User Interface Design
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P1: FYX PE040-FM PE040/Lauesen October 13, 2007 10:52 Char Count= 0 User Interface Design A Software Engineering Perspective Soren Lauesen Harlow, England • London • New York • Boston • San Francisco • Toronto Sydney • Tokyo • Singapore • Hong Kong • Seoul • Taipei • New Delhi Cape Town • Madrid • Mexico City • Amsterdam • Munich • Paris • Milan iii P1: FYX PE040-FM PE040/Lauesen October 13, 2007 10:52 Char Count= 0 Contents Preface...................................................................ix 3.6 Text form versus analog form......................94 3.6.1 Automatic and controlled activities.......................94 Part A Best of the classics 3.6.2 Multi-sensory association......................................96 3.7 Overview of complex data............................ 99 1 Usability.........................................3 1.1 User interface..........................................................4 4 Mental models and interface 1.2 Usability factors.....................................................9 design.........................................105 1.3 Usability problems.............................................12 4.1 Hidden data and mental models.............106 1.4 Basics of usability testing..............................15 4.1.1 Example: page format..........................................106 1.5 Heuristic evaluation and 4.1.2 Example: on-line ordering system......................108 user reviews...........................................................19 4.2 Models for data, functions 1.6 Usability measurements and and domain..........................................................111 requirements......................................................... 22 4.3 Dialogue levels and virtual window 1.6.1 Task time (performance measurement)................22 method...................................................................114 1.6.2 Choosing the numbers.......................................... 25 4.4 Data and system functions 1.6.3 Problem counts.......................................................26 1.6.4 Keystroke counts....................................................29 in practice.............................................................117 1.6.5 Opinion poll..............................................................32 4.5 Bad screens – database extreme...........121 1.6.6 Score for understanding........................................34 4.6 Bad screens – step-by-step 1.6.7 Guideline adherence...............................................36 1.6.8 Which usability measure extreme..................................................................124 to choose?...............................................................38 4.7 More on mental models............................... 127 2 Prototyping and iterative Part B Systematic interface design...........................................41 design 2.1 Usability in the development process...................................... 42 5 Analysis, visions and domain 2.2 Case study: a hotel system..........................46 description.................................133 2.3 The first hotel system prototype................50 5.1 Visions for the hotel system.......................135 5.1.1 Business goals......................................................135 2.4 Different kinds of prototypes....................... 58 5.1.2 Large-scale solution.............................................136 2.4.1 Prototypes of user interfaces 58 ................................ 5.1.3 Requirements........................................................136 2.4.2 Contents of a mock-up..........................................61 2.4.3 Lots of screens – accelerator 5.2 Data model and data description...........139 effect.........................................................................62 5.3 Task descriptions............................................. 142 2.5 Does usability pay?...........................................64 5.3.1 Annotated task list................................................142 5.3.2 Task description template................................... 143 5.3.3 Task & Support approach 149 3 Data presentation.......................67 ................................... 5.4 Work area and user profile..........................152 3.1 Gestalt laws...........................................................68 5.5 Good, bad and vague tasks...................... 154 3.2 Screen gestalts....................................................71 3.2.1 Line gestalts?..........................................................71 5.6 Scenarios and use cases............................ 161 3.2.2 Proximity and closure.............................................71 3.3 Text gestalts...........................................................74 6 Virtual windows design............167 3.4 Contrast................................................................... 80 6.1 Plan the virtual windows..............................168 3.5 Presentation formats........................................85 6.2 Virtual windows, graphical version........176 vi Contents P1: FYX PE040-FM PE040/Lauesen October 13, 2007 10:52 Char Count= 0 6.3 Virtual windows in development............. 182 10.4 Virtual windows for course rating...........324 6.4 Checking against task descriptions......187 10.5 Function design................................................ 335 6.5 CREDO check....................................................190 10.6 Prototype and usability test.......................340 6.6 Review and understandability test.........198 6.7 Searching..............................................................202 11 Designing an e-mail system... 343 6.8 Virtual windows and alternative 11.1 Visions for an e-mail system..................... 344 11.1.1 The large-scale solution.......................................345 designs...................................................................208 11.1.2 Requirements........................................................353 11.2 Task descriptions for e-mail.......................355 7 Function design 217 ........................ 11.3 Data model for e-mail....................................360 7.1 Semantic functions and searching........ 218 11.4 Virtual windows for e-mail.......................... 365 7.2 Actions and feedback (use cases).........229 11.5 Function design and prototype................372 7.3 Undo – to do or not to do........................... 231 7.3.1 Undo strategy for the user interface.................. 236 7.3.2 How to implement undo......................................239 12 User documentation and 7.4 From virtual windows to screens............243 support.......................................381 7.5 Single-page dialogue.....................................248 12.1 Support situations...........................................382 7.6 Multi-page dialogue........................................253 12.2 Types of support...............................................385 7.7 More about state diagrams........................257 12.3 Support plan for the hotel system..........392 7.8 Function presentation....................................260 12.4 Support card.......................................................394 7.9 Error messages and inactive 12.5 Reference manual............................................399 12.5.1 System-related lookup.........................................399 functions................................................................268 12.5.2 Task-related lookup..............................................403 12.5.3 Structure of reference manual............................ 405 8 Prototypes and defect 12.5.4 Browsing and language.......................................410 correction...................................273 8.1 The systematic prototype........................... 274 13 More on usability testing.........413 8.2 Programming and testing the system..279 13.1 Common misunderstandings....................414 8.3 Defects and their cure...................................284 13.2 Planning the test...............................................416 8.4 Problems, causes and solutions.............290 13.3 Finding test users............................................ 425 13.4 How many users?............................................427 9 Reflections on user interface 13.5 Which test tasks?............................................ 431 design.........................................293 13.6 Carry out the test............................................. 435 9.1 Overview of the virtual window 13.7 Test report and analysis............................... 438 method...................................................................294 9.2 Data design versus function design......297 14 Heuristic evaluation..................443 9.2.1 A task-oriented design method..........................298 14.1 Variants of heuristic evaluation................444 9.2.2 Object-oriented design........................................300 14.2 Heuristic rules and guidelines...................447 9.2.3 Virtual windows and objects...............................302 14.3 Cost comparison..............................................452 9.3 History of the virtual window method..305 14.4 Effect comparison (CUE-4).........................454 Part C Supplementary design 15 Systems development 465 issues ............. 15.1 The waterfall model........................................ 466 10 Web-based course rating....... 309 15.2 Iterative development....................................470 10.1 Visions for the rating system.....................310