CCT384 – Universal Design and AccessUD Principle: Cognitively Sound

Week 5

Conceptually Sound? Building a knowledge into the designed.

Through: Affordances Mappings and representation Constrains Feedback Language Complexity

Mapping Use mappings to help user form clear conceptual

models.

Mapping

Mapping

Mapping

Mapping

Mapping use the user’s conceptual model match the users’ task sequence minimize mapping between interface and task

semantics

From Microsoft applications

Mapping Present exactly the information the user needs

less is more less to learn, to get wrong, to distract...

information should appear in natural order related information is graphically clustered order of accessing information matches user’s expectations

remove or hide irrelevant or rarely needed information competes with important information on screen

remove modes

use windows frugally don’t add unneeded navigation and window management

Compuserve Information Manager

Services

Telephone Access Numbers

PHONES

Access Numbers & Logon Instructions

United States and Canada

United States and Canada

CompuServe Network

Only 9600 BaudList

? List List by:State/ProvinceArea Code

File Edit Services Mail Special Window Help

Mapping

Good: information all in the same place

Good: information all in the same placeBad: special edit mode

Good: Stable parts of the windowBad: Prescriptions separate from graphics

By previous 481 students Brant LeClercq, Lloyd Yoon, Amy Yang (with permission)

collapsed onto one screen(needs formatting)

Double click to edit (mode buttons gone)

Click to get info

Add Undo

Constraints Use constraints so as to control the course of

actions and prevent or reduce the possibility of users doing the wrong thing.

How do I get out of this?

Constraints

Constraints Users don’t like to feel trapped by the computer!

should offer an easy way out of as many situations as possible

Strategies: Cancel button (for dialogs waiting for user input) Universal Undo (can get back to previous state) Interrupt (especially for lengthy operations) Quit (for leaving the program at any time) Defaults (for restoring a property sheet)

Core Dump

Complexity Tutorial and/or getting started manuals

short guides that people are likely to read when first obtaining their systems encourages exploration and getting to know the

system tries to get conceptual material across and essential

syntax

on-line “tours”, exercises, and demos demonstrates very basic principles through working

examples

Complexity Reference manuals

used mostly for detailed lookup by experts rarely introduces concepts thematically arranged

on-line hypertext search / find table of contents index cross-index

Microsoft Help

Complexity Reminders

short reference cards expert user who just wants to check facts novice who wants to get overview of system’s capabilities

keyboard templates shortcuts/syntactic meanings of keys; recognition vs. recall;

capabilities

tooltips and other context-sensitive help text over graphical items indicates their meaning or purpose

Microsoft Word

Complexity Wizards

walks user through typical tasks but dangerous if user gets stuck

What’s my computer’s name?

Fred? Intel? AST?

Microsoft Powerpoint

Complexity Tips

migration path to learning system features also context-specific tips on being more efficient must be “smart”, otherwise boring and tedious

Microsoft Word

Complexity Computers good at remembering, people are not!

Promote recognition over recall menus, icons, choice dialog boxes vs commands,

field formats relies on visibility of objects to the user (but less is

more!)

From Microsoft applications

Constraints General idea: Forcing functions

prevent / mitigate continuation of wrongful action

Gag deals with errors by preventing the user from continuing

eg cannot get past login screen until correct password entered

Warn warn people that an unusual situation is occurring when overused, becomes an irritant

e.g., audible bell alert box

Constraints Do nothing

illegal action just doesn’t do anything user must infer what happened

enter letter into a numeric-only field (key clicks ignored) put a file icon on top of another file icon (returns it to original

position)

Self-correct system guesses legal action and does it instead but leads to a problem of trust

spelling corrector

Generic system responses for errors

Lets talk about it system initiates dialog with user to come up with

solution to the problem compile error brings up offending line in source code

Teach me system asks user what the action was supposed to

have meant action then becomes a legal one

What is “error 15762”?

Constraints

A problematic message to a nuclear power plant operator

Constraints

Complexity Gives input format, example and default

Complexity Small number of rules applied universally

generic commands same command can be applied to all interface objects

interpreted in context of interface object

copy, cut, paste, drag ’n drop, ... for characters, words, paragraphs, circles, files

context menus

Complexity

Language Provide messages in a language and format that

people using the process or product will understand.

My program gave me the message Rstrd Info.What does it mean?

That’s restricted information But surely you can

tell me!!!No, no… Rsdrd Info stands

for “Restricted Information”

Hmm… but what does it mean???

It means the program is too busy to let you log on

Ok, I’ll take a coffee

Language

Language Terminology based on users’ language for task

e.g. withdrawing money from a bank machine

Use meaningful mnemonics, icons & abbreviations eg File / Save

Ctrl + S (abbreviation) Alt FS (mnemonic for menu action) (tooltip icon)

Language

Feedback Use feedback to keep user informed as to the status

of the entity’s operations and the entity’s response.

Provide feedback Continuously inform the user about

what it is doing how it is interpreting the user’s input user should always be aware of what is going on

> Doit

What’s it doing?

> DoitThis will take5 minutes...

Time for coffee.

Provide feedback

What did I select?

What mode am I in now?

How is the system

interpreting my actions?

Microsoft Paint

Provide feedback Be as specific as possible, based on user’s input

Best within the context of the action

Provide feedback

Drawing Board LT

Multiple files being copied, but feedback is file by file.

Provide feedback Response time

how users perceive delays

<0.1s perceived as “instantaneous”

1s user’s flow of thought stays uninterrupted, but delay noticed

10s limit for keeping user’s attention focused on the dialog

> 10s user will want to perform other tasks while waiting

Provide Feedback Dealing with long delays

Cursors for short transactions

Percent done dialogs time left estimated time

Random for unknown times

cancel

Contacting host (10-60 seconds)

Affordance User affordances to help users clear conceptual

model’s operations

Affordances The perceived properties of an object that suggest how it

can be used.

Popularized by D. Norman in POET The perceptual psychologist J. Gibson had a similar,

but different, notion. Norman contrasts real vs. perceived affordances Subsequent clarifications on affordances by Norman:

http://www.jnd.org/dn.mss/affordances-and-design.html

Affordances The perceived properties of an object that determine

how it can be used. Knobs are for turning. Buttons are for pushing.

Some affordances are obvious, some learned Glass can be seen through. Glass breaks easily.

Sometimes visual plus physical feedback Floppy disk example

Rectangular – can’t insert sideways Tabs on the disk prevent the drive from letting it be fully inserted

backwards

Norman’s Affordances Affordances:

Have perceived properties that may or may not exist Have suggestions or clues about to how to use these

properties Can be dependent on the

Experience Knowledge Culture of the actor

Can make an action easy or difficult

From McGrenere & Ho, Proc of Graphics Interfaces, 2000

Affordances of a Teapot?

Slide adapted from Saul Greenberg

Real vs. Perceived Affordances

From http://www.jnd.org/dn.mss/affordances-and-design.html :

In product design, where one deals with real, physical objects, there can be both real and perceived affordances, and the two need not be the same.

In graphical, screen-based interfaces, all that the designer has available is control over perceived affordances.

Based on slide by Saul Greenberg

Affordances in Screen-Based Interfaces

Designer only has control over perceived affordances Display screen, pointing device, selection buttons,

keyboard These afford touching, pointing, looking, clicking on every

pixel of the display.

Based on slide by Saul Greenberg

Affordances in Screen-Based Interfaces

Most of this affordance is not used Example: if the display is not touch-sensitive, even

though the screen affords touching, touching has no effect.

Example: does a graphical object on the screen afford clicking? yes, but the real question is does the user perceive

this affordance; does the user recognize that clicking on the icon is a meaningful, useful action?

Visual affordances of a scrollbar

UD at the Workplace http://www11.cac.washington.edu/doit/Video/

Wmv/access_tech-h.asx

Usability Principles Visibility

Feedback

Constraints

Mapping

Affordance

Activity

Applying Universal Design – from learning to practice

Class Activity First - Teabreak! Then Lo-Fidelity prototyping exercise

(in groups) Create a lo-fi prototype and present it!

Class Activity Create a lo-fidelity prototype of a restaurant web site

interface.

In class, you will test your lo-fi prototype on at least 1 people from another group. The task that you will ask the participant to perform is: ordering a meal. Team members will play the roles of observer, and what you will observe or what questions you will ask the participant. Post the results of your evaluation in the Wikispaces page with the names of your group.

See some samples: www.orderit.ca, www.pizzahut.ca

Screenshotting

Start with a Blank Page

Use a drawing program to insert items you want

Useful Tricks Use PowerPoint as a way to create interactivity

Print Screen and then cut out elements you like Windows: Alt-PrtScn captures the active window into the clipboard Mac Control - Command (Apple)-Shift-4 captures the “grabbed” area into

the clipboard Mac OSX Grab Utility

Open Grab (located in Applications/Utility).

Use a simple graphics editor like Paint to stitch the images together Copy & Paste many elements for different looks/feels

Web-Based Provides the illusion of interactivity

Can employ screenshots to show parts of your webpage

Can be used as just a “click-through” of screenshots

Good if you are considering adding features to an existing website

User Testing Conducting a Test - We find it takes four people to get the most out of a

test session and that their activities fall into four essential roles: * Greeter. Much the same as the usher in a church, the greeter welcomes

users and tries to put them at ease. We have some forms we ask people to fill out--an experience profile, for example--a job the greeter handles while other team members are setting up for the test.

* Facilitator. Once the test is set up, the facilitator takes the lead, and is the only team member who is allowed to speak freely during the test. Facilitating means three things: giving the user instructions, encouraging the user to express his or her thoughts suring the test, and makingg sure everything gets done on time. This is a difficult enough job that the facilitator should not be expected to take notes during a session.

* Computer. PowerPoint mock-up. * Observers. The rest of the team members quietly take notes on 5-by-8-inch

index cards, writing one observation per card. If they think of a recommended solution, they write it on the same card that records the problem.

References The Principles of Universal Design‚ Version 2.0 (1997) by North Carolina State University (as

cited in Preiser & Ostroff ‚ 2001)

Center for Universal Design (US) Home of the Principles of Universal Design, Exemplars of Universal Design, universal design history, the Design File, Center for Universal Design Newsline, publications, and more. http://www.design.ncsu.edu/

CAST (US) Home of Bobby, the web accessibility analysis tool, Universal Design in Learning and the National Center On Accessing the General Curriculum, and eProducts. http://www.cast.org

DO-IT: Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking, and Technology, http://www.washington.edu/doit/

Adaptive Environments Center (US) Home of the South Boston Waterfront Project, Designing for the 21st Century Conference, Access to Public Schools, New England ADA Technical Assistance Center, universal design education and consulting, Access to Design Professions, publications and more. http://www.adaptenv.org

Accessible Electronic & Information Technology: Legal Obligations of Higher Education and Section 508, Cynthia D. Waddell, J.D., 1999, http://athenpro.org/node/54

Next class Next class: Universal Design Principle: Flexibly

Sound

Readings: Erlandson, Chapter 9