INTRODUCTION TO

USABILITY
 What Is User Interface?
 User interface (UI) is a broad term for any
system, either physical or software based, that
allows a user to connect with a given
technology. Many different kinds of user
interfaces come with various devices and
software programs. Many of them have some
basic similarities, although each one is unique in
key ways.
 What Is User Interface?
 One main type of user interface is called a graphical user
interface (GUI). This includes the interfaces for the
modern operating systems many of us are familiar with,
particularly Windows, as well as other kinds of software
programs that are made to be driven mainly by icons or
images rather than text commands. Users can contrast the
graphical user interface to a text interface such as the MS-
DOS system that was used to operate personal computers
of earlier decades.
 What Is User Interface?
 Other kinds of user interfaces include touch screen
interfaces, a common type of UI for mobile devices, and
other physical types of interfaces for hardware pieces. For
example, a remote control for a DVD player, audio system,
television or game console can be thought of as a user
interface for that device. Other kinds of software-oriented
user interfaces are becoming more and more
sophisticated, often using a combination of graphical and
text elements to drive specific user activities.
 What Is Human Computer
Interaction?
 The means of communication between a human user and
a computer system, referring in particular to the use of
input/output devices with supporting software. Devices of
increasing sophistication are becoming available to
mediate the human-computer interaction. These include
graphics devices, touch-sensitive devices, and voice-input
devices. They have to be configured in a way that will
facilitate an efficient and desirable interaction between a
person and the computer.
 What Is Human Computer
Interaction?
 Artificial intelligence techniques of knowledge
representation may be used to model the user of a
computer system, and so offer the opportunity to give
personalized advice on its use. The design of the machine
interface may incorporate expert system techniques to
offer powerful knowledge-based computing to the user.
 HCI is a branch of the science of ergonomics, and is
concerned especially with the relationship between
workstations and their operators. The aim is to develop
acceptable standards for such aspects as display
resolution, use of color, and navigation around an
application.
What Is Usability?
 How easy is it for a user of a product to
achieve his/her objectives
 Interaction between a human being and
a machine
 HCI (Human-Computer Interaction)
 Usability is not restricted to computer-
based products
What Is Usability?
 Usability of a procuct can be good or
poor
 Often small changes in user interface
can result in much better usability:
 Windows tool tips
 ”Push” sticker in a door
 Changes are often visual clues
Subcategories of Usability
 Learnability
 Memorability
 Effectiveness
 Robustness
 Enjoyability
Learnability/Memorability
 The ease of becoming effective for a
new user
 Similar behaviour in similar situations
 Predictability of response
 Generalizability – ability to extend current
knowledge to other situations
Effectiveness/Robustness
 Recoverability – once observed errors
are corrected
 Responsiveness – the speed of
communication
 Task completeness – System supports
users tasks as how he/she percieves
them
Enjoyability
 The level of satisfaction
 Very user-dependent as a concept
 Often mentioned ’Intuitive user
interface’
 Something new the resembles something
familiar
 Is based on an individual’s earlier
experiences
Usability As a Discipline
 Usability research is centered around
 Qualities that have an effect on good/poor
usability
 Methods that can be used in evaluating
product’s usability
 Methods that can be used in designing
products of good usability
Usability As a Discipline
 Usability is very interdisciplinary
 Psychology
 Engineering
 Arts
 Linguistics
 An usability expert should be a
combination of a psychologist, an
engineer and an artist
Usability As a Discipline
 Traditionally resarch of usability was
restricted to user interfaces
 However many products, that had
sophisticated user interfaces failed
 Usability is also affected by qualities like
product’s structure and responsiveness
ISO 9241
 International Organization for
Standardization has defined usability as
a wholeness, which desribes
 How easily certain users can
 use tools available for them
 to perform certain tasks
 in a particular environment
Why Usability Is Important?
 Modern development environments
have made programming work easier
 Computer-based products have become
more and more sophisticated
 Consumers have more and more
products to choose from
 Usability has become an important
competitive weapon
Why Usability Is Important?
 According to research usability was
estimated to be one of 6 most
important skills required within software
development
 Usability is strongly connected to
requirements spesification phase of
software development
Why Usability Is Important?
 Usability can also have a huge
economical impact:
 If a software has
 300 000 daily users in Finland
 an usability issue that costs 20 seconds of time
/ instance of use
 ~600 000 hours (~25300 days) of working
time is lost each year
Usability & Software Projects
 Usability issues are still often neglected
 Eg. according to a study a large portion
of health care related problems in
Finland originate from poor usability of
software
 User-centered design methods are seen
as heavy and time (= money) consuming
Usability & Software Projects
 Usability should be taken as a natural
part of development process
 Usability should also be evaluated
 Usability testing plan
 Verification of goals accomplished
 Corrections and updates if needed
 Careful documentation of usability
issues and solutions is important
Usability exercise
 In teams of two
 Discuss about the usability of a laptop
trackpad
 How could you improve it?
Usability & Software Projects
 Watch the video:
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=T63BDr3RLb8