Department

Interface of Computer Science

Human Computer Interaction
 COURSE OBJECTIVES:

1)To Understand the human component functions and computer component functions

2)To apply interaction between human and computer components

3)To familiarise paradigms, Interaction design basics in HCI software process
4)To design rules and implementation support in HCI process
5)To understand evaluation techniques in HCI software process.
COURSE OUTCOMES:
1)Apply human computer functions regarding interaction with computer
2)Apply computer components' functions regarding interaction with human
3)Demonstrate interaction between the human and computer components
4)Use paradigms of computer science as a branch of programmes
5)Implement Software tools available to interact with computer components
Introduction to Human Computer Interaction
By the end of this unit you will understand…
 Importance of User Interface
 Definition of user interface
 Importance of a good design
 Benefits of a good design
 A brief history of screen design
 The graphical user interface
 Popularity of graphics
 The concept of direct manipulation
 Graphical systems
 Characteristics of graphical systems
 Web user -interface popularity
 Web user Characteristics
 Principles of user interface
1) Human–Computer Interaction (HCI) alternatively man–
machine interaction (MMI) or computer–human interaction (CHI)
is the study of interaction between people (users) and computers.
2) Human-computer interaction is a discipline concerned with the
design, evaluation and implementation of interactive computing
systems for human use and with the study of major phenomena
surrounding them
 Goals of HCI
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.

A long term goal of HCI is

–to design systems that minimize the barrier between the human's of what they
want to accomplish and the computer's understanding of the user's task
WHY IS HCI IMPORTANT
•User-centered design is getting a crucial role!
•It is getting more important today to increase
competitiveness via HCI studies (Norman,1990)
•High-cost e-transformation investments
•Users lose time with badly designed products and
services
•Users even give up using bad interface
– Ineffective allocation of resources
DEFINING THE USER INTERFACE
•User interface, design is a subset of a field of study called human-computer
interaction(HCI).
•Human-computer interaction is the study, planning, and design of how people and
computers work together so that a person's needs are satisfied in the most effective
way.
• HCI designers must consider a variety of factors:
– what people want and expect, physical
limitations and abilities people possess,
--how information processing systems work,
– what people find enjoyable and attractive.
– Technical characteristics and limitations of
the computer hardware and software
must also be considered.
The User Interface is
– the part of a computer and its software that
people can see, hear, touch, talk to, or otherwise
understand or direct
The user interface has essentially two components:
input and output.
•Input is how a person communicates his / her
needs to the computer.
– Some common input components are the keyboard,
mouse, trackball, one's finger, and one's voice.
•Output is how the computer conveys the results
of its computations and requirements to the user.
• Today, the most common computer output mechanism is the
display screen, followed by mechanisms that take advantage of a
person's auditory capabilities: voice and sound.

• The use of the human

senses of smell and
touch output in
interface design still
remain largely
unexplored.
❖ Proper interface design will provide a mix of well-designed
input and output mechanisms that satisfy the user's needs,
capabilities, and limitations in the most effective way
possible.
• The best interface is one that it not noticed, one that permits the
user to focus on the information and task at hand, not the
mechanisms used to present the information and perform the
task.
 THE IMPORTANCE OF THE USER INTERFACE
1)A well-designed interface and screen is terribly important to our users.
It is their window to view the capabilities of the system.
2)It is also the vehicle through which many critical tasks are
presented. These tasks often have a direct impact on an
organization's relations with its customers, and its
profitability.
A screen's layout and appearance affect a person in a variety of ways. If
they are confusing and inefficient, people will have greater difficulty in
doing their jobs and will make more mistakes.
Poor design may even chase some people away from a system
permanently. It can also lead to aggravation, frustration, and increased
stress.
 THE IMPORTANCE OF THE USER INTERFACE
❖A screen's layout and appearance affect a person in a
variety of ways. If they are confusing and inefficient,
people will have greater difficulty in doing their jobs and
will make more mistakes. Poor design may even chase
people away from a system permanently. It can also lead
to aggravation frustration, and increased stress.
 The Benefits of Good Design
❖Poor clarity forced screen users to spend one extra second per
screen.
□ Almost one additional year would be required to process all
screens.
□ Twenty extra seconds in screen usage time adds an
additional 14 person years.
The Benefits of Good Design
The benefits of a well designed screen have also been under
experimental scrutiny for many years.
o One researcher, for example, attempted to improve screen
clarity and readability by making screens less crowded.
o Separate items, which had been combined on the same
display line to conserve space, were placed on separate
lines instead.
o The result screen users were about 20 percent more
productive with the less crowded version.
 The Benefits of Good Design
❖Proper formatting of information on screens does have a
significant positive effect on performance.
❖In recent years, the productivity benefits of well-designed Web
pages have also been scrutinized.
❖Training costs are lowered because training time is reduced.
❖Support line costs are lowered because fewer assist calls are
necessary. Employee satisfaction is increased because
aggravation and frustration are reduced.
❖An organization's customer get benefit because of the
improved services they receive.
 The Benefits of Good Design
Identifying and resolving problems during the design and
development process also has significant economic benefits
□How many screens are used each day in our technological
world?
□How many screens are used each day in your organization?
Thousands? Millions?
□Imagine the possible savings. Proper screen design might also, of
course, lower the costs of replacing "broken" PCs.
A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE HUMAN-
COMPUTER INTERFACE
•The need for people to communicate with each other has existed
since we first walked upon this planet.
• The lowest and most common level of communication modes
we share are
movements and gestures.
•Movements and gestures are language independent, that is, they
permit people who do not speak the same language to deal with
one another.
A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE HUMAN-COMPUTER
INTERFACE
The next higher level, in terms of universality and complexity, is
spoken language.
•Most people can speak one language, some two or more. A spoken
language is a very efficient mode of communication if both parties to
the communication understand it.
•At the third and highest level of complexity is written language.
While most people speak, not all can write.
•But for those who can, writing is still nowhere near as efficient a
means of communication as speaking.
 A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE HUMAN-COMPUTER
INTERFACE
In modemtimes, we have the typewriter, another step
upward in communication complexity.
•Significantly fewer people type than write. (While a practiced typist
can find typing faster and more efficient than handwriting, the
unskilled may not find this the case.)
• Spoken language, however, is still more efficient than typing,
regardless' of typing skill level.
 Evolution Steps of Computer’s Ability to deal
with Humans 1.Input through a keyboard
2.Command Language, Question and Answer, Menu Selection,
Function key selection and Form Fill-In
3.Voice Recognition, Handwriting Recognition( Google Assistant,
Alexa, Microsoft’s Cortona.
A BRIEF HISTORY OF SCREEN
DESIGN
•While developers have been
designing screens since a cathode ray
tube display was first attached to a
computer, more widespread interest in
the application of good design
principles to screens did not begin to
emerge until the early 1970s, when
IBM introduced its 3270 cathode ray
tube text-based terminal.
 A BRIEF HISTORY OF SCREEN
DESIGN
1) It consisted of many fields (more than are illustrated
here) with very cryptic and often unintelligible
captions.
2) It was visually cluttered, and often possessed a
command field that challenged the user to remember
what had to be keyed into it.
3) Ambiguous messages often required referral to a
manual to interpret.
 A BRIEF HISTORY OF SCREEN DESIGN
1) Effectively using this kind of
screen required a great deal
of practice and patience.
Most early screens were
monochromatic, typically
presenting green text on
black backgrounds.
1) The 1980’s many screens began to take on a
much less cluttered look through concepts such as
grouping and alignment of elements,
2) User memory was supported by providing clear and
meaningful field captions and by listing commands
on the screen, and enabling them to be applied,
through function keys. Messages also became
clearer.
3) These screens were not entirely clutter-free,
however. Instructions and reminders to the user
had to be inscribed on the screen in the form of
prompts or completion aids such as the codes PR
and Sc.
With the advent of graphics in 1990’s
yielded another milestone in the evolution of
screen design, While some basic
"design principles did not change,
groupings and alignment, for example, Borders
were made available to visually
enhance groupings and buttons and menus for
implementing commands replaced
function keys.

Topic: A Brief History of the Human-Computer Interface Lecture No: 5

1) Multiple properties of elements were
also provided, including many different
font sizes and styles,
line thicknesses, and colors.
2) The entry field was
supplemented by a multitude of
other kinds of controls, including
list boxes, drop-down
combination boxes,
spin boxes, and so
forth.

Topic: A Brief History of the Human-Computer Interface Lecture No: 5

1) These new controls were much
more effective in supporting a
person's memory,
now simply allowing for
selection from a list instead of
requiring a remembered key
entry.
2) Completion aids disappeared from screens,
replaced by one of the new listing controls.
3) Screens could also be simplified, the
much more powerful computers
being able to quickly present a new
screen.

Topic: A Brief History of the Human-Computer Interface Lecture No: 5

 INTRODUCTION OF THE GRAPHICAL USER INTERFACE
1) The Xerox systems, Altus and STAR, introduced the mouse and pointing and
selecting as the primary human-computer communication method.
2) The user simply pointed
at the screen, using
the mouse as an
intermediary.
3) These systems also introduced
the graphical user interface
as we know it a new concept
was born, revolutionizing
the human-computer interface.
 THE POPULARITY OF GRAPHICS

• A graphical screen bore scant resemblance to its earlier text-based colleagues.

• Older text-based screen possessed a one dimensional
• Graphic screens assumed a three-dimensional look.
• Controls appeared to rise above the screen and move when
activated.
• Information could appear, and disappear, as needed.
• Text could be replaced by graphical images
called icons.
• These icons could represent objects or actions
• Selection fields such as radio buttons, check boxes, list
boxes, and palettes co existed with the reliable old text
entry field
THE POPULARITY OF GRAPHICS• More sophisticated text entry fields with attached or
dropdown menus
• Objects and actions were selected through use of pointing mechanisms.
• Increased computer power.
• User's actions to be reacted to quickly, dynamically, and meaningfully.
• WIMP interface: windows, icons, menus, and pointers.
• Graphic presentation is much more effective than
other presentation methods.
•Properly used, it reduces the requirement for perceptual and mental information
recoding and reorganization, and also reduces the memory loads.
•It permits faster information transfer between computers and people by permitting
more visual comparisons of amounts, trends, or relationships; more compact
representation of information;
• Graphics also can add appeal or charm to the interface and permit greater
customization to create a unique corporate or organization style.

Topic: The Popularity of Graphics Lecture No: 6

 GRAPHICAL SYSTEMS ADVANTAGES AND
DISADVANTAGES
ADVANTAGES
1)Symbols recognized faster than text
2)Faster learning
3)Faster use and problem solving
4)Easier remembering
5)More natural
6)Exploits visual/spatial cues
7) Fosters more concrete thinking
8)Provides context
9)Fewer errors
10)Increased feeling of control
 GRAPHICAL SYSTEMS ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES
ADVANTAGES
11)Immediate feedback 12)Predictable
system responses 13)Easily reversible
actions
14)Less anxiety concerning use
15)More attractive
16)May consume less space 17)Replaces
national languages 18)Easily augmented with
text displays
19)Smooth transition from command
language system
 GRAPHICAL SYSTEMS DISADVANTAGES
1)Greater design complexity.
2)Learning still necessary
3)Lack of experimentally-derived design guidelines
4)Use of a pointing device may also have to be learned 5)Working
domain is the present
6)Human comprehension limitations
7)Window manipulation requirements
8)Production limitations
 GRAPHICAL SYSTEMS DISADVANTAGES
9)Few tested icons exist
10)Inefficient for touch typists
11)Inefficient for expert users
12)Not always the preferred style of interaction
13)Not always fastest style of interaction
14)Increased chances of clutter and confusion 1
5)May consume more screen space
16)Hardware limitations
 THE CONCEPT OF DIRECT MANIPULATION
❖The system is portrayed as an extension of the real world: It is
assumed that a person is already familiar with the objects and
actions in his or her environment of interest.
❖The system simply replicates them and portrays them on a different
medium, the screen.
❖A person has the power to access and modify these objects, among
which are windows.
❖A person is allowed to work in a familiar environment and in a
familiar way, focusing on the data, not the application and tools.
 THE CONCEPT OF DIRECT MANIPULATION
❖The physical organization of the system, which most often is
unfamiliar, is hidden from view and is not a distraction.
❖Continuous visibility of objects and actions: Like one's desktop,
objects are continuously visible. Reminders of actions to be
performed are also obvious, labeled buttons replacing complex
syntax and command names.
❖Cursor action and motion occurs in physically obvious and natural
ways. One problem in direct manipulation, however, is that there
is no direct analogy on the desk for all necessary windowing
operations.
 THE CONCEPT OF DIRECT MANIPULATION
❖A piece of paper on one's desk maintains a constant size, never
shrinking or growing. Windows can do both. Solving this problem
required embedding a control panel, a familiar concept to most people,
in a window's border.
❖This control panel is manipulated, not the window itself. Actions are
rapid and incremental with visible display of results, the results of
actions are immediately displayed visually on the screen in their new
and current form.
❖Auditory feedback may also be provided. The impact of a previous
action is quickly seen, and the evolution of tasks is continuous and
effortless. Incremental actions are easily reversible.
 EARLIER DIRECT MANIPULATION SYSTEMS
❖The concept of direct manipulation actually preceded the first
graphical system. The earliest full-screen text editors possessed
similar characteristics.
❖Screens of text resembling a piece of paper on one's desk could be
created (extension of real world) and then reviewed in their entirety
(continuous visibility).
❖Editing or restructuring could be easily accomplished (through
rapid incremental actions) and the results immediately seen.
❖Actions could be reversed when necessary. It took the advent of
graphical
❖systems to crystallize the direct manipulation concept, however.
 INDIRECT MANIPULATION
In practice, direct manipulation of all screen objects and actions may not be
feasible because of the following:
• The operation may be difficult to conceptualize in the graphical system.
• The graphics capability of the system may be limited.
• The amount of space available for placing manipulation controls in the window border
may be limited.
• It may be difficult for people to learn and remember all the necessary operations and
actions.
❖ When this occurs, indirect manipulation is provided. Indirect manipulation substitutes
words and text, such as pull-down or pop-up menus, for symbols, and substitutes typing
for pointing.
•
Topic: Indirect Manipulation Lecture No: 7
 INDIRECT MANIPULATION
❖ Most window systems are a combination of both direct and indirect manipulation. A
menu may be accessed by pointing at a menu icon and then selecting it (direct
manipulation)
❖ The menu itself, however, is a textual list of operations (indirect manipulation).
When an operation is selected from the list, by pointing or typing, the system
executes it as a command.
❖ Which style of interaction-direct manipulation, indirect manipulation, or a
combination of both-is best, under what conditions and for whom, remains a
question whose answer still eludes us.

Topic: Indirect Manipulation Lecture No: 7

Characteristics of the Graphical User Interface

1) Sophisticated Visual Presentation

2) Restricted Set of Interface Options
3) Pick-and-Click Interaction
4) Visualization
5) Object Orientation
6) Use of Recognition Memory
7) Concurrent Performance of Functions

Topic: Characteristics of Graphical User Interface Lecture No: 7

Sophistication Visual presentation
It is the visual aspect of the interface. It is what people see on the screen.
•The sophistication of a graphical system permits displaying lines, including
drawings and icons.
•It also permits the displaying of a variety of character fonts, including
different sizes and styles.
•The display of 16 million or more colors is possible on some screens.
Graphics also permit animation and the presentation of photograph and
motion video.

Topic: CharTaocpteicr:istics of Graphical User LecLtuercetuNreo

Interface :No: 7
 Sophistication Visual presentation
✔It is the visual aspect of the interface. It is what people see on the screen.
✔The objective is to reflect visually on screen the real world of the user as
realistically, meaningfully, simply, and clearly possible.
❖ The sophistication of a graphical system permits displaying lines, including
drawings and icons.
❖ It also permits the displaying of a variety of character fonts, including different sizes
and styles.
❖ The display of 16 million or more colors is possible on some screens.
❖ Graphics also permit animation and the presentation of photograph and
motion video.

Topic: CharTaocpteicr:istics of Graphical User LecLtuercetuNreo

Interface :No: 7
 Sophisticated Visual presentation
❖ The meaningful interface elements visually presented to the user in a graphical
System include windows (primary, secondary, or dialog boxes), menus (menu bar,
pull down, pop-up, cascading), icons to represent objects such as programs or
files, assorted screen-based Controls (text boxes, list boxes, combination boxes,
settings, scroll bar and buttons), and a mouse pointer and cursor.

Topic: CharTaocpteicr:istics of Graphical User LecLtuercetuNreo

Interface :No: 7
 Restricted Set of Interface Options:
❖ The array of alternatives available to the user is what is presented on the screen or
may be retrieved through what is presented on the screen, nothing less, nothing
more. This concept fostered the acronym WYSIWYG- “What You See Is What You
Get”

Topic: CharTaocpteicr:istics of Graphical User LecLtuercetuNreo

Interface :No: 7
 Pick-and-Click Interaction:
1) Elements of a graphical screen upon which some action is to be performed must first
identified.
2) The motor activity required of a person to identify this element for a proposed action is
commonly referred to as pick, the signal to perform an action as cue.
3) The primary mechanism for performing this pick-and-click is most often the
mouse and its buttons.
4) The user moves the mouse pointer to the relevant element (pick) and the action is signaled
(click).

Topic: CharTaocpteicr:istics of Graphical User LecLtuercetuNreo

Interface :No: 7
 Pick-and-Click Interaction:
1) Pointing allows rapid selection and feedback. The hand and mind seem to work smoothly and
efficiently together.
2) The Secondary Mechanism for performing these selection actions is the keyboard most systems permit
pick-and-click to be performed using the keyboard as well.

Topic: CharTaocpteicr:istics of Graphical User LecLtuercetuNreo

Interface :No: 7
 Visualization:
❖ Visualization is a cognitive process that allows people to understand Information that is
difficult to perceive, because it is either too voluminous or too abstract
❖ Presenting specialized graphic portrayals facilitates visualization.
❖ The best visualization method for
an activity depends on what People are
trying to learn from the data.
❖ The goal is not necessarily to reproduce a really
graphical image, but to produce one that conveys
the most relevant information.
❖ Effective visualizations can facilitate
mental insights, increase productivity, and for
faster and more accurate use of data.
 Object Orientation:
❖A graphical system consists of objects and actions. Objects are what
people see on screen. They are manipulated as a single unit.
❖Objects can be composed of sub objects. For example, an object may
be a document. The document's sub objects may be a paragraph,
sentence, word, and letter.
❖A collection is the simplest relationship-the objects sharing a
common aspect.
❖A collection might be the result of a query or a multiple selection of
objects.
❖Operations can be applied to a collection of objects.
❖A constraint is a stronger object relationship. Changing an object in a set
affects some other object in the set.
 Object Orientation:
❖A document being organized into pages is an example of a constraint. A
composite exists when the relationship between objects becomes so
significant that the aggregation itself can be identified as an object.
❖Examples include a range of cells organized into a spreadsheet, or a
collection of words organized into a paragraph.
❖A container is an object in which other objects exist. Examples
include text in a document or documents in a folder.
❖A container often influences the behavior of its content. It may add or
suppress certain properties or operations of objects placed within it,
control access to its content, or control access to kinds of objects it will
accept. These relationships help define an object's type.
 Object Orientation:
❖Similar traits and behaviors exist in objects of the same
object type.
❖Another important object characteristic is persistence.
❖Persistence is the maintenance of a state once it is
established. An object's state (for example, window size,
cursor location, scroll position, and so on) should always be
automatically preserved when the user changes it.
 Use of Recognition Memory:
❖Continuous visibility of objects and actions encourages use
of a person's more powerful recognition memory. The "out
of sight, out of mind" problem is eliminated
 CONCURRENT PERFORMANCE OF FUNCTIONS
1)Graphic systems may do two or more things at one time. Multiple
programs may run simultaneously. When a system is not busy on a
primary task, it may process background tasks (cooperative
multitasking).When applications are running as truly separate tasks,
the system may divide the processing power into time slices and
allocate portions to each application.
2)Data may also be transferred between programs. It may be
temporarily stored on a "clipboard" for later transfer or be
automatically swapped between programs.
 THE GRAPHICAL USER INTERFACE
❖ A user interface is a collection of techniques and mechanisms to interact with something.
❖ In a graphical interface the primary interaction mechanism is a pointing device of some kind.
❖ This device is the electronic equivalent to the human hand. What the user interacts with is a
collection of elements referred to as objects.
❖ They can be seen, heard, touched, or otherwise perceived.
❖ Objects are always visible to the user and are used to perform tasks.
❖ They are interacted with as entities independent of all other objects.
❖ People perform operations, called actions, on objects. The operations include
❖ accessing and modifying objects by pointing, selecting, and manipulating. All
❖ objects have standard resulting behaviors.
Topic: GUI and Web Interface-Comparison Lecture No: 8
Topic: GUI and Web Interface-Comparison Lecture No: 8
Topic: GUI and Web Interface-Comparison Lecture No: 8
 GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF USER INTERFACE
1)The design goals in creating a user interface are described below.
2)They are fundamental to the design and implementation of all effective interfaces,
including GUI and Web ones.
3)These principles are general characteristics of the interface, and they apply to all aspects.
The compilation is presented alphabetically, and the ordering is not intended to imply degree
of importance.
1) Accessibility
2) Aesthetically Pleasing
3) Availability
4) Clarity
5) Compatibility
6) Configurability
7) Comprehensibility
8) Consistency
9) Control 10) Directness
 Aesthetically Pleasing
Provide visual appeal by following these presentation and graphic
design principles:
1) Provide meaningful contrast between screen elements.
2) Create groupings.
3) Align screen elements and groups.
4) Provide three-dimensional representation.
5) Use color and graphics effectively and simply.
 Clarity
❖The interface should be
visually, conceptually, and
linguistically clear, including
• Visual elements
• Functions
• Metaphors
• Words and Text

Cluttered Website
Compatibility
Provide compatibility with the following:
- The user
- The task and job
- The Product
- Adopt the User’s Perspective
Configurability
Permit easy personalization, configuration, and reconfiguration of settings.
- Enhances a sense of control
- Encourages an active role in understanding

Comprehensibility
A System should be easily learned and understood: A user should know the following:
- What to look at
- What to do
- When to do it
- Where to do it
- Why to do it
- How to do it
The flow of actions, responses, visual presentations, and information should be in a
sensible order that is easy to recollect and place in context.
Consistency
A system should look, act, and operate the same throughout. Similar components should:

-Have a similar look.

Eg: A Submit button should be of
the same size and color acros All s
the pages in the website
- Have similar uses.
-Operate similarly.

• The same action should always yield the same result

• The function of elements should
not change.
• The position of standard elements
should not change.
 Control
1) The user must control the interaction.
- Actions should result from explicit user requests.
- Actions should be performed quickly.
- Actions should be capable of interruption or termination.
- The user should never be interrupted for errors
2)The context maintained must be from the perspective of the user.
3)The means to achieve goals should be flexible and compatible
with the user's skills, experiences, habits, and preferences.
4)Avoid modes since they constrain the actions available to the
user.
5)Permit the user to customize aspects of the interface, while always
providing a proper set of defaults
Directness
Provide direct ways to accomplish tasks.
- Available alternatives should be visible.
- The effect of actions on objects should be visible.
Flexibility
A system must be sensitive to the differing needs of its users, enabling a level and
type of performance based upon:
- Each user's knowledge and skills.
- Each user's experience.
- Each user's personal preference.
- Each user's habits.
- The conditions at that moment.
 Efficiency
❖Minimize eye and hand movements, and other control actions.
1) Transitions between various system controls should flow easily and freely.
2) Navigation paths should be as short as possible.
3) Eye movement through a screen should be obvious and sequential.
4) Anticipate the user's wants and needs whenever possible.
Familiarity
5) Employ familiar concepts and use a language that is familiar to the user.
6) Keep the interface natural, mimicking the user's behavior patterns.
7) Use real-world metaphors.
Forgiveness
• Tolerate and forgive common and unavoidable human errors.
• Prevent errors from occurring whenever possible.
• Protect against possible catastrophic errors.
• When an error does occur, provide constructive messages.
Predictability
•The user should be able to anticipate the natural progression of each task. o
Provide distinct and recognizable screen elements.
o Provide cues to the result of an action to be performed.
• All expectations should be fulfilled uniformly and completely.

Topic: General Principles of User Interface Lecture No: 9

Recovery
1)A system should permit:
- Commands or actions to be abolished or reversed.
- Immediate return to a certain point if difficulties arise.
2)Ensure that users never lose their work as a result of:
- An error on their part.
-Hardware, software, or communication problems
Responsiveness
1) The system must rapidly respond to the user's requests Provide
immediate acknowledgment for all user actions:
- Visual.
- Textual
- Auditory.
 Transparency
• Permit the user to focus on the task or job,
without concern for the mechanics of the
interface.
• Workings and reminders of workings inside
the computer should be invisible to the user.
Simplicity
• Provide as simple interface as possible
• Five ways to provide simplicity:
- Use progressive disclosure, hiding
things until they are needed
- Present common and necessary
functions first
- Prominently feature important
functions
- Hide more sophisticated and less
frequently used functions.
- Provide defaults.
- Minimize screen alignment points.
-Make common actions simple at the expense of uncommon actions