CH 03: Software Design Elements and Analysis

User experience design

tries to ensure that no aspect of your software appears the final product without the explicit decision of stakeholders to include it.

Strategy, Scope, Structure, Skeleton, Surface

User Experience Design Elements

Strategy

Identifies user needs and customer business goals that form

the basis for all UX design work.

Scope

Includes both the functional and content requirements needed to realize a feature set consistent with the project strategy.

Structure

Consists of the interaction design [For example, how the system reacts in response to user action] and information architecture.

Skeleton

Comprised of three components: information design, interface design, navigation design.

Surface

Presents visual design or the appearance of the finished

project to its users.

Interaction design

focuses on interface between product and user.

input and output

Modes of user _____ include voice input, computer speech generation, touch input, 3D printed output, immersive augmented reality experiences, and sensor tracking of users.

User interaction

should be defined by the stakeholders in the user stories created to describe how users can accomplish their goals using the software product.

User interaction design

should also include a plan for how information should be presented within such a system and how to enable the user to understand that information.

user interface (User Interaction Design)

It is important to recall that the purpose of the ______ is to present just enough information to help the users decide what their next action should be to accomplish their goal and how to perform it.

Usability engineering

is part of UX design work that defines the specification, design, and testing of the human-computer interaction portion of a software product.

Usability engineering

This software engineering action focuses on devising human-computer interfaces that have high usability.

usability

If developers focus on making a product easy to learn, easy to use, and easy to remember over time, ______ can be measured quantitatively and tested for improvements in usability.

Accessibility

is the degree to which people with special needs are provided with a means to perceive, understand, navigate, and interact with computer products.

Accessibility

is another aspect of usability engineering that needs to be considered during design.

Visual design

(aesthetic design or graphic design) is an artistic endeavor that complements the technical aspects of the user experience design.

Visual Design

Without it, a software product may be functional, but unappealing.

Visual Design

With it, a product draws its users into a world that embraces them on an emotional as well as an intellectual level.

Graphic design

considers every aspect of the look and feel of a web or mobile app.

graphic designer 

Not every software engineer has artistic talent. If you fall into this category, hire an experienced ______ to help.

1. Place User in Control 2. Reduce User's Memory Load 3. Make Interface Consistent

Golden Rules

Golden Rule 1: Place User in Control

Define interaction modes in a way that does not force a user into unnecessary or undesired actions.

Golden Rule 1: Place User in Control

Provide for flexible interaction.

Golden Rule 1: Place User in Control

Allow user interaction to be interruptible and undoable.

Golden Rule 1: Place User in Control

Streamline interaction as skill levels advance and allow the

interaction to be customized.

Golden Rule 1: Place User in Control

Hide technical internals from the casual user.

Golden Rule 1: Place User in Control

Design for direct interaction with screen objects.

Golden Rule 2: Reduce User's Memory Load

Reduce demand on short-term memory.

Golden Rule 2: Reduce User's Memory Load

Establish meaningful defaults.

Golden Rule 2: Reduce User's Memory Load

Define shortcuts that are intuitive.

Golden Rule 2: Reduce User's Memory Load

The visual layout of the interface should be based on a real-world metaphor.

Golden Rule 2: Reduce User's Memory Load

Disclose information in a progressive fashion.

Golden Rule 3: Make Interface Consistent

Allow the user to put the current task into a meaningful context.

Golden Rule 3: Make Interface Consistent

Maintain consistency across a family of applications.

Golden Rule 3: Make Interface Consistent

If past interactive models have created user expectations, do

not make changes unless there is a compelling reason to do so.

User Interface Design Models

• User model

• Design model

• Mental model

• Implementation model

User model

a profile of all end users of the system.

Design model

a design realization of the user model.

Mental model (system perception)

the interface "look and feel" coupled with supporting information that describe interface syntax and semantics.

interface designer

An _____ needs to reconcile these models and derive a consistent representation of the interface.

User Interface Analysis and Design

• Interface analysis

• Interface design

• Interface construction

• Interface validation

Interface analysis

focuses on the profile of the users who will interact with the system.

Interface design

defines a set of interface objects and actions that enable a user to perform all defined tasks in a manner that meets every usability goal defined for the system.

Interface construction

normally begins with the creation of a prototype that enables usage scenarios to be evaluated.

Interface validation focuses on:

1. The ability of the interface to implement every user task correctly.

2. The degree to which interface is easy to use and easy to learn.

3. The user's acceptance of the interface as a tool in her work.

User Experience Analysis

In the case of user experience design, understanding the problem means understanding:

1. the people (end users) who will interact with the system

through the interface.

2. the tasks that end users must perform to do their work.

3. the content that is presented as part of the interface.

4. the environment in which these tasks will be conducted.

Using Customer Journey Map

1. Gather stakeholders.

2. Conduct research. Collect all information you can about all the things users may experience as they use the software product and define your customer phases (touchpoints).

3. Build the model. Create a visualization of the touch points.

4. Refine the design. Recruit a designer to make the deliverable visually appealing and ensure touchpoints are identified clearly.

5. Identify gaps. Note any gaps in the customer experience or points of friction or pain (poor transition between phases).

6. Implement your findings. Assign responsible parties to bridge the gaps and resolve pain points found.

Task Analysis

Goal of task (scenario) analysis is to answer the following

questions:

• What work will the user perform in specific circumstances?

• What tasks and subtasks will be performed as the user does the work?

• What specific problem domain objects will the user manipulate as work is performed?

• What is the sequence of work tasks—the workflow?

• What is the hierarchy of tasks?

Usability Guidelines

• Anticipation

• Communication

• Consistency

• Controlled Autonomy

• Efficiency

• Flexibility

• Focus

• Human Interface Objects

• Latency Reduction

• Learnability

• Metaphors

• Readability

• Track State

• Visible Navigation

Anticipation

An application should be designed so that it anticipates the user's next move.

Communication

The interface should communicate the status of any activity initiated by the user.

Consistency

The use of navigation controls, menus, icons, and aesthetics (For example, color, shape, layout) should be consistent throughout.

Controlled Autonomy

The interface should facilitate user movement throughout the application, but it should do so in a manner that enforces navigation conventions that have been established for the application.

Efficiency

The design of the application and its interface should optimize the user's work efficiency.

Flexibility

The interface should be flexible enough to enable some users to accomplish tasks directly and others to explore the application in a somewhat random fashion.

Focus

The interface (and the content it presents) should stay focused on the user task(s) at hand.

Human Interface Objects

A vast library of reusable human interface objects has been developed for both Web and mobile apps. Use them.

Latency Reduction

Rather than making the user wait for some internal operation to complete (for example, downloading a complex graphical image), the application should use multitasking in a way that lets the user proceed with work as if the operation has been completed.

Learnability

An application interface should be designed to minimize learning time and, once learned, to minimize relearning required when the app is revisited.

Metaphors

An interface that uses an interaction metaphor is easier to learn and easier to use, as long as the metaphor is appropriate for the application and the user.

Readability

All information presented through the interface should be readable by young and old.

Track State

When appropriate, the state of the user interaction should be tracked and stored so that a user can log off and return later to pick up where he left off.

Visible Navigation

A well-designed interface provides the illusion that users are in the same place, with the work brought to them.

Accessibiltiy Guidelines

• Application Accessibility

• Response Time

• Help Facilities

• Error Handling

• Menu and Command Labeling

• Internationalization

Application Accessibility

Software engineers must ensure that interface design encompasses mechanisms that enable easy for people with special needs.

Response Time

System response time has two important characteristics: length and variability. Aim for consistency to avoid user frustration.

Help Facilities

Modern software should provide online help facilities that enable a user to get a question answered or resolve a problem without leaving the interface.

Error Handling

Every error message or warning produced by an interactive system should: use user understandable jargon, provide constructive error recovery advice, identify negative consequences of errors, contain an audible or visual cue, and never blame user for causing the error.

Menu and Command Labeling

The use of window-oriented, point-and-pick interfaces has reduced reliance on typed commands. How every it is important to: ensure every menu option has a command version, make commands easy for users to type, make

commands easy to remember, allow for command abbreviation, make sure menu labels are self-explanatory, make sure submenus match style of master menu items, and ensure command conventions work across the family of applications.

Internationalization

Software engineers and their managers invariably underestimate the effort and skills required to create user interfaces that accommodate the needs of different locales and languages.