User Modeling in User

Centered System Design

Group 1 Report
Members: Nina Marie Abenion
John Gil Tolibas
Matt Albuera
Kenneth Negros
Gwyn Labastida
Cristine Palima
What is User Modeling?
A user model is a psychological way of
depicting the people who will use the
system
oConsidering users’ needs and preferences

oPresent psychological processes, individual

differences, social context, culture, lifestyle, task
objectives
TYPES of USER MODELS
1. Psychological theories as user models
• Human cognition is very complex
• These theories expect a system analyst to be a psychologist
2. Task-based analysis for user models
• Evaluation of core tasks could lead to consideration of how
users will undertake these tasks
• Behavioristic approach which has been overtaken by
cognitive science
3. Cut-down psychological theories as user models
Example: Model Human Processor theory (MHP)
Simpler, without irrelevant complexities of full-fledged
theory
Developed directly to solve IT design problems

Assumes that information flows from user to system but not back
4. Simplistic psychological theories as user models
Conceptual framework for theories and research findings
To be used by both designers and computer scientists as
guide without becoming psychologists
Design principles (heuristics) for evaluation
HCI has many principles or heuristics for design and evaluation
Four kinds in order of ascending specificity:
1) Guidelines (they contain design principles)
• General & not prescriptive
• Describe usability concepts to assist in judging designs
• Cover a wide range of interface features and concepts
Examples: Know the user population
Reduce cognitive load
Engineer for errors
Maintain consistency and clarity

2) Style Guides
• Developed by companies for internal use
• Enhance usability through consistency, i.e. look and feel across product lines are maintained
3. Rules
• Precise & prescriptive recommendations about design aspects
Examples:
1. Do not color your text blue in a red background
2. Make sure to position the waste bin in the bottom right hand
corner
3. Always issue a warning before the user deletes a file
4. Standards
• Imposed by regulatory bodies, e.g. ISO
­ Sometimes mandatory, i.e. legal requirement – could be sued if
not kept
­ Part of contract – won’t be paid if not kept
• Specific type of system in a particular industry
 User Models and Evaluation
Dix’s design principles
• Learnability
-Humans learn through understanding and generalizing (i.e have
mental model) of the system as a whole
• Predictability
-Requires a user's knowledge of interaction to be sufficient to determine
the outcome of present or future interaction with the system.
• Consistency
-To support generalizability, consistency is essential and is probably
one of the most widely applied design principle in user interface design.
Consistency between application is always favourable, however
consistency within an application is essential.
• Flexibility
-Flexibility in interactive design extends the way a user and the system
exchange information. By applying flexibility principles to an interactive
system design, designers aim to improve a system's usability.
• Recoverability
-Users should be able to reach a desired goal after recognition of errors
in previous interaction. Error recovery can be achieved in two ways,
forward (negotiation) and backward (undo).
• Responsiveness
-Responsiveness is usually measured in terms of the rate of
communication between the system and a user
NB: Guidelines must be clear and unambiguous
Beware of “expert knowledge fallacy”
 USER MODELS AND EVALUATION
Simplex One
• Aim: Simplex One facilitates the design process -it assist in
understanding key design issues in terms of the psychology of the user
• Design in two levels
-Framework to understand research findings
-Guide practical problem solving
• Five cognitive modules that can take input from any other module via
executive function
• Theory can be use to generate simple question on either the strength
and weaknesses of user
-Proposed design
Simplex One
Cognitive modules
3. Abstract
Working

5. 2.
1. Perception
(input) Executive Response
functions (output)

4. Long term
memory
 USER MODELS AND EVALUATION
Simplex One Cognitive Modules(more details)
1. Perception (input)
• Take in new information from the senses
• Analyze & Store
2. Response (output)
• Select, organize, time and implement appropriate
responses
3. Abstract working memory
• Take, hold, and process task-relevant memories
• Limited in capacity, time and processing rates
4. Long-term memory
• Stores occurrence of key events and symbols
• Build over time as experience grows
• Episodic memory: Remember episode in context
• Semantic memory: Knowledge without context
5. Executive functions
• The higher-level cognitive skills you use to control and
coordinate your other cognitive abilities and behaviors.
• A set of mental skills that include working memory, flexible
thinking, and self-control.
Typical questions about users and design:
1) Perception: What are the perceptual skills of the user groups likely to
be?
-“How many users could have visual impairments?”
• Responses: What are user responses likely to be like?
-Are there users with problems in responding, e.g. verbally or psycho
motoric?
E.g. elderly people might have problems in controlling hand position.
2) Abstract working memory: What memory capabilities do the users
have?
-Taking into account limitations of human memory (capacity, time and
processing rate), what can be done to make task execution easier for users?
3) Long-term memory (LTM): how old are the average user?
-Use metaphors to link prior knowledge with system elements\
-Young users have less experience and may be less open to
metaphors but more open to new ways of organizing
4) Executive functions: Might the users vary in executive
functioning?
- E.g. "What new tasks do the design expect users to learn?
-Will users be expected to perform familiar tasks in unfamiliar or
contradictory ways?
- Do the users require special features to enable them to
perform well?
Typical questions design:
1) Perception: does the design allow information to be delivered
in ways that will respect users’ sensory capabilities and
perceptual skills?
-“Does the system cater for users with age-related or specific
sensory and perceptual deficits?”
• Responses: What response options are available for users?
-Range of response media adequate?
-Can users select, organize, time, and implement appropriate
responses?
2) Abstract working memory: does the system respect
limitations of human memory?
3) Long-term memory (LTM
-Does the design rely on unjustified assumptions about users prior
knowledge?
-Did the designer assume that his/her own prior knowledge is
representative of that of the users?
4) Executive functions: What demands do the design place on
executive functions of users?
- E.g. "What new tasks do the design expect users to learn?
-Will users be expected to perform familiar tasks in unfamiliar or
contradictory ways?
- Do the users require special features to enable them to perform
well?
3.4 Heuristic Evaluation
• Heuristic : Search strategy
• Not absolute

-Involves interpretations and judgements

-Checklist: Reminds the designer to be on the
look-out for something
- Example: There is an undo facility
Nielsen’s heuristics
1. Visibility of system status
2. Match between systems and the real world
3. User control and freedom
4. Consistency and Standards
5. Error prevention
6. Recognition rather than recall
7. Flexibility and efficiency of use
8. Aesthetic and minimalist design
9. Help users recognize, diagnose, and recover from errors
10.Help and documentation
Nielsen’s Heuristics
1. Visibility of System Status
-The design should always keep users informed about what is going on, through
appropriate feedback within a reasonable amount of time.
-Predictable interactions create trust in the product as well as the brand.
2. Match Between the System and the Real World
-The design should speak the users' language. Use words, phrases, and concepts
familiar to the user, rather than internal jargon. (avoid: “cache”, “database”,
“compile”, etc.)
- Ensure that users can understand meaning without having to go look up a word’s
definition. (using metaphors)
3. User control and freedom
- Users often perform actions by mistake. They need a clearly marked "emergency
exit" to leave the unwanted action without having to go through an extended
process.
4. Consistency and standards
- Don't use the same word of different meanings or describe the same thing with different words
- Experience with a small part of the system should facilitate easier learning of the rest of the
system.
• Screen arrangement should be consistent
• Positioning of features should be consistent, e.g. links, index, search, etc.
5. Error prevention
-If possible, prevent errors in the first place
-System errors
• E.g. run-time errors, erroneous processing, etc.
-HCI-errors
• Misleading terminology, e.g. user selecting wrong menu option is not necessarily user error
-User errors
• E.g. typing errors, poor mouse handling, weak understanding of the system
• Enforce constraints, e.g. limit typo's by providing dropdown list as far as possible, masks for dates
and currency.)
6. Helping users recognize, diagnose and recover from errors
– Use plan language to describe problem
– Suggest way to solve,
e.g. submitting a form with not all fields completed:
• NO : "Form not accepted"
• YES: Present the form again with forgiving message and indication of
missing of
7. Recognition rather than recall
– Make objects, actions, and option visible
– Example: Use radio-buttons and list rather than expecting a user to type
commands
– User clear metaphors, e.g. shopping cart
– Objects should be labelled well