Software Usability

Overview
• What is Usability?
• The Gap between User and Software
• HCI Vocabulary
• A Map of HCI
• Gulf of Execution and Evaluation
• Interaction and Support Information
 What is usability?
• Usability (1): effective, efficient and
satisfactory
• Usability (2): Ease of learning (faster the
second time and so on) Recall (remember
how from one session to the next)
• Productivity (perform tasks quickly and
efficiently)
• Minimal error rates (if they occur, good
feedback so user can recover)
• High user satisfaction (confident of success)
What is meant by the usability of software by
describing the characteristics of software
that exhibits good usability?
• Usable software does what it is supposed to do
• Supports forgiveness or recovery so that users
can correct their mistakes
• Supports consistency so that what is learned in
one part of the system applies elsewhere
• Supports consistency so that users can choose a
method to suit their own style
• Provides help so that users can learn
• Employs metaphors so that real world
knowledge can be employed
• Supports coherence, e.g. standards across a
range of software
• Provides feedback so that users know what the
software is doing
• Interface is intrusive so that users notice what
the interface is telling them
 The Gap between users and the software

• Software is not designed around tasks that users

perform.
• Users find themselves unable to comfortably or
effectively use the software.
 Why does the gap exist?
• Approach.
First, system internals are designed. Then, a
user interface is “slapped” on it. The resulting
user interface reflects the underlying
mechanism. For the user who just wants to
complete a task using the software, a user
interface based on the task is more appropriate
than one based on system internals. For this,
the interface should be designed first—based
on users’ tasks—and then the internals.
 Why does the gap exist?

• Skills. Good software design calls for

interdisciplinary skills. Besides programming
skills, we need skills in user-centered design,
technical writing, and graphic design.
 Why does the gap exist?
• Slogan.
“It should work” is often the only slogan.
Today, reliability or functionality alone is not
enough. Usability needs to be high on the
software house’s priorities because it
impacts users’ productivity and overall
satisfaction with the product.
 Why does the gap exist?
• Process.
The software development process follows
an engineering model with little or no
concern for the product’s users. Users are
neither understood nor involved in the
design and evaluation of the software.
 How do users react?
• Confusion. The software is too complex. It
is not structured as users expect.  
• Frustration. The software is inflexible and
unforgiving. Users cannot undo incorrect
actions.  
• Panic. The software’s response time is too
slow—just when the user is under
tremendous pressure.  
 How do users react?
• Boredom. The software’s response time is
slow and tasks are overly simplified.  
• Incomplete use. Only some of the
software’s functions or tasks are used.
These tasks are often the easiest to
perform.  
• Indirect use. Managers who find the
software hard to use, for example, get
someone else to do it.  
 How do users react?
• Misuse or modification. Those who know
the software well may change it to meet
personal requirements that do not advance
organizational interests. In this case,
system integrity may be adversely
impacted.  
• Abandonment. The software is rejected by
managers and other users who have the
discretion to reject it.
 HCI vocabulary
• Visibility, he first element of user interaction is
what the user sees in the interface.
• Affordances, depend on users' physical
capabilities and their goals and past experiences.
• Mappings, relationship between actions and
controls. Mappings are said to be good if they
appear natural and intuitive to the users.
• Constraints, limits the number of possibilities of
what can be done with the objects.
 HCI vocabulary
• Feedback, let users know what their actions have
achieved, through visual, auditory, haptic.
• Tasks, users are goal directed (specific problems
to solve), it means task to accomplish. Tasks are
complex, decomposed into sub-tasks.
• User’s model /mental models, the model people
have of themselves, others, the environment, and
the things which they interact. People form mental
models through experience, training and
instruction.
• Interface metaphors combine a familiar domain
with system structure to make a concrete user
interface
The design model, the
user’s model and
the system image
(Norman and
Draper, 1986, p.46)
Feedback, let users know what their actions
have achieved, through visual, auditory,
haptic.
The affordance of objects

Do these icon suggest how you use them?

(a) Slider and (b) button icons

A Map of HCI
 Part 2
Next Lecture.
 Norman’s model of interaction (to help
understand the interaction between human user and computer)

Norman’s Seven Stages of Action / Norman’s Execution-

Evaluation cycle
 Norman’s model of interaction (to help
understand the interaction between human user and computer)

Norman’s Seven Stages of Action / Norman’s Execution-

Evaluation cycle
Gulfs of Execution and Gulfs of Evaluation
The relationship between the user and the system can be
conceptualized in terms of the gulf of execution and the gulf of
evaluation.
Gulf of Execution: Refers to the distance
between the user’s goals and the means of
achieving them through the system. (What
is needed to transform intentions into an
associated set of actions.)
The interface should therefore aim to
reduce this gulf.
Gulf of Evaluation: Refers to the distance between
the system’s behavior and the user’s goals.
(What is needed to interpret physical state of the
system and to determine how well state matches
up with intentions.)
The more effort that is required on the part of
the user to interpret the presentation, the less
effective the interaction.
 Cognitive issues in Direct
Manipulation(DM) Interaction Style
• DM is an interaction styles that uses:
a continuous representation of the objects of
interest via a meaningful metaphor.
rapid, incremental, reversible operations
simple, ‘physical’ actions (Shneiderman,
chapter 6)
• E.g. Windows and Macintosh desktop user
interfaces
• DM reduces the gulfs of execution &
evaluation:
* rapid, incremental, reversible operations
encourages low-cost evaluation – good for
learning & error correction, builds an accurate
user’s model.
* simple, ‘physical’ actions (interact directly with
the objects) reduces gulf of execution
• DM reduces the gulfs of execution &
evaluation:
* a continuous representation of the objects of
interest via a meaningful metaphor.
It creates a ‘user model’ of the user interface –
users can predict what will happen, reduces gulf
of evaluation.
 Cognitive issues in natural language
processing / command line interaction styles

• Reduces gulf of execution and evaluation?

 User Objects and User Actions
• User objects are the items users see (and interact with) on the software’s screen. Examples are
windows, menus, and scroll bars. Figure 1 gives a list of user objects.
User actions are the interactions users have
with user objects. An example is a mouse
click a user performs to select an icon. User
actions include the following:  
•Navigation;  
•Selection;  
•Keystrokes (entry, etc.);  
•Direct manipulation (clicking, dragging,
dropping, etc.).
 Interaction & Support information
Interaction Information
• Labels and messages are called interaction
information, essential for completing user-
software interaction.
• Labels are required to identify user objects,
messages are required to give feedback to
users about a user action or a change in
system status.
 Interaction & Support information
Here are some examples of user objects that
need labels:  
•windows;  
•menu options;  
•fields;  
•commands.

A message can be provided in different ways.

It can be textual, graphical, audible, or a
combination.
Support Information

For effective use of a software system, we

also need to provide user documentation
to “clarify” the following three software
usability components: user objects, user
actions, and interaction information. user
documentation, is categorized as online
support and printed support.
Online support information
appears on the user’s screen. Some online support
information elements are as follows:  
•README files;  
•Online manual;  
•Field Help;  
•Message Help;  
•Online tutorial;  
•Cue cards;  
•Demos;  
•Examples;  
•Web-based information elements.
Printed support information
printed in the form of manuals, cards, or
foldouts. Some printed support
information elements are as follows:  
•Guide;  
•Reference;  
Table 1.2 Molich and Nielsen’s Usability
Principles With the Corresponding
Information Components

How information contributes to software

usability
Component 2. Speak the user’s language.
The text should be expressed clearly in
words, phrases, and concepts familiar to
the user, rather than in system-oriented
terms. Labels and messages
Component 5. Feedback. The system
should always keep users informed about
what is going on, through appropriate
feedback, within reasonable time.
Messages

Component 8. Good error messages. They

should be expressed in plain language (no
codes), precisely indicate the problem and
constructively suggest a solution.
Messages
Component 10. Help and documentation.
Even though it is better if the system can be
used without documentation, it may be
necessary to provide it along with Help. Any
such information should be easy to search,
be focused on the user’s task, list concrete
steps to be carried out, and not be too large.
Online and printed support information
 References
• HCI by Jenny Preece
• HCI information by Steve Brewster
• Designing Web Interfaces by Michael Rees
• User-centered information design for
improved usability by Pradeep Henry