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CISB213 Human Computer Interaction

Understanding Users in Interface Design

Learning Outcomes

At the end of this lecture, you should be able to:

• Explain reasons for doing User Profiling

• Describe the steps in performing User Profiling

• Describe the various data gathering techniques

• Identify problems with data gathering

• Perform user profiling activity

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Golden Rule of Design

understand your materials

• understand computers• limitations, capacities, tools, platforms

• understand people• psychological, social aspects• human error

• and their interaction …

The process of design

what iswanted

analysis

designimplementand deploy

prototype

interviewsethnography

what is therevs.

what is wanted

guidelinesprinciples

dialoguenotations

precisespecification

architecturesdocumentation

help

evaluationheuristics

scenariostask analysis

Steps in process of design

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Steps …

• requirements – what is there and what is wanted … • analysis – ordering and understanding • design – what to do and how to decide • iteration and prototyping – getting it right … and finding what is really needed! • implementation and deployment – making it and getting it out there

User

“One most unfortunate product is from the type of engineer who does not realize that in order to apply the fruits of science for the benefit of mankind, he must not only grasp the principles of science, but must also know the needs and aspirations, the possibilities and the frailties, of those whom he would serve.”

- Vannevar Bush

1890-1974, well knownAmerican Electrical engineerDirected programs like the first development of atomic bombs , mass production of penicillin

User Focus

• know your user • persona • cultural probes

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Your User

• know your user • who are they? • probably not like you! • talk to them • watch them • use your imagination

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Persona

• description of an ‘example’ user• not necessarily a real person

• use as surrogate user• what would Betty think

• details matter• makes her ‘real’

example personaBetty is 37 years old, She has been Warehouse Manager for five years and worked for Simpkins Brothers Engineering for twelve years. She didn’t go to university, but has studied in her evenings for a business diploma. She has two children aged 15 and 7 and does not like to work late. She did part of an introductory in-house computer course some years ago, but it was interrupted when she was promoted and could no longer afford to take the time. Her vision is perfect, but her right-hand movement is slightly restricted following an industrial accident 3 years ago. She is enthusiastic about her work and is happy to delegate responsibility and take suggestions from her staff. However, she does feel threatened by the introduction of yet another new computer system (the third in her time at SBE).

Cultural Probes

• cultural probes • direct observation – sometimes hard

• in the home • psychiatric patients, …

• probe packs – items to prompt responses

• e.g. glass to listen at wall, camera, postcard – given to people to open in their own environment they record what is meaningful to them

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Exploring your users… explore the depths

• explore interaction – what happens when

• explore cognition – what are the users thinking

• explore architecture – what is happening inside

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Creating Scenarios

scenarios … • what will users want to do?

• step-by-step walkthrough – what can they see (sketches, screen shots) – what do they do (keyboard, mouse etc.) – what are they thinking?

• use and reuse throughout design

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Why use scenario?

use scenarios to ..

• communicate with others – designers, clients, users

• validate other models – ‘play’ it against other models

• express dynamics – screenshots – appearance – scenario – behaviour

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What is User Profiling?• The process of establishing knowledge about the users

• Find out

• who the users are

• what is the goal in using the product

• what are the tasks involved? (observe existing work practices)

Children, Elderly, Professional, Scientist, Male, Female, Tech Savvy, IT Illiterate

Withdraw cash, pay bills, find out movie time, online chat, gaming, research, cook, wash, treatment

E.g. To apply for leave: check schedule, get leave application form from admin, fill in the form, get supervisor to approve, get manager to approve, inform scheduler, inform colleagues, go on leave.

Why do User Profiling?

• System will fail if it - • does not do what the user needs• is inappropriate to the user

• “the system must match the users’ tasks and must meet the requirements”

Why do User Profiling?

• Why do user profiling, why not define “good” interfaces and just based your design on them?• infinite variety of tasks and users• guidelines can be too vague to be generative• e.g., “give adequate feedback”, or“make the system enjoyable” – how do you define and relate

to users?”

User Requirement

• Captures the characteristics of the intended user group• Novice & Casual (clear step by step intro)• Expert & Frequent (flexible interactions, wide range of

power/control, short cut keys)• Know your users – always!

What do we want to know -Who are the Users?

• Identify attributes of users• Physical characteristics• height; physical abilities or disabilities

• Background• education; social; religious

• Skills• task experience

• Preferences• efficiency

What do we want to know - How are Tasks Learnt?

• What does the user need to know?• To perform the task, do they need training/prior knowledge?• academic• general knowledge / skills• special instruction / training

What do we want to know - Where is the Task Performed?

• Office, laboratory, POS? (while standing, while sitting, in a crowded place, effects of environment)

• Are users under stress? (in an operation theatre)

• Is confidentiality required? (information displayed)

• Do Users have wet hands? (at the butcher)

• What kind of lighting do they work under?

• Surrounding noise

What do we want to know - How Often are Tasks Performed?

• Frequent users remember more details

• Infrequent users may need more help even for simple operations

• Which function is performed

• most frequently?

• by which users?

• optimize system for these tasks will improve perception of good performance

What do we want to know - What are the Time Constraints?

• What functions will users be in a hurry for?

• Positioning of functions• Which can wait?

• Is there a timing relationship between tasks?

• Time out

Data Gathering

What:How do we go about determining requirements and concluding the results

An important part of the requirement activity and also evaluation activity

Why:Purpose is to collect sufficient, relevant and appropriate data to produce a set of reliable requirements/conclusions.

Data Gathering Techniques

1. Questionnaires• A series of questions designed to elicit specific

information• Can give quantitative and qualitative data• Administered at distance, no one to explain & help in

answering• Advantages, disadvantages?

Data Gathering Techniques

2. Interviews• Involves asking someone a set of questions (often f2f)• Good for exploring issues, encourage people to

respond• Advantages, disadvantages?

Data Gathering Techniques

3. Workshops or focus groups• Group interviews rather than one on one• Gain a consensus view and/or highlighting areas of

conflicts• Facilitator is required to keep conversation on track• Has to be carefully structured, participants have to be

carefully chosen• Advantages, disadvantages?

Data Gathering Techniques

4. Naturalistic observation• Spend time with stakeholders in their day to day tasks,

observing work as it happens• Good for understanding the nature and context of the

tasks• Take notes, ask question (not too many)

Variation of this - ‘Ethnography’• Observing from the ‘inside’ as a participant, full

involvement

Advantages, disadvantages

Data Gathering Techniques

5. Studying documentation• Good for getting background information on

procedures and rules (manuals, job logs)• Advantages, disadvantages?

Problems with Data Gathering

1. Identifying and involving stakeholders2. Availability of key people3. Communication between parties

• Within development team (more technical)• With customer/user (less technical)• Between users (different parts of an organisation use

different terminology) 4. Dominance of certain stakeholders5. Balancing functional and usability demands