Evaluation of Human and Computer Interaction - Essay Example

"Human Computer Interaction" Table of Contents: Topic Page # Introduction 3 Myvue.co.uk 3 Odeon.co.uk 6 Empirecinemas.co.uk 8 Comparison and Evaluation 10 Conclusion 11 Bibliography 12 Introduction The objective of this report is to choose any three online cinema ticket-booking websites, and then apply Neilson's 10 heuristics for User Interface Design. The three sites, which are choosen, are: www.myvue.co.uk www.odeon.co.uk www.empirecinemas.com All of the sites are UK-based, which will be useful in evaluation and comparison and all three of them are designed on Graphical User Interface (GUI). MyVue.co.uk Myvue.co.uk is an UK based cinema booking website. Myvue is a chain of cinema house in United Kingdom, which has its cinema house located in different locations in UK and Ireland. Myvue.co.uk has the details of all the cinemas houses and all has all the relevant information about the movies, which are currently being showed, and their availability, at different times. According to Neilson's 10 heuristics: Visibility of System Status: Myvue.co.uk is a simple user friendly website. On clicking any item (button) of the website, then a small description about its function pop-up, which gives a useful feedback to the user what to do. The message appears immediately as the user keeps the pointer on the button within no significant time. Match between system and the real world: The terminologies used throughout the website are simple, to which user can relate easily. The designers of the myvue.co.uk have tried to avoid computer jargons. One can say that the site is designed for novice users. Even if the terminology is not understandable, there are small icons attach to the words (button), which makes it more easier for users. User control and freedom: As this website does not require much of the user input except when filling the information when making a booking for the movie, so there is no as such "emergency exits". The main menu keeps on moving as the user scrolls, so can be convenient for some user to directly go to the menu. Consistency and standards: The overall flow of the website, also called dialogue, is quite consistent. Consistency in dialogue is an important factor in consistency of web designing. The words, phases, terminologies used throughout the website is standard. Only one terminology is used for one action. Error prevention: Although when browsing the website, there are no as such critical actions, so the user there are few chances of committing an error or mistake. However, error prevention comes into play when the users are making an advance booking of the films, where they need to submit their confidential information such as credit card number etc. Recognition rather than recall: The key for making the website successful is that it should be made for user's convenience i.e. should be user-friendly as much as possible. As cinema websites are not very complex in interfacing, however, the website designers of myvaue.co.uk have done a good job of making by putting some animated features, which does not take much of attention from the users while browsing. As discuss earlier, there a small description about the terminology when it is clicked, so the user does not need to memorize it. The flow of dialogue is consistent from one page to the other. Flexibility and efficiency of use: As the website is design in keeping novice users in mind, so its does not use much technicality. One can say that the website is designed fair enough that caters both inexperienced and inexperienced users. However, this website does not have much for the experience users i.e., accelerators are not used in great extend. Aesthetic and minimalist design: The web interface should contain information that is relevant or not redundant, because more the material (data) in the web, the greater time it will take to load the web page. However, the iconic main menu keeps on moving as the user scrolls the page up and down. For many users this can be quite irritating. Help users recognize, diagnose, and recover from errors: Error handling is managed quite efficiently in this website. For example, if you enter incorrect credit card number, other critical information etc while making booking for a show, a concise message appears, which indicates the mistake made in simple English language. Help and documentation: The website has buttons at the bottom of the page, such as contact us, legal, frequently asked questions, which can serve as important and useful documentations for the users. Odeon.co.uk Odeon.co.uk is considered to be as the leadimg cinema chain in UK. Nearly 1/3 of the shows are booked from odeon.co.uk. They also operate in other countries in Europe, and is the second largest cinema chain throughout Europe. According to Neilson's 10 heuristics: Visibility of System Status: Odeon.co.uk before clicking on any button, pop-ups a small message box, which clarifies what that button or link will perform. The message appears immediately as the user keeps the pointer on the button. Match between system and the real world: The terminologies used in most of cinema website are simple which does use typical computer jargons. However, every website has its own terms used throughout the website, different to the other websites, so that plagiarism could be avoided. Odeon.co.uk also uses consistent terms throughout the website dialogue. User control and freedom: Odeon.co.uk does not take much of the user input while browsing. Most of the menus are drop-down menus. Such websites does not require "emergency exits". Consistency and standards: Standardization has been maintained in the website. No interchanging terms have being used. Every word, phase has its own unique meaning and action. Website is nicely formatted as well. Error prevention: As the website has most of the drop-down menu, chance of users of committing a mistake as less. This drop-down menu has helped in avoiding error, as all the information that user want, appears in a listed form and all they have to do is select from it. Recognition rather than recall: As consistent terminologies are used throughout the website, it does not require user to remember information from page to page. The website uses simple terms which can be easily comprehended by users. Flexibility and efficiency of use: This website is designed more for novice users, however could have being more user friendly if they would have some iconic or animated menu. Both types of users can be adjust with website. Aesthetic and minimalist design: The website take more time, as compared to other cinema websites, to open up the main page. This may be because there are to many advertisements, and system itself taking playing the trailer of the latest film. This takes too much load. Loading of list in drop-down menu also takes time. But there is another option to view the list in a non flash version. However, this can be a drawback of this website. Help users recognize, diagnose, and recover from errors: Errors are usually made when the user is making the ticketing of film. However, the website is quite strict in filling critical information from the users. A pop-up box appears as soon as the user makes a mistake. If a user entered an incorrect entry to the website, a message appears what the error and there is a code also for the expert users, who are familiar with system terms. Help and documentation: Odeon.co.uk has contact us, FAQs, Accessibility, sitemap menu at the top of the web page, from where users can contact if they have any queries. Each of them has a documentation that can be helpful. At the bottom of the page, is a small button of legal and privacy, which tells exactly what is required from the users when ticketing etc. Empirecinemas.co.uk The chain Empire cinemas are being owned by Terra Firms Capital Partners, which are also the owners on Odeon. Empire Cinema currently operates in 17 locations all over UK. Although, Empire cinema are new in E-booking of tickets, there are more focused on the quality standards of the cinemas. According to Neilson's 10 heuristics: Visibility of System Status: Empirecinema.co.uk has the same pop-up message on pointing on any button, which tells a summary of what that button will perform. Match between system and the real world: The terminologies are common terms, phases used in many of the other cinema website, that are understandable to common cinemagoers. The overall dialogue tone of the website is good. User control and freedom: Empirecinemas.co.uk do not have any unwanted state in the website, which require any "emergency exits". Consistency and standards: Consistency has been maintained in using same terms from page to page. Standard formats have also been adapted. However, the film and movie has been interchangeably used. But the user are wont got confused with these terms. Error prevention: Errors can have been handled nicely. For instance, the user selected the film, location, date and time, an error can appear relating the to seating arrangement, so a message will appear saying seating plan data error, and tells user what to do. Similarly, when wrong entry of credit card number is made, a message will pop-up, telling of error committed. Recognition rather than recall: As the terms used in website are simple and user understandable, it does not requires users to memorize the terms. Besides that, each button has a small description about its function. Flexibility and efficiency of use: This website is a designed for novice users. But every user can get compatible with it. Aesthetic and minimalist design: The designer of the website, have not used heavy objects, therefore the loading speed is quick. However, one can complain that redundant information on booking of films is used. Firstly, there is a drop-down menu and secondly, a tabular form, both having the same function. Help users recognize, diagnose, and recover from errors: A discuss earlier in error prevention section, that website has maintained a good system of handling errors with appropriate feedback, and telling the user the error committed. The description of the error is in simple English. Help and documentation: Errors are documented properly, which can be helpful for the users. Besides that, there are sections of contact us, FAQs, privacy and legal, which are source of help for the users. Comparison and Evaluation: As we seen notice that all the three website are somewhat similar to each other. The interface designs are almost uses the same heuristics. There are only few heuristics, which are different. Therefore selecting the best and worst among them is a difficult task. What is have done is ranked the websites on the basis that the one which follows the maximum heuristics is ranked first. The rankings are: 1. www.myvue.co.uk 2. www.odeon.co.uk 3. www.empirecinemas.co.uk Myvue.co.uk has been ranked first because the interface they used was very attractive. They used iconic menus, animation, and uses user-friendly terms. The overall flow of opening of pages was smooth. The other two were also good, but there were certain drawback, which led them down. Although, both the cinema houses are owned by the same company, and both have large ticketing population than Myvue.co.uk, but one could expect more from these to websites. Conclusion: Whenever someone is designing a website for general public, such for cinemagoers, the interface should be designed in keeping the novice users in mind. The designer must understand the psyche of the users and keep those factors in mind. Besides that, the designer must follow Human Engineered Guidelines. All the above discuss websites used almost the similar format, but making the website more animated and user-friendly as done by Myvue.co.uk, can be a competitive advantage over the others. Bibliography: Whitten, Bently & Dittman ( ) Systems Analysis Design Methods, 6th Edition About MyVue Cinemas, Retrieved October 27, 2007, from Myvue Official Website: http://www.myvue.co.uk/ About Odeon Cinemas, Retrieved October 27, 2007, from Odeon Official Website: http://www.odeon.co.uk/ About Empire Cinemas, Retrieved October 27, 2007, from Empire Official Website: http://www.empirecinemas.co.uk/ About Neilson's 10 heuristics, Retrieved October 27, 2007, from Jacob Neilson's Official Website: http://www.useit.com/papers/heuristic/heuristic_list.html Read More