Human Computer Interaction

&Usability Engineering
AC52013
Dr Annalu Waller
Tutors: Dr Rachel Menzies & Mr Daniel Herron

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Introduction: 9 10ish
Introductions
What the module is about
Organisation

Introduction to Usability Engineering:
10 12

Lab: 12 2
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Introductions
Who am I
Professor in Human Communication
Technologies
Background
Computer scientist, rehabilitation engineer
My research
Augmentative and alternative
communication (AAC)
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Introductions
Tutors

You name, home, academic
background, course
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Brainstorm: What is HCI?
Cards
Swap
In pairs
Report
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Brainstorm: What is HCI?
Theories and Methods
Evaluation
Understanding Users
Building small and large scale
demonstrators / prototypes
Extending interaction
Ethics and implications for society

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Topics covered in the module...
Requirements gathering & task analysis
Prototyping and visualisation
Evaluation
Human and the computer abilities
User interface styles and support
Human factors in design / Inclusive Design
Guidelines, rules and standards
Universal Access and Digital Media
Ordinary and extraordinary systems and people
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See timetable
Warning: May change
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Contact Project Time

Thursday 9 12 12 - 2
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AC52013 Deliverables

Electronic Submission via Blackboard
Or
Msc-hci@computing.dundee.ac.uk

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Workshops
Lectures
Discussions
Coursework
Individual
Project work (in groups)
Private study, reading, WWW
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Resources on WWW
http://www.computing.dundee.ac.uk/staff/pgregor/links.asp
Some handouts
Your own notes from
lectures
project work
Library
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Assessment AC52013
Three items of coursework
Lab Journals (15%)
Group Usability Engineering Project (35%)

Portfolio of work

Degree examination (50%)
Note AC52013 WAS AC52003
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1
st
Deliverable
HCI & Usability Report (10%)

Choose an unfamiliar piece of software
Undertake a heuristic evaluation
Submit report as a journal see
handout
Due: 9 am, Monday, week 3
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2
nd
Deliverable Focus group(5%)

Submit a journal report - see handouts
Due: 9 am, Mondays after lab sheet
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Usability Engineering Project (35%)
Weeks 2-9
36 hours of work by each student
excluding labs & other class time
Deliverables:
Interim Deliverable AC52013.2c in Wk 6
Presentation of Project Progress AC52013.2d in Wk 6
Presentation of Final Project AC53013.3e in Wk 9
Submission AC52013.3f due Week 10

Starting your project...

Teams
Undertake usability engineering project
Project choice examples
Process not end product
HCI approaches / techniques
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Multi-disciplinary Teams
Software engineer
Develops, operates and maintains software using
systematic approaches.
Software designer
Problem solves and plans a software solution.
Usability engineer
Focuses on the HCI aspects of interfaces.

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AC52013
Weekly project meetings (Big stick)
Arrange with your team
Decide on ground rules
Meet with mentor

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Usability engineering
What is usability?
ISO Standards
Usability lifecycle
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What is usability?
Ease of learning
Ease of use
High speed of user task performance
Low user error rate
Subjective user satisfaction
User retention over time

adapted from Schneiderman (1992)
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Definition of usability
ISO 9241-210 (ISO 2010)
ISO 9241-210 (ISO 2010):
(the) extent to which a system, product or
service can be used by specified users to achieve
specified goals with effectiveness, efficiency and
satisfaction in a specified context of use.

One of the best methods for achieving good
usability is through User Centred Design
(also referred to as Human Centred Design).


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Components of usability
System performance
System functions
User interface
Reading materials
Language translation
Outreach programme
Modification/extendibility
Installation
Field maintenance & serviceability
Advertising
Support-group users
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User-centred design

UCD focuses on involving users at every stage in
the development and evaluation of alternative
designs.

Users concerns direct the development rather than
technical concerns.


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Why User-centred design?
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Poor design
Car lights







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Poor design
Video Cassette Recorder





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Poor design
Mouse connector





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Task - 30 mins
Find your group
Natter
Find a piece of equipment
Use usability guidelines to evaluate
Report back using three aspects as
headings
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User Centred Design

UCD focuses on involving users at every
stage in the development and evaluation
of designs.

Users concerns direct the development
rather than technical concerns.



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ISO Document on HCI
ISO TC 159/SC 4 includes 9241
Ergonomics of human-system interaction
ISO 9241-210: 2010
Human-centred design processes for
interactive systems.

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Example from ISO 9241 part
14
Menu structures
should reflect user
expectations and
facilitate the users
ability to find and
select menu options
relevant to the task


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Software Development
Lifecycles
Lifecycles are derived from two main
categories: software development and
HCI

Software
Engineering
Waterfall
Spiral
Agile
Wheel
DSDM Star
Usability
Engineering
Interaction
Design
HCI
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Traditional development
lifecycle
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Spiral
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Dynamic Systems
Development Model
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Wheel
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The Star view of system
development
Evaluation
Implementation
Task analysis
Functional analysis
Prototyping
Requirements
specification
Conceptual design
Formal design
From Hix & Hartson (1992)
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ISO 9241-210 (2010)
Identify Need for
Human-Centred
Design
Understand and
Specify the Context of
Use
Specify the User and
Organisational
Requirements
Produce Design
Solutions
System satisfies
specified user and
organisation
requirements
Iterate
Until
Satisfied
Evaluate Design Against
Requirements
ISO 9241-210
ISO 13407
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Interaction design
Identify needs /
establish
requirements

(Re)design
Build an
interactive
version

Evaluate
Implement
System
Adapted from Preece et al, 2001
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Activities needed for UCD
Identifying needs and establishing
requirements

Developing alternative designs

Building interactive versions of the
designs

Evaluating the designs
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4 Key principles of Usability
Engineering
1. Early - and continual - focus on users

2. Integrated design

3. Early - and continual - user testing

4. Iterative design
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Usability Engineering process
Collect & synthesise information about
users and tasks - understand users
Develop a conceptual design of interface
Storyboard/ sketches
Users mental model?
Test with users
Set usability goals
Prototype & evaluate usability goals
Next iteration

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Designing Good Interfaces
Sketch out user scenarios (e.g.
storyboards)
Test (evaluate) scenario with users
Design and build prototype
Test (evaluate) prototype with users
Iteratively incorporate changes and test
until:
Behavioural targets are met
A critical deadline is met (you run out of
time?)

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Why should we be aware of
UCD?

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Why should we be aware of
UCD?
There is growing awareness of the importance of user
centred design
In a survey in 2005
82% of respondents thought user centred design improved the
usability of a product
44% thought it reduced development costs
The value of good design is also being recognised by
NASA, as a senior NASA researcher from the NASA Ames
Research Center States
Design is starting to change who succeeds and who fails (Olsen
2007)



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What happens without UCD?
Many examples of problems that can occur
without UCD e.g. NHS IT project.
Began in 2002 and was expected to take 10
years In 2007 the head of the project resigned
because they have been building a system with
Fujitsu without listening to what the end users
want
2010 project reported to be close to failure.
User concerns over the safety and security of
the system were not fully addressed (Beckett 2009).



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How does HCI relate to
Software Engineering?
Strategies and techniques to ensure usability
Expert view on human capabilities
U/I design principles
Designing for diversity
Formative and summative evaluation of
prototyping
Understanding users