Cognitive Walkthrough Example Dr. Philip Craiger Human - Computer Interaction

1 CW Through GENISYS USERS New to GENISYS system Unfamiliar with text-based interfaces Some experience with GUIs Some experience using GUI-based search systems at other libraries. Based on this simple description, what general problems can you foresee?

2 CW Through GENISYS TASK: Search for “Handbook of GUI”, and print information on the book TASK ANALYSIS (high level description) : 1. Logon GENISYS system 2. Search for book using keyword search 3. Find book in list of results 4. Print information for later use 5. Exit the system

3 CW Through GENISYS Logon to GENISYS System Success story: Directions clearly indicate user is to type in “genisys” at login:

4 CW Through GENISYS

5 User enters into catalog Criterion: Will users know an action is available?  That is, that hitting the “G” key is associated with going to GENISYS catalog Failure: users aren’t familiar with using keystrokes to invoke commands. “Choose one” isn’t descriptive. Users may try to find mouse (there aren’t any!) to click on the “G” Fix? CW Through GENISYS

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7 User searches for book using keyword “GUI” Criterion: Will user notice that the correct action is available? Failure story: User is familiar with using buttons to initiate commands. GENISYS requires using the [return] key. Also, instructions for using the key are not in proximity to search. Users may not read entire screen and therefore not see the instructions. Fix?

8 CW Through GENISYS Label-Following?

9 CW Through GENISYS User finds book and selects it from list for review. User hits the “4” key. Success story: If users have gotten this far it suggests they now understand how to initiate actions using keystrokes. Also instruction “Please type number of item you want to see” is fairly clear.

10 I want to print this!!! HOW??? CW Through GENISYS

11 CW Through GENISYS User prints information on book. Criterion: Will the user notice that the correct action is available? Failure story: There is nothing on the interface that indicates that printing is possible from that page. Criterion: Will user associate correct action with that trying to be achieved? Failure story: Only print indicator is on prior page. However, this doesn’t print all necessary information for the relevant book

12 CW Through GENISYS Pops up when clicking “+”: Additional Options

13 CW Through GENISYS What’s an printer? What’s an attached printer? What does “generic” mean in this context?

14 CW Through GENISYS Given user got to this point, selects the option to print to a local printer. Criterion: Will user associate the correct action with the effect trying to be achieved? Failure story: Labels aren’t descriptive, and are confusing to novices. There is no clear indication as to which option is associated with the local printer. FIX?

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16 CW Through GENISYS User selects “attached printer” through trial-and-error. Criterion: If the correct action is performed, will the user see the progress being made toward the goal? Failure story: No feedback given as to whether the information is printing. Only a duplication of the previous screen. FIX?

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18 CW Through GENISYS Because user saw no feedback, now selects “ printer” option. Criterion: If the correct action is performed, will the user see that progress is being made toward the goal? Failure story: No feedback is given after the submitting the printer option. In fact, the user can type nonsense into the address request, and no feedback. FIX?

19 CW Through GENISYS How do I get out of here?

20 CW Through GENISYS User exits the system Criterion: Will the user notice that correct action is available? Failure story: No, there is no indication as to how to exit the system from this point. Only indication is 3 levels higher. Would have had to have retained that information in memory (LTM). Not likely. FIX?