Interacting with IT Systems Fundamentals of Information Technology Session 5

Interaction Interaction is process of communication that involves two or more participants

Interaction Interaction can be understood as a form of request/response communication 1.A sends a request to B 2.B sends a response to A

Interaction Successful interaction requires a shared language of communication Successful interaction requires a shared set of rules

Interaction In an interactive exchange, participants have a measurable effect upon one another so that in the process of the interaction the status of both is changed. Both A and B now know the time A knows B is a reliable source of time information B knows A does not have a watch

Interactivity Interaction also occurs between human beings and computer programs. The extent to which a computer program allows interaction is known as its interactivity Some computer programs have high levels of interactivity (e.g. games); others have little or no interactivity (e.g. embedded systems)

Interactive and non-interactive elements of interfaces What are the interactive and non-interactive elements on the Guardian homepage?

Interactivity Interactivity is facilitated through a combination of hardware and software elements of an IT System HardwareSoftware Mouse (input)Graphical user interface Keyboard (input) Speakers (output) Monitor (output) ?

Graphical User Interface Originally, interaction with computers was achieved through a text-based command line interface (e.g. DOS or Telnet) Now, apart from specialist or embedded systems, human-computer interaction (HCI) is facilitated through the use of graphical user interfaces (GUI)

Graphical User Interface Standard graphical user interfaces are constructed from combinations of several classes of component –Menus –Controls (buttons, combo boxes, etc) –Display –Status information

Graphical User Interface Common GUI controls What is each one called? What is each one used for?

Designing a GUI for a Home Control System Identify each element (module) of the system Identify the user requirements for the (module) interface –Switch on all lights –Switch off all lights –Switch on light groups –Switch off light groups –Control brightness of all lights –....

Designing a GUI for a Home Control System Storyboard the interface Use Visio or a similar drawing tool to create a storyboard or mock-up of the interface Consider alternatives Make adjustments as necessary

Designing a GUI for a Home Control System Design the Menus –Consideration must be given to Conformance to standards –Windows standards for PC applications –Web standards for web applications Grouping (associating common elements) Weighting (giving precedence to more commonly used elements)

User-centred Design Many GUIs are too complex or inappropriate for their intended target audience and fail as a result This is often because end-users of IT systems are not consulted in the design process User-centred design puts the user at the centre of the design process By involving end-users of a system on a regular basis designers can properly understand the needs that the system is meant to satisfy User-centred design helps designers to properly tailor and maximize usability User centred-design methodologies include, observations, prototyping, user-testing, heuristic evaluation (e.g. )

Usability Usability is a quality attribute that assesses how easy user interfaces are to use. Usability can be defined by five quality components: –Learnability: How easy is it for users to accomplish basic tasks the first time they encounter the design? –Efficiency: Once users have learned the design, how quickly can they complete the tasks they need to do? –Memorability: When users return to the design after a period of not using it, how easily can they re-establish proficiency? –Errors: How many errors do users make, how severe are these errors, and how easily can they recover from the errors? –Satisfaction: How pleasant is it to use the design?

Usability Usability considerations should inform all stages of software development Development –Focus groups –Paper prototyping Testing –Performance testing (quantifiable metrics) Number of clicks required to perform a task Time taken to perform a task Number of errors made by users Frequency of failure to complete a task –Think aloud protocol –Cognitive walkthrough

Accessibility Accessibility is closely related to usability –Determines how easy it is for people with disabilities (e.g. blindness, dyslexia, colour blindness) to successfully make use of a piece of software –Accessibility is a particular issue on the Web as a result of the demands of the Equality Act 2010 (Replacing the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) 1998)Equality Act 2010 –Web content accessibility is measured against the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)Web Content Accessibility Guidelines –The guidelines deal with issues such as Navigation Readability Page layout Use of colour

User Manuals User manuals are essential elements for first time users and for advanced users doing more advanced tasks Quality documentation reduces user errors and cuts out the need for after sales support A user manual should comprise: –An overview of system elements –Task instructions: a detailed, step-by-step breakdown of how to complete individual tasks –A list of typical errors and how to recover from those errors –A glossary of terms

User Manuals An extract from a typical user manual

FIT Session 5 – Activities Now do –Activity 5 – Interacting with IT systems