Principles of User Interface Design

Section A

A1. As an HCI expert you have been asked to design the user interface for a new mobile app which monitors and records in real time exercise activities such as walking, running and cycling.

In this context:

a) Describe TWO principles you would follow in determining the placement of the controls for the user interface of the activity app to
help avoid user error.

b) Describe what is meant by rapid prototyping (also known as throwaway prototyping).

c) Describe how you would do a rapid prototyping of the activity monitoring app.

d) Describe how you would do a cognitive walkthrough of the user interface on a fully functional prototype of the activity monitoring app.

(A2. The following techniques are commonly used in human-computer interaction (HCI) for evaluating user interfaces and systems:
heuristic evaluation, direct observation, cognitive walkthrough, focus group, postal questionnaire, online survey, task-based testing.

As an HCI consultant, choose ONE most appropriate method from the list above for each of the following scenarios and describe how you would use it to achieve the goal.

a) Initial design ideas for a website to promote a national charity.

b) Formative evaluation of a late prototype of a new word processing application.

c) Trouble-shooting of a computerised control system for an ambulance service after a critical failure during a major emergency.

d) Evaluation of the navigation and menus on a travel agent website.

e) Evaluation of the effectiveness of the help system in a government online tax return submission system.

A3. You have been hired to use your human-computer interface expertise to help in the development of the user interface for software that allows science specialists to view and analyse their laboratory data.

You decide to take an ethnographic approach to your formative evaluation study.

a) Describe what an ethnographic approach is in the context of user interface design.

b) Describe TWO advantages of using an ethnographic approach.

c) Describe TWO disadvantages of using an ethnographic approach.

d) Describe what you would do in terms of collecting and analysing data to carry out the formative evaluation study using an ethnographic
approach.

Restrict the scope of your answer to the data entry screen of the user interface.

Section B

B4. You are a human-computer interface expert working for a world leading consultancy company called UXB. The United Nations have approached UXB and asked for help in designing an evaluation study of one of their humanitarian websites. You are given the task of advising on certain aspects of the study.

a) Outline the methods you might use to help the United Nations set usability criteria and give an example of criteria that might be
appropriate for this evaluation.

b) Briefly explain how sorting tasks could be used to measure usability of the United Nations website.

c) Briefly explain how a structured walkthrough could be used to collect usability data in a study of the United Nations website.

d) In the context of the United Nations website, outline what measurements of usability you might use, how you might select users and how you might collect data from users.

B5. The BCS intends to provide a new public web-based service that allows students to download teaching materials relevant to modules being studied.

The new download feature is to be designed using scenario based design and you are a member of the design team. You are asked to do the following:

i) identify potential stakeholders, provide a stakeholder diagram and one example stakeholder scenario;

ii) provide a problem scenario that might describe the current practice before the introduction of the new download feature; and

iii) provide a brief annotated storyboard, with four to six frames, showing the outline of how one particular user might interact with the new
system.

B6. Modern user interfaces are usually designed and developed through some form of user-centred approach.

a) Describe the main characteristics of user-centred design and critically discuss the main advantages and disadvantages of this approach compared to methods such as waterfall in designing user interfaces.

b) A multinational company wants to redesign all its eCommerce Web sites. You are a human-computer interface consultant and must provide advice to the company on user-centred design.

Outline and discuss what kind of prototyping approaches and types of prototypes the company might consider when implementing user centred design.