Designing for usability: key principles and what designers think

Designing for Usability: Key Principles and What Designers Think John D. Gloud And Clayton Lewis

PAPERS WE LOVE Seoul Chapter

Victoria Bondarchuk @seoul_victoria

ACM: Communications MagazineVolume 28 Issue 3, March 1985 Pages 300-311

Authors

John D. Gould

© Photo by IBM Research www.ibm.com

IBM RESEARCH, Human Factors and Ergonomics Society President

John Gould had engaged in human factors research since the late 1960s. He initiated empirical studies of programming and software design and use.

http://www.ibm.com

Authors

IBM RESEARCH, Ph.D., Professor of Computer Science, Scientist in Residence, Coleman Institute for Cognitive Disabilities, University of Colorado

Clayton Lewis © Photo by University of Colorado https://connections.cu.edu/stories/five-questions-clayton-lewis

https://connections.cu.edu/stories/five-questions-clayton-lewis

“Any system designed for people to use should be EASY TO LEARN, USEFUL, that is, contain functions people really need in their work, and be EASY AND PLEASANT TO USE”

Preface

THREE PRINCIPLES FOR SYSTEM DESIGN

CONTRAST BETWEEN RECOMMENDED PRINCIPLES AND WHAT DESIGNERS SUGGEST

WHY THE PRINCIPLES ARE UNDERVALUED

ELABORATION OF THE PRINCIPLES

CASE STUDY - IBM’S AUDIO DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM

Chapters

1. EARLY FOCUS ON USERS & TASKS

2. EMPIRICAL MEASUREMENTS

3. ITERATIVE DESIGN

Designers must understand who the users will be. By directly studying their cognitive and behavioral characteristics, and the nature of the work expected to be accomplished.



3. ITERATIVE DESIGN

Early in the development process, intended users should use simulations and prototypes to carry out real work, and their performance and reactions should be observed, recorded, and analyzed.



3. ITERATIVE DESIGN

Design must be iterative: There must be a cycle of design, test and measure, and redesign, repeated as often as necessary.



3. ITERATIVE DESIGN



3. ITERATIVE DESIGN

Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems December 12-15, 1983, Boston

© Photo by Ben Shneiderman http://www.computerhistory.org/atchm/computer-pioneers-photos-from-the-field/

http://www.computerhistory.org/atchm/computer-pioneers-photos-from-the-field/

26%“0”




26%“0”

35%“1”



26%“0”

35%“1”

24%“2”


26%“0”


35%“1”

24%“2”

16%“3”


© Photo by IBM 1620 at Rutgers University Via Bill Wetzel, https://theinvisibleagent.wordpress.com/

“Do you follow the principles?”

https://theinvisibleagent.wordpress.com/


CONTRAST BETWEEN RECOMMENDED PRINCIPLES AND WHAT DESIGNERS SUGGEST




Chapters

“Understanding potential users”

“Identifying” “Describing”“Stereotyping”

VS

Comparing Understanding of the Principles

AUTHORS SURVEY RESPONSE


VS.

Picture credit:I Dr. Morgan gives a pretest to children from the Philippines, http://www.uxbooth.com/


“Bringing the design team into direct contact with potential users”

“Hearing or reading about users”VS“Examination of user profiles”



“Average users” “Group of a variety of experts”

http://www.uxbooth.com/


VS.“Conducting behavioral measurements with real users”

VS“A system test”

“Testing the completed system-use it by ourselves”




VS.“Conduct iterative user testing early in the development process”

VS“First designing the system and then and verifying the design with users”




VS.“Design, build, measure and iterate as many times as needed”

“If time permits iterate the design”VS

“Build prototype, code software, review”

3. ITERATIVE DESIGN



CONTRAST BETWEEN RECOMMENDED PRINCIPLES ANS WHAT DESIGNERS SUGGEST




Chapters

DESIGNERS UNDERESTIMATE USER DIVERSITY

Why the principals are undervalued

POSSIBLE EXPLANATION

ANSWER

NOVICE USERS ALWAYS HAVE TROUBLE WITH THE PRODUCT THAT DESIGNERS NEVER ENCOUNTER

Learning to use word processors: problems and prospects Mack. R.. Lewis, C.H.. and Carroll, J (1983)

Case Study

“When you delete you take out. Do you add when you put in?”

© Photo by IBM: A 4-user Astrotype system using a DEC PDP minicomputer and IBM Electric terminals. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Word_processor

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Word_processor


DESIGNERS OVERESTIMATED USER DIVERSITY

IT IS MUCH BETTER TO IDENTIFY SOME PROBLEMS THAT SOME USERS WILL HAVE THAN NOT TO IDENTIFY ANY


ANSWER


DESIGNERS THINK USERS DON’T KNOW WHAT THEY NEED

PRESENT NEW IDEAS IN A WAY THAT MAKES IT EASIER FOR USER TO RELATE THEM TO THEIR CONCERNS


ANSWER

Case Study

Lisa Computer System (Apple) testing

© Photo by Byte-magazine-1983, https://archive.org/

https://archive.org/

Case Study

© Photo by Byte-magazine-1983, https://archive.org/

https://archive.org/


DESIGNERS THINK THEIR JOB DOESN’T REQUIRE IT OR PERMIT IT

COMPETITIVE NECESSITY WILL EVENTUALLY BREAK DOWN THESE OBSTACLES AND TRADITIONS


ANSWER


DESIGNERS BELIEF IN THE POWER OF REASON

ANALYTIC APPROACHES CANNOT SUBSTITUTE EMPIRICAL METHODS


ANSWER

Case Study

Case Study

For very short documents

Filling in forms


GOOD DESIGN MEANS GETTING IT RIGHT FIRST TIME

IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO FORECAST THE BEST USER INTERFACE - IT CAN BE ONLY DETERMINED EMPIRICALLY


ANSWER


TIME CONSUMING AND EXPENSIVE

USER TESTING WILL HAPPEN ANYWAY, CHANGES THAT MADE AFTER THE PRODUCT IS FINISHED MORE EXPENSIVE THAN THOSE MADE IN DEVELOPMENT


ANSWER


DESIGNERS BELIEVE IN POWER OF TECHNOLOGY WILL SUCCEED AND PEOPLE WILL BUY IN SPITE OF INTERFACE

USER INTERFACE IS THE PRODUCT QUALITY WILL BE INCREASING WHICH WILL EXERT POWERFUL EFFECTS IN THE MARKET PLACE


ANSWER






Chapters

Principles Applied to Development

INITIAL DESIGN ITERATIVE DEVELOPMENT

BUILD

TEST BEHAVIORAL GOALS

IMPROVE

COLLECT CRITICAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE USERS

DEVELOP BEHAVIORALGOALS ORGANIZE

THE WORK

PRELIMINARY UI SPECIFICATION

BUILD


IMPROVE

ORGANIZE THE WORK



DEVELOP BEHAVIORALGOALS



BUILD


IMPROVE

ORGANIZE THE WORK






BUILD


IMPROVE

ORGANIZE THE WORK






CANNOT BE LOOKED UP IN A BOOK

BUILD


IMPROVE

ORGANIZE THE WORK




CANNOT BE LOOKED UP IN A BOOK

DIRECT CONTACT



BUILD


IMPROVE



THE WORK




BUILD


IMPROVE



THE WORK

PRELIMINARY UI SPECIFICATION DESCRIPTION OF

THE INTENDED USER



BUILD


IMPROVE



THE WORK


TEST SCENARIO



DESCRIPTION OF THE INTENDED USER


IMPROVE



THE WORK


MEASUREMENT CRITERIA



TEST SCENARIO

DESCRIPTION OF THE INTENDED USER

BUILD


IMPROVE



THE WORK




BUILD


IMPROVE



THE WORK


ENTIRE UI DESIGNED BY A SINGLE GROUP!



BUILD


IMPROVE



THE WORK




FLEXIBLE PROTOTYPING

BUILD


IMPROVE



THE WORK




MODULAR IMPLEMENTATION

BUILD


IMPROVE



THE WORK




FLEXIBLE PROTOTYPING






Chapters

Enhanced dictation system, in which dictated memos could be filed and retrieved, and routed to a transcription center.

© Photo by IBM 224 Dictating Unit Ad: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCuAYwVVVMc

IBM 224 Dictating Unit (1960s)

Preliminary Specification of the User Interface

INITIAL IDEA SURVEY RESPONSE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCuAYwVVVMc

Dr. Stephen BoiesManager of IBM’s Office of Application Research and developer of IBM’s ADS


http://www.ibm.com

BUILD


IMPROVE

ORGANIZE THE WORK






• Managers and professional people.

Critical Information About the Users

• Do not have computer terminals • They travel frequently • Access to the system away from

the office is important

TARGET USER

CHARACTERISTIC

© Photo by IBM 224 Dictating Unit Ad: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCuAYwVVVMc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCuAYwVVVMc

Fist Insight

© Photo by bt.com

http://bt.com

BUILD


IMPROVE



THE WORK




• MATCHING THE FUNCTIONS AS CLOSELY AS POSSIBLE TO USER NEEDS

• MAKING THE USER INTERFACE AS SELF-EXPLANATORY AS POSSIBLE

Develop Behavioral Goals

More User Research Insights

• From Enhanced Dictation System to Audio Distribution System (Voice Messaging)

• Pushing a lot of keys • Remember the digits for specific commands • The necessity to read documentation or spend time for training

• Pending Message Box

MAIN FEATURE

USERS SUGGESTED

USERS DIDN’T LIKE

BUILD


IMPROVE



THE WORK




The architecture and the designers’ motivation, was flexible enough to allow iterative design.

Organize the Work

FLEXIBILITY TOWARDS DESIGN CHANGE

ENTIRE SYSTEM DESIGNED BY A SIGLE GROUP

BUILD


IMPROVE



THE WORK




• Simple but flexible simulation tool • Easily changed without programing

Iterative Development

PROTOTYPE

© Photo IBM Archives: https://www-03.ibm.com/ibm/history/exhibits/system7/system7_PH03.html

https://www-03.ibm.com/ibm/history/exhibits/system7/system7_PH03.html


• Simulator incorporated as the actual user interface of the system

• Final IBM ADS was controlled by tables identical to those used in “programming” the simulator

• Changes to the user interface of the actual system could be made with no reprogramming whatsoever


MODULAR DEVELOPMENT

Case Study

RECORDR- TRANSMITT-

R T

Case Study

S- T-SEND TALK

S T

Case Study

S- T-SEND TALK

S T

“I want to SEND a message to Smith”

Case Study

“ADD A COMMENT”

Case Study

ADS asked users: “Do you want to add a comment at the beginning of the message, add a comment where you stopped listening, or erase the message and start over.”

Case Study

“INSERT A COMMENT”“ADD A COMMENT” VS

Majority of new users learn ADS with no training, which is radically different from what was found for the earliest ADS prototype and for new users of most computer systems today.

Result

BEHAVIORAL GOALS ARCHIVED

● The 1984 Atlanta Olympic Games with 7 systems serving 7800 athletes and 6000 staff — and computer voice prompts in 12 languages for 55,000 messages

● General Motors, USA with 8 ADS systems saving 30% of the costs of its long-distance calls

● Insurance companies across America and Europe

Use of the System

© Photo from paper “The 1984 Olympic Message System: A Test Of Behavioral Principles Of System Design”


http://www.ibm.com

GOOD DESIGN

IS UNPREDICTABLE

LESSON LEARNED

Paper Conclusions

Suggested principles can improve usability

Survey data shows that these principle are not intuitive

There is one case history, which indicate that the principles lead to usable systems.

Critics

• Designers should not assume that these principles are the only ones to apply.

• Systems need to possess other attributes to ensure they are feasible and maintainable, and the final design may have to be a compromise as a result.

F. Terry Baker, Computing Reviews

Reading List

1.The 1984 Olympic Message System: A Test Of Behavioral

Principles Of System Design

Gould, Stephen J. Boies, Stephen Levy, John T. Richards, And Jim

Schoonard

2.Learning To Use Word Processors: Problems And Prospects

Mack.R., Lewis, C.H., And Carroll J.

3.The Lisa Computer System

Williams, G. Byte (1983), 33-50.

Technology

Designing for usability: key principles and what designers think