All designers are people, and probably users as well. Then why is it difficult to design good interfaces?

Give your reasons. In the light of your reasons, discuss the general approach/guidelines a designer
should take in designing computer/machine interaction and why the steps in this approach would
help to achieve better interaction design. [6]

 Colour: don't show details in blue. Remember certain users can confuse green and red.
Remember the social expectations of colours (e.g., in Western culture, red - stop,
danger, hot; blue - cold; green - go).
 Text: don't use all capital letters in text. Use a serif font for large blocks of text. Dark
characters on a light screen are read more accurately and preferred.
 Functionality: limit the number of things to be remembered to 7, and preferably to 5.
Group things according to function.
 Problem solving: use analogy and metaphor to aid learning and performance.
 we can remember 7 ± 2 chunks of information. Therefore chunking information in lists,
menus and other groups of items can increase the short-term memory capacity
 We should be aware of individual differences so that we can account for them as far as
possible within our designs.
 Sets of controls and parts of the display should be grouped logically to allow rapid access
by the user, inappropriate placement of controls and displays can lead to inefficiency and
frustration.
 menu options need to be meaningful and logically grouped to aid recognition.
 Colors used in the display should be as distinct as possible and the distinction should not
be affected by changes in contrast. Blue should not be used to display critical
information. The colors used should also correspond to common conventions and user
expectations. Red, green and yellow are colors frequently associated with stop, go and
standby respectively. Therefore, red may be used to indicate emergency and alarms;
green, normal activity; and yellow, standby and auxiliary function
In cars in Pakistan, the steering wheel has a wiper control switch stick on left hand side and the indicator
switch on the right hand side of the steering wheel. Suppose the car designers reverse the setting of
wiper and indicator switches in the new model cars. What problem will drivers have in using the new
model cars given that they have been used to the models? Discuss the human aspects that would cause
the problem and why? [4]

You have to design a medical transcription system that would let a person type a patient's report from a
doctor's dictated digital voice file. Explain the hardware and software components relating to HCI
required for such a system. Explain also how the operator would use the system. [5]

Speech is the natural mode of communication among human beings. Use an example to demonstrate
human machine interaction using speech for each of following cases:
a. blind person [6]
For blind or partially sighted users, synthesized speech offers an accessible
output medium. Screen readers are software packages that
read the contents of a computer screen, using synthesized speech. Modern screen
readers read more than simply the text on the screen. They read exactly what they
find including icons, menus, punctuation and controls. They also read events, such
as dialog boxes opening, so that they can be used with graphical interfaces.
b. Able-bodied person (i.e. a person with no disability) [6]
 Used as a supplement to other output channels, speech can also enhance
applications where the user’s visual attention is focused elsewhere, such as warnings
in aircraft cockpits and, more recently, in cars.
Speech does not have to be recognized by a computer to be
useful in the interface. Fixed pre-recorded messages can be used to supplement or replace
visual information. Segments of speech can be used together to construct messages, for
example the announcements in many airports and railway stations.

Categorize the human memory functions and differentiate the role of each type. [6]
There are three types of memory or memory function:
i. sensory memories
ii. short-term memory or working memory
iii. long-term memory
The sensory memories act as buffers for stimuli received through the senses. A sensory memory exists
for each sensory channel:
 iconic memory: visual stimuli
 echoic memory: aural stimuli
 haptic memory: tactile stimuli
These memories are constantly overwritten by new information coming in on these channels.
Information is passed from sensory memory into short-term memory by attention, thereby filtering the
stimuli to only those which are of interest at a given time.

Short-term memory or working memory acts as a ‘scratch-pad’ for temporary recall of information. It
can be accessed rapidly, in the order of 70 ms. However, it also decays rapidly, in the order of 200 ms. It
has a limited capacity.

Long-term memory is the repository for all our knowledge. Information from short term memory comes
to ltm. There are three main activities related to long-term memory: storage or remembering of
information, forgetting and information retrieval. it has a relatively slow access time of approximately
1/10th second. Forgetting occurs more slowly in long-term memory. It has huge or unlimited capacity.
There are two types:
1. episodic memory is the serial memory of events and experiences
2. semantic memory is a structured record of facts, concepts and skills that we have acquired.

Sensory Attention Short- Rehearsa Long-

memorie Term l Term
s memory memory

Illustrate how knowledge of the concept of "vehicle" can be represented in semantic memory. [6]

What are the ways human beings forget? Which part of the human memory function is associated
with forgetting? [4]

Long-term memory is associated with forgetting. There are two main theories of forgetting:
i. Decay: information is lost gradually but very slowly
ii. Interference:

a. retroactive interference: new information replaces old

 b. proactive inhibition: traces of old memory may breakthrough and interfere with the new
information
Forgetting is also affected by emotional factors. We tend to remember:
 positive information rather than negative
 highly emotive events rather than mundane.

Information retrieved in humans is of two types recall and recognition. What is the difference
between the two? [4]
RECALL RECOGNITION
the information is reproduced from memory. presented information provides the knowledge
that the information has been seen before.
Recall is the more complex cognitive activity Recognition is the less complex cognitive activity
can be assisted by cues, e.g. categories, imagery information is provided as a cue
Recall is slower Recognition is faster

Problem solving process enables human beings to find solutions to unfamiliar tasks. Describe the
different concepts for problem solving giving examples for each [10]

A customer wants you to make a web page where prospective job seekers can enter their personal
data and interests The interaction style should be WIMP. Show the layout of the web page illustrating
the use of WIMP components and their function. [6]

Describe using an example how understanding of human cognitive behavior is very helpful in making a
user centered design. [6]
It is crucial for developers to design high quality interaction system. In order to design something for
some-one, we need to understand their capabilities and limitations.Through study of humans' cognitive
processes, the developers of interaction system can be better at understanding users' psychological
characteristic during the process of interacting with computer systems.
For example, if the designer understands that recognition is easier than recall, so he will allow users to
select commands from a set (such as a menu) rather than input them directly.
the use of color as an informational cue for the user
For example, while designing a website, if the designer considers the human perception and processing
of text, he will use a negative contrast (dark characters on a light screen) which will provide higher
luminance and, therefore, increased acuity, than a positive contrast. This will in turn increase legibility.

What issues are addressed by Cognitive Psychology and why is it important in HCI?

issues addressed by Cognitive Psychology

 how humans perceive the world around them,

 how they store and process information and solve problems, and
 how they physically manipulate objects.

Importance of cognitive psychology in HCI

It is crucial for developers to design high quality interaction system. but in order to design something for
some-one, one needs to understand their capabilities and limitations. Therefore through study of
humans' cognitive processes such as attention, learning process, decision making process, perception
and memory limitation, the developers of interaction system can be better at understanding users'
psychological characteristics during their interaction with computer systems, and this knowledge will
help them in designing an effective interaction

What knowledge from cognitive psychology is required for successful interaction design? [3]
Knowledge of human’s input–output channels, human memory, how it works and its limitations, how
humans perform complex problem solving, how they make decisions, how they learn and acquire skills,
and why they make mistakes, needs to be taken into account when designing an effective interaction

For our product to be successful, people must want to use it. How can we try to get this response from
people? [3]

In order to make people want to use a product, it must be attractive, engaging and fun. Also If we want
people to want to use a device or application we need to understand their personal values. they are only
likely to use it if it has perceived value and the value to them exceeds the cost. In the development of
software we should take into account that the user wants to see the gains from the new technique as
soon as possible and not after a long time of using it.
There are three ‘use’ words that must all be true for a product to be successful; it must be:

 useful – accomplish what is required: play music, cook dinner, format a document;
 usable – do it easily and naturally, without danger of error, etc.;
 used – make people want to use it, be attractive, engaging, fun, etc.

if the interface is well designed, it will allow the system’s functionality to support the user’s task.

What is simulation? Give an example of its use and the advantages, if any [3]

Briefly discus the hardware factors that can limit speed of an interactive system? [4]
The layout of keyboard can affect the speed of typing
processing speed, whether too slow or too fast, can affect the user interface
mouse-based interfaces cannot tolerate delays between actions and feedback of more than a
fraction of a second, otherwise the immediacy required for successful interaction is lost
speed of the network limits performance
Briefly explain the following terms of interaction: goals, domain, tasks, intention. [3]

Why use models of interaction? [3]

Interaction involves at least two participants: the user and the system. Both are complex, as we
have seen, and are very different from each other in the way that they communicate and view the
domain and the task. The interface must therefore effectively translate between them to allow the
interaction to be successful. This translation can fail at a number of points and for a number of reasons.
The use of models of interaction can help us to understand exactly what is going on in the interaction
and identify the likely root of difficulties. They also provide us with a framework to compare different
interaction styles and to consider interaction problems.
What are the different models of interaction? Explain one model using an example of your choice. [6]
Discuss the Norman Model of Interaction. [4]
Discuss the Abowd and Beale method and how it enhances and builds on the Norman Model of
Interaction [6]

Donald Norman’s model;

Describes the interactive cycle. It can be divided into two major phases:

1. Execution

2. evaluation.

These can then be subdivided into further seven stages:

1. user establishes the goal

2. formulates intention

3. Specifies the action sequence.

4. Executes the actions.

5. Perceives the system state.

6. Interprets the system state.

7. Evaluates the system state with respect to the goals and intentions.

If the system state reflects user goals then interaction is successful. Otherwise user must
formulate a new goal and repeat the cycle

Norman uses this model of interaction to describe why some systems are harder to use than
others

The gulf of execution. user’s formulation of actions ≠ actions allowed by the system

The gulf of execution is the difference between the user’s formulation of the actions and the
actions allowed by the system. If the actions allowed by the system correspond to those intended
by the user, the interaction will be effective. The aim of interface is to reduce this gulf.

The gulf of evaluation user’s expectation of changed system state ≠ actual presentation of this
state
The gulf of evaluation is the distance between the physical presentation of the system state and
the expectation of the user. If the user can readily evaluate the presentation in terms of his goal,
the gulf of evaluation is small. The more effort that is required on by the user, the less effective
the interaction.

switching on a light

You are reading a document as evening falls.

1. You decide you need more light; that is you establish the goal to get more light.

2. From there you form an intention to switch on the desk lamp

3. you specify the actions required, to reach over and press the lamp switch. If someone else is
closer , intention can be different - you may ask them to switch on the light for you.

4. you execute the action

5. Then perceive the result, and

6. interpret this, based on your knowledge of the world.

a. either the light is on or it isn’t

b. For example, if the light does not come on

i. you may interpret this as indicating the bulb has blown or the lamp is not
plugged into the mains, and you will formulate new goals to deal with this.

7. If the light does come on, you will evaluate the new state according to the original goals – is
there now enough light?

If so, the cycle is complete. If not, you may formulate a new intention to switch on the main
ceiling light as well.

Abowd and Beale Framewoek

Norman’s model concentrates only on user’s view of interaction in the system as far as interface
interface. While Abowd and Beale’s interaction framework has four parts:

 User

 Input

 System

 Output
 The current values of system
The System transforms itself as
attributes are rendered as concepts or
described by the operations. Now
features of the Output to the user
the system is in new state

The input language is translated into formulates a goal and a task to

the core language as operations to be achieve that goal. Task must be
performed by the System. articulated within the input language.

user intentions

 translated into actions at the interface

 translated into alterations of system state

 reflected in the output display

 interpreted by the user

Apply the Norman Model to "make a call from your cellphone". What is the Gulf of Execution. and the
Gulf of Evaluation in this case? [5]

Discuss the components in WIMP interfaces. [4]

WIMP stands for windows, icons, menus (or mice) and pointers (or pull-down menus).
Windows
Windows are areas of the screen that behave as if they were independent terminals in their own
right. A window can usually contain text or graphics, and can be moved or resized, can overlap
and obscure each other, or can be laid out next to one another (tiled). usefulness of windows is
increased by:
 Scrollbars allow the user to move the window’s contents up and down, or from
side to side.
 title bar attached to the top of a window and describes its name
 special boxes in the corners of the window aid resizing, closing, or maximizing
Icons
An Icon is a small picture that is used to represent some object in the interface, often a window
or action

Pointer
it is an important component of the WIMP interface, since WIMP interaction style relies very
much on pointing and selecting things such as icons. The user is presented with a cursor on the
screen that is controlled by the input device such as mouse, trackpad, joystick, trackball, cursor
keys or keyboard shortcuts

Menu
A menu presents in the form of lists, a choice of operations or services that can be performed by
the system at a given time. The pointing device is used to indicate the desired option. Selection
requires pressing a button on the mouse some special key on the keyboard

Buttons
Buttons are individual and isolated regions within a display that can be selected by the user to
invoke specific operations. Radio buttons are used for selecting one option from a group. When
there are multiple options selectable, check boxes are more common

Toolbars
Mostly equivalent to menus, except for that a toolbar can also hold buttons

Palettes
Palettes are mechanisms for making the set of possible modes and the active mode visible to the
user (collection of icons). Some systems allow the user to create palettes from menus or toolbars

Dialog Boxes
Dialog boxes are information windows used by the system to bring the user’s attention to some
important information, possibly an error or a warning used to prevent a possible error, or as a
subdialog for a very specific task
What is the goal of HCI? [2]

A basic goal of HCI is to improve the interactions between users and computers by making
computers more usable and receptive to the user's needs. Specifically, HCI is concerned with:

 Methodologies and processes for designing

 Methods for implementing interfaces (e.g. software toolkits and libraries; efficient
algorithms)

 Techniques for evaluating and comparing interfaces

 Developing new interfaces and interaction techniques

A long term goal of HCI is to design systems that minimize the barrier between the human's
cognitive model of what they want to accomplish and the computer's understanding of the user's
task. Developing descriptive and predictive models and theories of interaction

What is Fitt’s law and what is its application in interface design? [3]

What are the considerations in designing movement? What is the interaction Law concerning
movement design? Using the example of menu design or an example of your choice, show how this
can affect the user's performance in using this interface. [5]

There are two important considerations regarding movement in the design of interactive systems:

i. Reaction time (speed) i.e. time taken to move to a particular target on a screen. The target
may be a button, a menu item or an icon.
 ii. accuracy of movement

Fitts’ law: The time taken to hit a target is a function of the size of the target and the distance that has
to be moved.
Movement time = a + b log2(distance/size + 1)
where a and b are empirically determined constants.

This affects the type of target to be designed. Users find it more difficult to manipulate small objects, so
targets should generally be as large as possible and the distance to be moved as small as possible.

It takes longer for the user to select items near the bottom of the menu than at the top.
What is the role of feedback in interactive systems? [2] / Discuss the role of feedback in interactive
systems using two examples. [3]
In interactive systems, feedback plays an important role, as it lets the user know that they have engaged
with the system successfully, whether by inputting information, initiating an action or process, or
completing a task. Providing adequate feedback is an important source of motivation for users. If no
feedback is given during a session, the user may become bored, unmotivated or unsure of whether
the actions performed have been successful. Similarly, if system delays occur, feedback can be used to
prevent frustration on the part of the user – the user is then aware of what is happening and is not
left wondering if the system is still working
For example, video applications such as YouTube have a function enabling users to change the volume
of a video: as they click and slide along a bar located at the bottom of the video’s window, the bar
changes appearance, visualising what the user is doing; meanwhile the volume of the video increases or
decreases accordingly. Thus the user receives two types of response (output) – the bar visualisation is
the feedback, while the sound variation is the actual outcome of the interaction.
For example, Telephone keypads often sound different tones when the keys are pressed; a noise
occurring signifies that the key has been successfully pressed, whilst the actual tone provides
some information about the particular key that was pressed

What hardware factors can limit speed of interactive system? [4]

Computer speed increased according to Moore’s Law. How has this been used in HCI? [4]

Discuss how the physical controls of a machine influenced by the task it performs and the
environment it operates in e.g. microwave and washing machine. [4]

Not only the function of controls, but also the physical design is important and needs to suit the
situation in which it is used: the microwave has a flat plastic control panel with soft buttons. The
choice of the smooth panel because the microwave is used in the kitchen whilst cooking, with
hands that may be greasy or have food on them. The smooth controls have no gaps where food
can accumulate and clog buttons, so it can easily be kept clean and hygienic
the washing machine has e large switches and knobs. It has several major settings and the large
button act both as control and display. Also the dials for dryer timer and the washing program act
both as a means to set the desired time or program and to display the current state whilst the
wash is in progress.

these dedicated control panels have been designed for a particular device and for a single use
What is ergonomics and why is it important in HCI [4]

Ergonomics (or human factors) is traditionally the study of the physical characteristics of the
interaction: how the controls are designed, the physical environment in which the interaction takes
place, and the layout and physical qualities of the screen. A primary focus is on user performance and
how the interface enhances or detracts from this.

Ergonomics is a huge area, which is distinct from HCI but sits alongside it. Its contribution to HCI is in
determining constraints on the way we design systems and suggesting detailed and specific guidelines
and standards. It addresses issues such as arrangement of controls and displays, the physical
environment, health issues and the use of color etc. Ergonomic factors are in general well established
and understood and are therefore used as the basis for standardizing hardware designs.
List the common interface / Interaction styles [4]

There are a number of common interface styles including

 command line interface: It provides a means of expressing instructions to the computer

directly, using function keys, single characters, abbreviations or whole-word commands.
Command line interfaces are powerful in that they offer direct access to system functionality.
difficult to use and learn. Commands must be remembered, as no cue is provided in the
command line to indicate which command is needed.

 Menus In a menu-driven interface, the set of options available to the user is displayed on the
screen, and selected using the mouse, or numeric or alphabetic keys. Since the options are
visible they are less demanding of the user, relying on recognition rather than recall.

 natural language Natural language understanding, both of speech and written input, is the
subject of much interest and research. the ambiguity of natural language makes it very difficult
for a machine to understand.

 question/answer and query dialog The user is asked a series of questions (mainly with yes/no
responses, multiple choice, or codes) and so is led through the interaction step by step, easy to
learn and use, but limited in functionality and power. E.g. web questionnaires.

Query languages are used to construct queries to retrieve information from a database, using
natural-language-style phrases, but in specific syntax, also require knowledge of the database
structure. E.g. the web search engine.

 form-fills and spreadsheets Form-filling interfaces are used primarily for data entry but can also
be useful in data retrieval applications. The user is presented with a display resembling a paper
form, with slots to fill in

Spreadsheets are a sophisticated variation of form filling. The spreadsheet comprises a grid of
cells, each of which can contain a value or a formula which can involve the values of other cells.
interface more flexible and natural.
  WIMP often simply called windowing systems. WIMP stands for windows, icons, menus (or
mice) and pointers (or pull-down menus), and is the default interface style for the majority of
interactive computer systems in use today, especially in the PC and desktop workstation arena.

 point and click: closely related to the WIMP-style. pointing and clicking are the only actions
required to access information. used in Multimedia, web browsers, hypertext

 three-dimensional interfaces. The simplest technique is where ordinary WIMP elements,

buttons, scroll bars, etc.,are given a 3D appearance using shading. A more complex technique
uses interfaces with 3D workspaces. The objects displayed in such systems are usually flat, but
are displayed in perspective when at an angle to the viewer and shrink when they are ‘further
away’. Finally, there are virtual reality and information visualization systems where the user can
move about within a simulated 3D world.

Discuss the kinds of menus used in interfaces. [6]

Simple menu The user is offered a simple menu from which to choose an option. One menu often leads
to a further menu. Part of the screen may have an instruction followed by a numbered list of options to
choose from.

Full screen menu A full screen menu takes up the entire screen.

Menu bar A menu bar is the set of options at the top of the screen. When an option is chosen a drop-
down menu may be offered.

hamburger menu or three-line menu is a compact solution often seen on mobile responsive websites
that hides the traditional file menu until clicked

Pull-down menus are dragged down from the title at the top of the screen, by moving the mouse
pointer into the title bar area and pressing the button.

Fall-down menus automatically appears when the mouse pointer enters the title bar, without the user
having to press the button, so they are more easily invoked by accident.

pin-up menus can be ‘pinned’ to the screen, staying in place until explicitly asked to go away.

Pop-up menus appear when a particular region of the screen, maybe designated by an icon, is selected,
but they only stay as long as the mouse button is depressed.

Pie menus: options are arranged in a circular fashion and the pointer appears in the center of the
circle

Why study paradigms? [3]

the primary objective of an interactive system is that it must be usable. In thid regard there are two
important concerns
1. How can an interactive system be developed to ensure its usability?

2. How can the usability of an interactive system be demonstrated or measured?

We study paradigms because the History of interactive system design provides paradigms for
usable designs

Discuss the paradigm shifts in the history of computing. [5]

1. Batch Processing: complete jobs were submitted on punched cards or paper tape to an
operator who would then run them individually on the computer.

2. Time Sharing: 1940s and 1950s – explosive technological growth. Time sharing means that a
single computer could support multiple users. The introduction of time sharing in the 1960’s
made programming a truly interactive venture

3. Networking: community computing i.e. different computers connected to each other

sharing resources

4. Graphical Displays: It replaced command line interface. Following are features of a direct
manipulation interface:

 visibility of the objects of interest

 incremental action at the interface with rapid feedback on all actions

 reversibility of all actions, so that users are encouraged to explore without

severe penalties

 syntactic correctness of all actions, so that every user action is a legal

operation

 replacement of complex command languages with actions to manipulate

directly the visible objects

5. Microprocessor: As technology progresses, it is now becoming more difficult to

distinguish be-tween what constitutes a personal computer or workstation and what
constitutes a mainframe. Some examples of the first personal-computing applications
are LOGO and NLS

6. WWW: WWW or the web is built on top of the internet, and offers an easy to use,
predominantly graphical interface for exchanging information in the HTML-markup
notation., hiding the underlying complexities of transmission protocols, addresses and
remote access to data.
 7. Ubiquitous Computing or Pervasive Computing: The intention of UC is to create a computing
infrastructure that permeates our physical environment so much that we do not notice the
computer any longer by Shrinking and embedding/distributing it in the physical world and
by designing interactions that don’t demand our intention

Explain how paradigm shifts have changed interaction style with computers from the past to the
present. [6] / Computing has gone through several paradigm shifts with the latest being Ubiquitous
Computing. Discuss the different ways of interaction in this paradigm. [6]
Voice: Input to virtual assistants such as Google assistant, siri, amazon alexa, Cortana etc

OCR: Applications such as google translate uses a smartphone camera to translate text in real time
through optical character recognition and display the translated text augmented on the original
untranslated text

Wearabe computing: Fitness related metrics such as heartbeat, pulse rate, step count etc taken as input
by sensors in fitness trackers and smart watches.

Facial recognition: face lock in smartphones, face tagging in facebook, face recognition in google photos

Image recognition through apps such as google lens that uses a smartphone's camera to
capture images and provides relevant information related to objects that it identifies.

Gestures

3d pprinting

Ar and vr

What is the goal of ubiquitous computing and how is it affecting interaction? [3]

The intention of UC is to create a computing infrastructure that permeates our physical environment so
much that we do not notice the computer any longer by Shrinking and embedding/distributing it in the
physical world and by designing interactions that don’t demand our intention.

The interaction is becoming more and more ubiquitous day by day. Today we interact with many
devices, such as smartphones, smartwatches, microwaves or automobiles and IoT devices, that
contain many microprocessors that we don’t directly notice. Infact these devices have become an
essential part of our daily lives.
Discuss ubiquitous computing, its vision and what parts of the concept is currently in use today.
[6]
IoT is on its way to providing this vision and turning common objects into connected devices

The goal of HCI is to design usable software and devices. Discuss how the design process for HCI
achieves this. What is the pitfall in this process and how can it be avoided? [6]

A simple definition of design is “achieving goals within constraints”. In this context what are goals,
constraints and trade-off? Explain each. [4]
Goals: the purpose of the design we are intending to produce
Trade-o¤: choosing which goals or constraints can be relaxed so that otherscan be met

What are the constraints in physical design? What is contradiction in constraints? [3]
the limitations on the design process by external factors
materials to be used,
standards to be adopted
cost
time limit for development
health and safety concerns
contradiction means that two constraints are conflicting with each other, only one of them can be met
at a time, so we have to choose the most appropriate trade-off
Explain the fidelity of prototype w.r.t to a mobile app which helps user in a medical emergency. [6]

Explain the process of design. [6]

Requirements – what is wanted The first stage is establishing what exactly is needed and what is
currently happening by using techniques such as interviewing people, videotaping them, looking at the
documents and objects that they work with, observing them directly
Analysis The results of observation and interview need to be ordered in some way to bring out key
issues and communicate with later stages of design
Design: deciding what to do and how to do it
Iteration and prototyping getting the design right by iteratively evaluating design to see how well it is
working and where there can be improvements.
Implementation and deployment create it and deploy it. This will involve writing code, perhaps making
hardware, writing documentation and manuals

Why is the interactive design process iterative? [3]

Because human situations are complex and designers are not infallible it is likely that our first design will
not be perfect! For this reason, almost all interaction design includes some form of iteration of ideas

Discuss the design process and the importance of prototyping. How can designers protect against
developing a suboptimal design? [6]
Prototypes can be evaluated to see how to make it better, change it to make it better and then keep on
doing this until it can’t get any better.
If you start with a bad design concept you may end at something that is simply a tidied up version of
that bad idea. From this we can see that there are two things you need in order for prototyping methods
to work:
1. need To understand what is wrong and how to improve.
2. need A good start point. If the design is very complex, it is sometimes wise to start with various
alternatives and to drop them one by one during the design process.
we need either extensive personal experience or theoretical understanding to help us get better initial
designs.
Prepare a user persona for the given user details and how it helps in designing a mobile app for bank
customers: [6]
Marvin is 68 years old, and his social security is deposited into his bank account at the start of
each month. He goes to the bank every week, withdrawing enough cash for miscellaneous
expenditure. Regular bills are paid by check. He stands in line for a live teller, as he prefers the
social interaction to using an ATM, even though his new artificial leg makes standing in line
uncomfortable. He does not have an ATM card.
What is task analysis? When is it used? [4]

Consider the story board given below and express the user requirements in detail and show the HTA.
[6]

Apply HTA to the task of ordering a book online. Show a screen for one of the sub-tasks. [6]

Apply HTA to the task of reserving an airline seat online. It should handle international as well as
domestic flights, one-way/return, for a single traveler or travelers in a group. Show the corresponding
screens for the tasks. [12]

Develop a hierarchal task analysis of system described below w.r.t tasks mentioned: [10]
Newtown School is a small village school, with 100 children between the ages of 5 and 11.
There are 3 teachers, a principal and 2 part-time classroom assistants. The children are divided
into 3 classes.
The school has been given a grant to develop and install a computer-based record keeping
System. This system, called School Register, is primarily intended to record the attendance of
each child. For example, when a child arrives at school, it should be possible to record this on
the computer. The system will be used by the teachers and principal. Some typical tasks:
i. Register when a child is at school
ii. Calculate and see the number of times a child has been present and absent over a 3 week

Evaluation has three main goals. Briefly discuss them. [5]

Evaluation has three main goals:

i. to assess the extent and accessibility of the system’s functionality,:

the design of the system should enable users to perform their intended tasks more easily. This
includes not only making the appropriate functionality available within the system, but
making it clearly reachable by the user in terms of the actions that the user needs to take to
perform the task. It also involves matching the use of the system to the user’s expectations of
the task

ii. to assess users’ experience of the interaction,

This includes considering aspects such as how easy the system is to learn, its usability and
the user’s satisfaction with it. It may also include his enjoyment and emotional response,
particularly in the case of systems that are aimed at leisure or entertainment. It is important to
identify areas of the design that overload the user in some way, perhaps by requiring an
excessive amount of information to be remembered,

iii. to identify any specific problems with the system

These may be aspects of the design which, when used in their intended context, cause
unexpected results, or confusion amongst users
Why should evaluation be done throughout the design life, even before the first implementation?
[2/3]
Ideally, evaluation should occur throughout the design life cycle, with the results of the
evaluation feeding back into modifications to the design. analytic and informal evaluation
techniques help to ensure that the design is assessed continually. This has the advantage that
problems can be ironed out before considerable effort and resources have been expended on the
implementation itself: it is much easier to change a design in the early stages of development
than in the later stages

the first evaluation of a system should ideally be performed before any implementation work has
started. If the design itself can be evaluated, expensive mistakes can be avoided, since the design
can be altered prior to any major resource commitments. Typically, the later in the design
process that an error is discovered, the more costly it is to put right and, therefore, the less likely
it is to be rectified

What are the methods of evaluating design? Discuss one method. [6]

Discuss the empirical method of evaluation. Using an example explain which type of evaluation it is
used in? [4]

What is the goal of evaluation in expert analysis. When would it be appropriate to use it? [4]

The basic intention is to identify any areas that are likely to cause difficulties because they
violate known cognitive principles, or ignore accepted empirical results. These methods can be
used at any stage in the development process from a design specification, through storyboards
and prototypes, to full implementations, making them flexible evaluation approaches. They are
also relatively cheap, since they do not require user involvement. However, they do not assess
actual use of the system, only whether or not a system upholds accepted usability principles.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of design evaluation through expert analysis? [4]

A user will frequently visit a website for the first time and therefore is unfamiliar with it. The user
navigates through various pages to find the information he/she is seeking (i.e. the goal). In designing
the web pages, the web site designer should provide four types of information to assist the user to
reach the goal. Briefly discuss them. [4]

 knowing where you are

 knowing what you can do

 knowing where you are going – or what will happen

 knowing where you’ve been – or what you’ve done

The screen, web page or device displays should make clear where you are in terms of the
interaction or state of the system. Some websites show ‘bread crumbs’ at the top of the screen,
the path of titles showing where the page is in the site

It is also important to know what you can do – what can be pressed or clicked to go somewhere
or do something e.g. which images are pure decoration and which are links to take you
somewhere

You then need to know where you are going when you click a button or what will happen. icons
are typically not self-explanatory and should always be accompanied by labels or tooltips or
some similar technique. The different meaning of the same command in different modes should
be clear

you also want some sort of confirmation of what you’ve done

Apply the Jakob Nielsen Heuristics evaluation technique to the two interfaces below and suggest
improvements according to the evaluation outcomes. [6]

For the screens you made in Q4, apply the Jakob Nielsen Heuristics evaluation technique in detail for
each screen. What improvements do you suggest for your design? [6]

Analyze each of the interfaces I -4 (on Pg. 3), and answer the questions given in detail for each
interface, making explicit reference to the "design heuristics". [8]
i. What might be a source of frustration of user?
ii. Suggest improvement according to Jacob Neilson Heuristics.
  
To which heuristic does the following definition apply best. Justify your answer with, examples. [4]
Minimize the user's memory load by making Objects, actions, and options visible. The user
should not have to remember information from one part Of the dialogue to another.
Instructions for use of the System should be visible or easily retrievable whenever
appropriate.

Gesture recognition has also been proposed to enable translation of signing to speech or text, again to
improve communication particularly with non-signers.

synthetic speech (see Section 10.3.1) and text-based communication and conferencing systems
Computers and related devices have to be designed with an understanding that people with specific
tasks in mind will want to use them in a way that is seamless with respect to their everyday work. To do
this, those who design these systems need to know how to think in terms of the eventual users’ tasks
and how to translate that knowledge into an executable system.

it is not at all intuitive or easy to design consistent, robust systems that will cope with all manner of user
carelessness.

It should not just present a ‘pretty face’, but should support the tasks that people actually want to do,
and forgive the careless mistakes. We therefore need to consider how HCI fits into the design process.

There are three ‘use’ words that must all be true for a product to be successful; it must be:

 useful – accomplish what is required: play music, cook dinner, format a document;
 usable – do it easily and naturally, without danger of error, etc.;
 used – make people want to use it, be attractive, engaging, fun, etc.

Grouping and structure: if things logically belong together, then we shouldnormally visually group them
together.Order of groups and items: the order on the screen should follow thenatural order for the
user.Decoration: decorations can be used to emphasize grouping.Alignment: the proper use of
alignment can help the user to …nd informa-tion in lists and columns quickly.White space: white space
can be used to separate blocks, highlight struc-tures etc

User actions and controlFor entering information, the same criteria dictate the layout. It is also
veryimportant that the interface gives a clear clue what to do. A uniform layout isthen helpful.
A¤ordance (things may (by their shape for example) suggest whatto do with them) is, sometimes,
helpful as well. It is, however, not appropriateto depict a real-world object in a context where its normal
a¤ordances do notwork.
Appropriate appearanceThe way of presenting information on screen depends on the kind of
information,the technologies available to present it and the purpose for which it is used. Wehave an
advantage when presenting information in an interactive system in thatit is easy to allow the user to
choose among several representations, thus makingit possible to achieve di¤erent goals.In an ideal
design, the interface is both usable and aesthetically pleasing.However, the looks of the interface should
never come to the disadvantage ofthe usability. This is mostly the case with the excessive use of color
and 3D.Localization/internationalization: the process of making software suitablefor di¤erent cultures
and language