theoretical foundation, standards establish norms, and guidelines offer
practical advice for designing interfaces that are user-friendly and effective.

Golden Rules and heuristics

Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) involves various golden rules and heuristics to enhance user
experience. Some key principles include:

1. **Visibility of System Status:** Keep users informed about what is happening through feedback and
clear indicators.

2. **Match between System and the Real World:** Design interfaces that align with users' mental
models and real-world conventions.

3. **User Control and Freedom:** Provide options for users to navigate freely, with the ability to undo
actions.

4. **Consistency and Standards:** Maintain uniformity in design elements and adhere to established
conventions for a more predictable user experience.

5. **Error Prevention:** Design interfaces that minimize the likelihood of errors and offer clear
guidance in case errors occur.

6. **Recognition rather than Recall:** Reduce users' memory load by presenting information in a
recognizable rather than recall-based format.
7. **Flexibility and Efficiency of Use:** Cater to both novice and expert users, allowing efficient
interaction for users with varying skill levels.

8. **Aesthetic and Minimalist Design:** Strive for simplicity and aesthetic appeal to enhance user
engagement and understanding.

9. **Help Users Recognize, Diagnose, and Recover from Errors:** Provide clear error messages and
guidance for users to understand and resolve issues.

10. **Help and Documentation:** Offer easily accessible help resources for users, but aim for an
interface that is intuitive enough to minimize the need for extensive documentation.

These principles contribute to creating user-friendly and effective human-computer interfaces.

The primary usability principles of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) can be categorized into three
main groups:

1. **Learnability:** These principles focus on how easy it is for users to learn how to use a system or
interface. They include concepts such as:

- **Ease of Use:** Interfaces should be intuitive and straightforward, requiring minimal effort for users
to understand and operate.

- **Clear Feedback:** Provide immediate and clear feedback to users about their actions, helping
them learn the consequences of their interactions.

- **Progressive Disclosure:** Present information and features gradually, starting with the most
essential elements and progressively revealing more advanced options as users become more familiar
with the system.

2. **Efficiency:** These principles aim to maximize users' productivity and minimize the time and effort
required to accomplish tasks. Key aspects include:
 - **Task Efficiency:** Design interfaces that allow users to complete tasks quickly and without
unnecessary steps.

- **Minimize Cognitive Load:** Reduce the mental effort required from users by simplifying tasks and
presenting information in a clear and concise manner.

- **Consistency:** Maintain consistency in interface design and behavior to reduce the need for users
to relearn how to perform tasks across different parts of the system.

3. **Satisfaction:** These principles focus on ensuring that users have a positive experience while
interacting with the system. They include:

- **Subjective Satisfaction:** Design interfaces that are aesthetically pleasing and enjoyable to use,
enhancing user satisfaction.

- **Emotional Design:** Consider the emotional impact of the interface design, aiming to evoke
positive emotions and minimize frustration or confusion.

- **Trust and Credibility:** Build trust with users by providing accurate information, maintaining
privacy and security, and demonstrating reliability and credibility.

By adhering to these usability principles, designers can create interfaces that are easy to learn, efficient
to use, and satisfying for users, ultimately leading to improved overall user experience.

 Know your user: What they want, how they think, how to implement
 Designer bias/egocentrism
 Techniques to gather user needs: Interviews, focus groups, observation, participatory design
 Use of persona, scenarios, and storyboards during the design process

Three types of prototyping design: Throw-away, Incremental, and Evolutionary

Design evaluation
 Two forms of design evaluation:
 Expert analysis and user participation
 Expert analysis
-inivolves evaluating and improving the user interface and experience. This includes assessing usability, accessibility, and
overall user satisfaction.
Participation
 Approaches to expert analysis:
Cognitive walkthroughs, heuristic evaluation, modelbased evaluation, and evaluation based on existing research
 Lab vs. field research

Types of user-based evaluation: Observational methods, query techniques, physiological and direct recording, and experimental
methods.
 Experimental Evaluation and Empirical Methods
 Hypothesis testing
 Choosing participants and sample size
 Variables: independent and dependent measures
 Types of experimental designs and when you use them
Data analysis.