1. Course Wrap-Up IS 485, Professor Matt Thatcher

2. 2 C.J. Minard (1781-1870)

3. 3 What is HCI? l Human –the end-user of the program l Computer –the machine that the program runs on l Interaction –the user tells the computer what they want (inputs) –the computer communicates the results (outputs)

4. 4 Where Does HCI Occur? Hardware Systems Software Data base and Telecommunications User Applications Software User Interface HCI = designing, prototyping, and evaluating UIs

5. 5 What is UI Design? (The Design Triangle) Design Organizational & Social Issues TechnologyHumans Task

6. 6 What Is Usability? l Easy to learn –how long does it take for typical users to learn relevant tasks? l Easy to Remember –how easy is it to remember from one session to the next? l Efficient to use –how long does it take to perform benchmark tasks? l Minimal error rates –how many and what kinds of errors are commonly made? –if they occur, is good feedback provided so users can recover l High user satisfaction (subjectively pleasing) –confident of success and visually pleasing

7. 7 Who Builds Interfaces? l A team of specialists (ideally) –graphic designers –interaction / interface designers –technical writers –marketers –technical support –test engineers –software engineers –customers/users –client –and more…

8. 8 Keys to Designing and Building Successful UIs l UI design cycle l User-centered design (UCD) l Task analysis and contextual inquiry l Rapid prototyping l Evaluation l Iteration

9. 9 UI Design Cycle Prototype Design Evaluate

10. 10 User-Centered Design “Know Thy User” l Demographics –age, gender, geographic location l Individual characteristics –education, job experience, computer skills, physical limitations l Cognitive abilities –perception and memory l Mental models l Keep the design centered on users l Keep users involved throughout process (early and often)

11. 11 Power of Mental Models: The Island of California

12. 12 Impact of Cognitive Abilities “Know Thy User” l Demographics –age, gender, geographic location l Individual characteristics –education, job experience, computer skills, physical limitations l Cognitive abilities –perception and memory l Keep the design centered on users l Keep users involved throughout process (early and often)

13. 13 Task Analysis and Contextual Inquiry l Observe existing work practices l Identify and characterize the tasks users need and want to perform l Characterize the environment in which they perform these tasks l Create scenarios of actual use l Try out new ideas before building sftwr

14. 14 Rapid Prototyping l Build a mock-up of the UI design l Low-fidelity techniques –paper-based sketches and storyboards –chauffeured prototypes –Visio, drawing tools, etc. l High-Fidelity techniques –Well, maybe not

15. 15 Evaluation l Test with real users (participants) –user testing l Expert reviews (evaluations w/o users) –heuristic evaluations

16. 16 Iteration at Every Stage!!! Prototype Design Evaluate

17. 17 Goals of the Course l Learn to design, prototype, and evaluate UIs –the importance of human factors in the design of interactive software applications –cognitive / perceptual constraints that affect UI design –task analysis and contextual inquiry –technology tools used to prototype UIs –techniques for evaluating a UI design –importance of iterative design for usability –the real-world applications of course concepts and tools –how to work together on a team project –how to communicate your results to a group

18. 18 Course Format l Lectures l Interactive classes/assignments/applications –Everyday objects –User personas –Scenarios –Web design patterns –Killer Robot –Team presentations and interactions

19. 19 High-Level Goals of this Course l Formalizing the obvious l Increasing your sensitivity and awareness –identifying the problem and why it is a problem is 90% of the battle –many designers fail because they can’t break from their own conceptual models to even see the problems, much less solve them l Providing a set of tools and structures with which to solve design problems –design of software, doors, term papers, or anything for that matter l Instill passion and interest in (HCI and UCD)

20. 20 Good Luck Out There!!