Usability Tools

Usability Goals & Design for Mobile Phone

Interaction definition 1?

Interaction Design is a field and approach to designing interactive experiences. These could be in any medium (such as live events or performances, products, services, etc.) and not only digital media. Interactive experiences, necessarily, require time as an organizing principle though not exclusively) and Interactive Design is concerned with a user, customer, audience, or participant's experience flow through time. ...
www.nathan.com/ed/glossary/

Interaction definition 2


Interaction design is a sub-discipline of design which examines the role of embedded behaviors and intelligence in physical and virtual spaces as well as the convergence of physical and digital products. Sometimes referred to by the acronyms "IxD" or "ID," interaction design has recently developed as a field of study in a growing number of universities throughout the world.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interaction_design

Usability goal

1. Effective to use (effectiveness)
2. Efficient to use (efficiency)
3. Safe to use (safety)
4. Have good utility ( utility)
5. Easy to learn ( learnability)
6. Easy to remember how to use (memorability)

1. Effective to use (effectiveness)

A mobile phone in terms of its effectiveness, it does what a user needs it to do. For example making phone calls, receiving calls, sending and receiving text messages. Most mobile phones in our days have a lot of features that a users find very convenient like having an Internet, which allows the user to check and send emails also allowing the user to pay bills from their mobile phones.


2. Efficient to use (efficiency)

In terms of efficiency most mobile phones provide and supports the user with features that they can be able to do things fast and simple. For example: most mobile phones allow the user to text using “predicable text”, which this makes things faster. Mobile phones also apply other interesting but most importantly efficient ways of supporting common tasks to let the user use single button or key presses. An example of where this kind of efficiency mechanism has been effectively employed is “voice commands”, which this allows the user to press a single button and say the name of the person that they want to call. This is a very fast and simple way for the user to make a phone call instead of going through their contacts and scrolling down to the person that they want to call.

3. Safe to use (safety)

Safety involves protecting the user from dangerous, unauthorized and undesirable situations. Safety also allows the user to reverse any mistakes that they might
have done like recovering any information. Mobiles do have features that allow
for that not to happen, which this makes computer based systems safer.
For example most mobile phones that have an Internet have passwords words
on various sites in order to prevent certain users not to open or retrieve
any information/material that they not allowed. Another safety feature that
most mobile phones provide the user is “Undo”, which this allows the user to
reverce any serious mistake that they have done by maybe pressing the wrong key.
For example deleting an important e-mail, text message, mms or contact details.
Some mobile phones have memory stick to allow the user to safe any important data
or information in case of any accidents that may occur.

4. Have good utility ( utility)

When it comes to utility on mobile phones, there are a wide range of fractures and fucntions that are easy to caopitalise on for different users in order to meet and satisfy their preferences. An example of this is that mobile phones allow the user to have options in the settings area on whether they would want to text using predictable text or not. Mobile phones also allow the user to make phone calls without too much fuss or thoughts, taking for example when a user is making a phone call they can be able to go on their contacts and simply put in the first letter of the person that want to call and a list of names come up starting with that specific letter.

5. Easy to learn ( learnability)

In terms of the mobile phone learnability, it supports the user with recognizable features, mappings, everyday pictures and signs that users can easily relate to. An example of these are the answering and hanging buttons on the key pads, which the answering button is normally a phone shown facing upwards with a green sign (Green colour as we all know means GO). The hanging up button a phone shown facing downwards with a red sign (Red colour as we know means stop or end). Another example that helps the user with learnability on mobile phones are the different picture signs on the Menu, which a user can recognize ( Eg: picture of a person for contact, picture of an envelope for messages and picture of a camera for opening the phones camera.).

6. Easy to remember how to use (memorability)

Memorability refers to how a system is easy to remember and how to use when once learned. On the mobile phone there are different meaningful icons and menu options that are also structured in a way that will provide the user with the help to remember. These meaningful icons are also placed in relevant categories in order in to help the user. For example when a user wants to check or send any kind of messages, they can simply go on the Message option. Also when a user wants to set an alarm they can simply go on Time option.

Design Approaches

As people we interact automatically with objects and spaces that we encounter.

REACTING?

Photo 1: Man following a path
In the first photo there is a straight path on the flour, which looks like and underground tube station path and the man is reacting to that by following it. Maybe the man thinks that it designed for people to follow and making it safe to follow the path in order to exit the station or go to another plat form.

Photo 2: Two people holding coffee cups
The first photo on the left the person is holding a coffee cup fully around, which the reason maybe that the person is reacting to the design of the package. The person maybe thinking that it is safer to do so because of the material that is used, therefore reacting to the object.
The second photo on the right shows a person holding the coffee cup one finger on the buttom and one on the top. Therefore showing that the person is reacting to cup in terms of being hot including the design package.

Definitions and images of pervasive computing

Pervasive Computing Definition 1

The trend towards an information environment in which users have access to ICTs throughout the environment. This trend is particularly associated with the growth of wireless technologies that allow users to access online information and services remotely and synchronise data between different computers.
www.parliament.vic.gov.au/sarc/E-Democracy/Final_Report/Glossary.htm



Image: The image shows a person using a wireless devices, which is a pervasive Technology in computing.


Pervasive Computing Definition 2

Inexpensive microprocessors embedded in everyday objects and environments. Characterised by being numerous, casually accesible, often invisible computing devices, frequently mobile or imbedded in the environment and connected to an increasingly ubiquitous network structure.framework.v2.nl/archive/archive/node/text/default.xslt/nodenr-156647

Pervasive Computing Definition 3

The use of a computing infrastructure that supports information appliances from which users can access a broad range of network-based services, including Internet-based e-commerce services. Pervasive computing thus provides users with the ability to access and take action on information conveniently.www.rapidspec.com/RapidSpec%20Site/PROJECT%20ASSISSTANT%20SECTION/DOC%20SERVICES%20SECTION/Project%20Literature/rsp-Technicalinfo_Term.htm






http://www.cs.iit.edu/~scs/PerComp/index.1.gif

Image: This image shows a broad range of network-based services, that a user can be able to vie Internet.





similarities: Environment, New Technologies and user access

Differences:

Ubiquitous computing definition 1

computers everywhere. Making many computers available throughout the physical environment, while making them effectively invisible to the user.mobileman.projects.supsi.ch/glossary.html

Ubiquitous computing definition 2

Ubiquitous computing (ubicomp, or sometimes ubiqcomp) integrates computation into the environment, rather than having computers which are distinct objects. Another term for ubiquitous computing is pervasive computing. Promoters of this idea hope that embedding computation into the environment would enable people to move around and interact with computers more naturally than they currently do. ...en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ubiquitous_computing

similarities: interacting with the user, computers more natural.

Differences:

Ambient Computing definition 1

The foundations of Ubiquitous Computing (also named Ambient Computing) have been defined by Marc Weiser in his paper titled "Some Computer Science Issues in Ubiquitous Computing" [24]. The goal of ambient computing is to provide services to users according to their current situation, and interactions have to be as implicit as possible. In his paper, Weiser noticed that using a computer today requires all the user's vigilance. The current mobile systems, used by mobile users, cannot address this type of constraints. In Ubiquitous Computing mobile systems have to be used more intuitively without explicit interactions. The design of system environments able to support such ubiquitous applications requires to address two main topics: the characterization of the different contexts in which users evolve (see paragraph 3.3.1), and the way information can be accessed by users in a mobile environment (see paragraph 3.3.3).

Ambient Computing definition 2

A wide variety of everyday objects consist of textile fibres (clothes, wallpapers, chairs). Their primary purpose is structural and aesthetic. Fibres can have added functions by the integration of computing power into the material that forms them. The purpose of this project is to integrate this new dimension of functionality into fibres, thus turn everyday objects into artefacts. The initial step is selection of materials and development of fibres. The basic unit of computation, the transistor will be implemented into these fibres. This is done using a novel technology for building transistors on an SOI structure in fibre form and releasing the structures to leave a free-standing flexible active device. Central processing units as well as sensors and memory could be integrated within one fibre by the interconnection of transistors. Computing fibres can be interwoven into everyday objects to create artefacts, which could be interconnected with each other or with their surroundings

similarities: Everyday objects in computing, mobile users.

Differences:

Disappearing computing definition 1

A wide variety of everyday objects consist of textile fibres (clothes, wallpapers, chairs). Their primary purpose is structural and aesthetic. Fibres can have added functions by the integration of computing power into the material that forms them. The purpose of this project is to integrate this new dimension of functionality into fibres, thus turn everyday objects into artefacts. The initial step is selection of materials and development of fibres. The basic unit of computation, the transistor will be implemented into these fibres. This is done using a novel technology for building transistors on an SOI structure in fibre form and releasing the structures to leave a free-standing flexible active device. Central processing units as well as sensors and memory could be integrated within one fibre by the interconnection of transistors. Computing fibres can be interwoven into everyday objects to create artefacts, which could be interconnected with each other or with their surroundings.

Disappearing computing definition 2

similarities:

Differences:

8 GOLDEN RULES OF DESIGN

In design for usability, many people including Don Norman have provided different guidelines for effective usability. These guidelines involve the following:

1. Strive for consistency.
Making the application easier for the user to follow, without confusion. This means that the user can be able to find the navigation easy to use, if it is internally consistent by using the same terms for the same things. Taking for example: using same page layout and consistent style of words and colour including buttons if any.

2. Enable frequent users to use shortcuts.
Most people in our days prefer things to be done more easily and quicker when using a certain device or application. Taking for example when a user operating a mobile phone they can be able to go straight to their contacts by pressing a single button instead of having to go to the main menu. This could be shown by sign mappings on a phone directed to the button for the user. Another example is EBay or Amazon, which a user can be able to click on the buy now button or bid button on a specific item that they are interested in. Which this does not require the user to enter their personal and bank details again because they are saved automatically.

3. Offer information feedback.
A user can be more patient when using an application if there is feedback provided. For example error or pop up massages informing the user on how long it will take to process a specific demand that they would want to be done. Error messages can also be provided for means of a solution in order to avoid that mistake again. For example, when a person/ user is entering their personal details on an application online, this can prompt the user when there is incorrect information entered (eg. Digits or numbers under Surname).

4. design dialogs to yield closure
Providing a certain guideline for the user making it easier for them in order to follow a path, which this could be done step by step with headings. For example: when sending an email, there are certain guidelines which tell the user what to do next (e.g: TO, Cc, Bcc, Subject and then the text.

5. Strive to prevent errors and help users to recover quickly form them.
Users would find it more helpful and less straining in an application or device, by making controls or buttons not too small or putting them close together. For example: a simple mp3 player having separate buttons for Play, Forward, Rewind, Stop and Pause. Also when a user has to fill in information on an application, error massages (pop up messages) can be provided when certain information is not valid.

6. Allow undo.
Allowing the user to be able to undo a certain mistake or reverse them is important. For example when a user enters or edits information on an application or device, a button can be provided in order to back to the original setting before.

7. Make users feel they are in control of a responsive system.
­In order to make the user feel more in control of a responsive system, certain options can be provided which will avoid sluggish response. For example: when more pictures, music or any kind of data is inputted on mobile phones, these tend to slow down the mobile phone. A user can be provided with an option to delete certain things they don’t need like “control panel”.

8. Reduce short term memory load.
In reducing short term memory load for the user, this can be avoided by not using specific codes or sequence. If any codes of sequence are needed, then they can be entered one’s and then automatically saved.