Evaluation of the Software Project (Travel App) - Research Paper Example

Evaluation of the Software Project (Travel App) and Introduction Human computer interaction is an art and science involving the design, study of, and planning of the manner in which human beings interact with computers (Wilson 53). When designing any software application, putting in mind factors such as usability, ease of use, errors, efficiency and ergonomics among others is very crucial. Any software without meeting these features will be termed ineffective and unfriendly, which is a factor most software designers and developers should focus on when creating their application interfaces (Wilson 53). Many users don’t have time to study your software application as their time could be limited to other duties. Others are not conversant with the use of computers, but are expected to use your application for the designed tasks. Taking into consideration all these broad categories of users of a software program are an asset that any developer should have in mind when designing the user interface for their application programs. Evaluating an application program before release and deployment should be performed to establish whether such software meets all the required criteria to be termed efficient and usable (Lewis and John 174). This paper seeks to evaluate the travel software application to determine whether it meets the usability criteria listed above, and whether it meets user requirements and expectations. This is through evaluation of such aspects as ease of use, efficiency, user satisfaction and user friendliness, among other features. The user interface design and the Usability of the system This is a very crucial aspect in the design of computer applications which focuses on designing a system with the experiences, levels of interaction and other health factors of the users for whom the software is developed (Galitz 39). The major goal of having a good user interface is that the intended users of such a system will efficiently and easily perform the intended tasks without having to spend much time learning the system. From the software application Travel App., usability of the system has been considered and met in the design of the application. It is very easy to learn and understand as the number of buttons used has been minimized completely. Where fewer buttons are used, the user of the system has time to glance at them through at once to get the intended button with ease. The way the buttons have been labeled is another aspect that makes the application easy to learn and use as the instructions to be input are clear and precise. Even a naïve user can confidently use the system without any form of problem. It has been designed using the user-centered design as the clarity of the buttons dictates. A good designed user interface facilitates completion of tasks by users of the system without requiring them to pay more attention to the system (Lewis and John 174). The manner in which a good interface is designed should facilitate its usability. This is achieved through balancing of the visual components and the technical functionality of the system when designing it, as it ensures development of usable, operational systems that are adaptable to changing user needs (Ling, Lian and John 319). It can therefore be concluded that the Travel Application has been designed in a usable manner as it meets most of these requirements in the way it has been designed and developed. The design of the user interface should be done with a number of factors in mind. Such factors as the experiences, capabilities, the physical and mental limitations among others should be looked at keenly when designing a software interface. Different people have varied sizes of memory, and also prone to making mistakes in different aspects of life. Designing an interface that will make things work out perfectly for different people is a key concept that should be taken care of. As such, a number of user interface characteristics should be considered which includes consistency of operations, uniformity, minimal surprises, recoverability, user guidance and resilience to errors among others. A good user interface design should be one in which the layout of components on the screen is clear, and consistency of transactions should be maintained. In this case, one transaction in the system should minimize the movements of the use from one tab to the other. The arrangement of elements on the screen should be done in a manner that they are visible and efficiently arranged to avoid compactness. This is achieved when they are reduced to the minimum number possible. Most of these features have been catered for in the design of the Travel App software program. Few buttons which are properly arranged for clarity are present, and which are clearly labeled to act as a guide for the users of the system hence improving the usability of the App. Finally, the use of color is a very prominent factor that designers should take keen consideration when designing appropriate user interfaces. Selection of colors facilitates development of clear interfaces that are friendly to users (Galitz 412). Proper usage of color promotes the physical outlook of the application. Using the right colors reduces the effects of the system to human health and is thus an ergonomic factor. Where very bright colors are applied, the users’ comfort when using the system will be tampered with making the system unusable. Travel App has been designed using an appropriate color that promotes clarity of elements. Esthetic Features Visual esthetics in user interface design has been seen as the use of visually pleasing objects to develop applications that work better in performing the designed goals and objectives (Lewis and John 148). Lewis and John regard esthetics as the act of making beautiful things to perform intended tasks together. The effects of the first impressions created by users for a product can be an indication of whether the esthetic features of such an application has been designed optimally. Taking more detailed considerations when deciding on the design of user interface to adopt for an application is, therefore, a key aspect that should be considered. The objective approach to establishing the aesthetic value of an interface entails the use of such measure as symmetry, equilibrium, simplicity, density and others (Andersen 89). Proper considerations in interface esthetics design aids in improving the acceptability and learnability of an application. Some of the esthetic measures identified from the evaluation of Travel App. are as follows: Balance Balance has not been properly utilized in the design of the Travel App. It defines the distribution of elements on the screen, which requires that different weights’ objects should be uniformly distributed towards the right, left, top and bottom. This has however been achieved with the first page where all elements have been arranged appropriately in the center. The aspect of equilibrium has also not been achieved as it also applies the same feature. The measure of symmetry This entails the replication of elements within the screen. The design of Travel App was done effectively as there is no duplication of elements on the screen, promoting usability and clarity of objects as the screen does not look crowded. The measure of sequence This refers to the way objects have been arranged to facilitate human scanning of the screen. The elements in Travel App. have been arranged in an appropriate sequence which allows users to view elements from a recursive order, thereby promoting ease of use for all levels of users. Unity This entails the coherence of objects that are displayed together. This requires that the elements displayed on the screen be related to each other to assist users execute required tasks. This factor has been observed in the design of Travel App user interface making it qualify for an effectively designed system. Proportionality of elements improves the appealing nature of software interface. This aspect has not been taken good care of as the sizing of buttons has not been done uniformly. Some tend to be larger, an aspect that is not expected for proportionality to be achieved. Finally, simplicity is the main aspect that has been scrupulously considered in the design of Travel App. This entails the directness and combination of elements performing related tasks that are represented on the screen. Uniformity of element display in different screens has not been achieved, which is a core aspect in the design of usable and appealing graphical components. Conclusion Human computer interaction is an aspect that should be keenly considered when designing any software as it guides towards development of an application that meets user requirements. No system can be said to be perfect, but most are average containing a considerable number of features for usability, expressiveness and aesthetics. From the evaluation, it is clear that the design of Travel App meets different usability heuristic requirements, which every system should possess to be termed usable. Works Cited Lewis, Clayton, and John Reiman. Task centered user interface design. 17 Feb 2008 version ed: 2008. Print. Andersen, Christian Ulrik. Interface criticism: aesthetics beyond the buttons. Aarhus [Denmark]: Aarhus University Press, 2010. Print. Galitz, Wilbert. The essential guide to user interface design an introduction to GUI design principles and techniques. 3rd ed. Indianapolis, IN: Wiley Pub., 2007. Print. Ling, David Chek, LianSengTeo, and John Byrne R.. "Task centered user interface design." Knowledge and Information Systems 4 (2002): 46-79. Print. Wilson, Chauncey. User experience re-mastered your guide to getting the right design. Burlington, MA: Morgan Kaufmann Publishers, 2010. Print. Read More