Human Attributes Study - Assignment Example

Part 3: Human Attributes Study ____________________ Sensation and perception Vision 1 Define and show how this impacts design in general: Heim defines vision as the ability to discern what is displayed on a user interface of a computing device. Vision is the major human factor that determines how the user is going to interact with the computing device (Heim, 2008). Generally, vision impacts the ability of a user to effectively use the interface. Consequently, the designer must consider several aspects of the interface during design such as the visibility of the interface. The interface should be visible to the user at any given instance. 1.2 Provide an example of a specific characteristic and how it can be used to improve design: Vision is mainly characterized by color, brightness, layout among other characteristics. The use of these aspects in design determines the effectiveness and efficiency of the user interface. One specific characteristic is color (Helander, 2014). Use of color has various impacts on the vision of a user. Some users are colour blind, others do not know how to define different colors therefore use of good color that can easily be discerned by all users can greatly improve the design of user interface. Another major characteristic is the lighting of the interface as well the location of the device. The designer can provide the interface user with the option if adjusting the brightness and contrast of the interface to suit their needs. 1.3 Provide an example of a specific characteristic and how and why it should be avoided in a good design: As mentioned earlier color is a major characteristic of a user interface and determines the effectiveness of the interface in terms of visibility. Given the fact that people have different visual conditions the use of unconventional colors for instructional purposes could cause a major problem in the use of the interface (Helander, 2014). For instance use of similar icons with different colors for different purposes. The designer should at all costs avoid use of colors for instructional purposes. However, it could be ideal for presentation, formatting purposes as that does not have a major impact on the use of the interface. 2. Hearing: 2.1 Define and show this impacts design in general: This is one of the common senses in a human being that involves the ability to hear sound and discern the different sounds. Current user interfaces utilizes the use of speech for both input and output. The use of speech has improved the experience of user interaction and made the accomplishment of several tasks easier. This human attribute impacts the design of user interfaces because the designer must now consider how to incorporate speech in their design. They must therefore ensure clarity for recognition of speech input and output (Helander, 2014). 2.2 Provide an example of a specific characteristic and how it can be used to improve design: Sound can be heard only if it has the right volume and pitch for the intended user of the interface. The pitch is the main determinant of the effectiveness of the user interface. Perfect pitch can be used to ensure that user can effectively and efficiently use the user interface (Helander, 2014). The designer must also ensure that the user is provided with the option of increasing both the volume and pitch to their preferred levels. 2.3 Provide an example of a specific characteristic and how and why it should be avoided in a good design: High volume and pitch must be avoided by the designer at all costs. High or low pitch and volume reduces clarity and a time distorts the communication between the user and the computer (Helander, 2014). It reduces the ability of the user to listen and determine what the system is trying to communicate. Essentially, the designer must ensure that there is clarity of the interface. 3. Sensory limits: 3.1 Define and show how this impacts design in general: The interaction between humans and computers depends of three human attributes commonly referred to as the common senses of sight, touch and hearing (Heim, 2008). Not all users have these senses or attributes in their right elements; therefore, they are known to have sensory limits. These limits include color blindness, deafness, and eye sight defects among others. Therefore, these sensory limits must be taken into considerations when designing a user interface (Helander, 2014). The designer must therefore use the right design elements to cater for all users of the interface. 3.2 Provide an example of a specific characteristic and how it can be used to improve design: Legibility is one specific characteristic that will ultimately determine the effectiveness of the interface. The designer must use the right size of text, appropriate color where needed and clear sound in case of speech input or output (Stanton & Walker, 2013). The designer must also consider the intended users and develop appropriate interface for each one of them. 3.3 Provide an example of a specific characteristic and how and why it should be avoided in a good design: Most interfaces use the characteristic of absolute judgment where a user is subjected to the use of colour, sound and other attributes to determine a function. Such should be avoided in the design of a user interface. For instance, do not use colour to determine results in an interface such as Red for danger, Green for Ok or variations of one colour such as Red for Low to High where deep red means high and light red for Low. This confuses many users and particularly those with sensory limits (Stanton & Walker, 2013). 4. Perception: 4.1 Define and show this impacts design in general: Perception is measured by the degree of a user to perceive. It is one’s ability to understand and comprehend things by utilizing their senses. The user can perceive what they can touch, what they can see and what they can hear from the computer. Therefore, the design of a user interface ensures that there is the right communication between the user and the computing device. Users have the tendency of hearing or seeing things and perceiving them differently from what the computing device is communicating (Stanton & Walker, 2013). 4.2 Provide an example of a specific characteristic and how it can be used to improve design: Perception is heavily influenced by what is outputted from the interface to the user. Therefore, the designer should consider using the best techniques for outputting information through the user interface. Design can be improved using high resolution and increased image polarity to enhance clarity and perception by the user. Other designers use audio and visual enhancements to increase attractiveness, perception and visual processing. 4.3 Provide an example of a specific characteristic and how and why it should be avoided in a good design: Simple design principles can be used to change the perception of the users using a user interface. One important aspect of perception is clarity; the designer must avoid all possible causes’ of unclear information that could affect perception. One of the most common causes is the cluttering of information on the screen. Cognitive Processing and Performance 5. Memory: 5.1 Define and show this impacts design in general: Several commands and instructions are used in operating a computing device. The user has to memorize or familiarize with these commands and instructions to enable them to use the device. In designing the user interface the designer must consider the user’s ability to memorize the commands used in a particular user interface. This can easily be achieved by using simple and understandable interfaces (Stanton & Walker, 2013). 5.2 Provide an example of a specific characteristic and how it can be used to improve design: The best way of ensuring that the interface design achieves maximum effectiveness is ensuring that the users are able to comfortably use the interface to perform their tasks. This can be achieved by maintaining simplicity in the design of the interface. The designers should incoperate simple commands and represent them in a user friendly manner. The best way is to use icons and other associated graphics to represent such commands. 5.3 Provide an example of a specific characteristic and how and why it should be avoided in a good design: Once a user gets familiarized with the commands and instructions of an interface the designer should avoid inconsistency in subsequent versions of the interface. This is a common practice with most designers who change fundamental commands and instructions that results in inconsistency. The user is forced to learn new instructions and commands for the same interface they were using previously which is a total let down on customer experience with user interface (Stanton & Walker, 2013). 6. Thinking, reasoning, problem solving and decision making: 6.1 Define and show this impacts design in general: Cognitive workload is the process of receiving information, perceiving it, thinking about it, reasoning before making decisions and problem solving. Users respond differently to information they receive through the user interface depending on the design of the interface. The designer must therefore consider the thinking reasoning, problem solving and decision making of the user during the design of the user interface (Heim, 2008). 6.2 Provide an example of a specific characteristic and how it can be used to improve design: Compatibility and proximity is one important characteristic of this human attribute. In the current trend in design of user interfaces, the user may have to source several information from different sources to be able to make decisions. Therefore, a designer must consider compatibility and proximity during the user interface design. This will improve the interface if related items needed for decision making are compatible and in proximity to one another (Stanton & Walker, 2013). 6.3 Provide an example of a specific characteristic and how and why it should be avoided in a good design: Given the nature and location of information needed to complete several tasks in an interface, the designer must minimize the costs in relation to time and effort that is needed to access this information in the interface. A user’s concentration and attention may be diverted if he is forced to take time and resources to access information that is needed for decision making purposes. Therefore, it is up to the designer to minimize the access cost to information. 7. Cognitive processing limits: 7.1 Define and show this impacts design in general: Just as users have different sensory limits, the users also have cognitive limits which are limitations in the ability to think, reason, perceive and make decisions (Heim, 2008). The designer must therefore consider the cognitive limitations when designing a user interface. The most important thing to consider is the technical skills and knowledge of the intended users. 7.2 Provide an example of a specific characteristic and how it can be used to improve design: Cognitive limitations can be easily addressed by using simple design strategies and layouts that involve the use of visuals and graphics. These are easy to perceive and understand hence facilitating decision making process. The designer can improve the user interface by use of menus, checklists and any other items that can assist users with cognitive limitations (Stanton & Walker, 2013). 7.3 Provide an example of a specific characteristic and how and why it should be avoided in a good design: The most important thing during the design of the interface is to limit the use of design attributes that have a high cognitive load. The designer should avoid use of complex commands, ambiguity, cluttering and provide the user with an easy interface that can enable them to concentrate on the task at hand. 8. Motivation: 8.1 Define and show this impacts design in general: Motivation mainly relates to the acceptability of the interface and how well it serves the user of an interface. A well designed user interface is attractive, easy to use and motivates the user to continue using the interface. Most importantly, motivation is guaranteed when an interface is designed in a way that it effectively and efficiently meets the user needs (Stanton & Walker, 2013). 8.2 Provide an example of a specific characteristic and how it can be used to improve design: A good design should be learnable and easy to understand, this is one major characteristic that could be used to improve the design of the interface. The designer must ensure that the design is easy to learn and understand and in this way the user is motivated to use the user interface. 8.3 Provide an example of a specific characteristic and how and why it should be avoided in a good design: The designer should minimize the amount of cognitive load placed on the user such that it limits the motivation of the user. In simple terms the designer must avoid use of design aspects that are complex, require a lot of steps that could take too much time and cognitive load for the user. Motor system issues 9. Motor system and responder limits: 9.1 Define and show this impacts design in general: The motor systems attribute is the ability to move and navigate. The interaction with the computer requires one to move around and initiate the interaction process. This has a direct impact on the design of the user interface. The user must consider the user’s ability to move and incorporate that in the design of the interface. 9.2 Provide an example of a specific characteristic and how it can be used to improve design: One characteristic of the motion system attribute is mobility. A user should be in a position to have sufficient mobility to use the user interface. It is upon the designer to ensure that the user should be able use the interface without having to strain. They should comfortably use the interface by moving the required limbs and other body parts. 9.3 Provide an example of a specific characteristic and how and why it should be avoided in a good design: The designer should avoid designing stationary interfaces that will force the user to move around in order to use the interface. Such user interfaces include ATMs among others that sometimes cause the user to strain while using such computing devices. 10. Input devices in relation to motor control: 10.1 Define and show this impacts design in general: Common input devices such as keyboards and the mouse require the user to move the fore limbs while using them. The designer must therefore focus on most of the designs to be compatible with these input devices and ensure that they are easy to control. 10.2 Provide an example of a specific characteristic and how it can be used to improve design: Responsiveness is one of the most important characteristics of the input devices. A good interface should be fast and respond quickly to the commands issued by the user by clicking or typing. The interface should be fast and reliable in providing the feedback to the user. 10.3 Provide an example of a specific characteristic and how and why it should be avoided in a good design: Ensure minimal movement from the user when using the interface. It is common practice for users to move body parts while using the keyboards or mouse, the user interface should be designed in a way to minimize these movements as much as possible. Reference Heim, S. (2008). The Resonant Interface : HCI Foundations for Interaction Design. Carlifornia: Pearson/Addison Wesley. Helander, M. G. (Ed.). (2014). Handbook of human-computer interaction. Elsevier. Stanton, N. A., & Walker, G. H. (2013). Human factors methods: a practical guide for engineering and design. Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. Read More