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| Each month Dr. Eric Schaffer answers selected questions on usable interface design. | Recent Questions |
| Archived questions and answers about ... |
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December 14, 2006 – submitted by Balachandar S. of Chennai, India |
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Question: Look at the following listed titles/roles. Even though I have some clear understanding on certain roles, I'm quite confused with how are these things related to each other, and with the system/process.
Pease clarify. |
Eric's response: Names get used in different ways. But let me take a shot.
These are ALL usability specialists. They do user-centered design and approach things based on an engineering psychology perspective.
Interaction Designers are sometimes solid usability specialists, but sometimes approach things from a technology background and do poor design as a result. Industrial Designer is adept at doing the physical design of products. They worry about plastics, buttons, shapes, sizes, and manufacturability. They should work in conjunction with a usability specialist with good hardware design skills. They are sort of like visual designers for physical products. Instructional Designers specialize in creating training programs. Some do online training. Information Architects don't come from an engineering psychology perspective. They are generally librarians. They apply the librarian perspective about categorizing things to the organization of material in Web sites. I see fewer of these folks around. I think this is because they do a small part of what a usability specialist does. Visual Designers and Graphic Designers both go the artistic work around an interface design. Hopefully they are trained about the issues with online graphics (bit depth and such). Working alone they tend to create designs that are cool, but unusable. But paired with usability specialists, they add essential inputs to the design and create the images necessary to code the interface. |
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October 30, 2006 – submitted by Santhosh R.B. of Udumalpet, India |
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Question: I'm a graduate in Computer Science, and have been in the field of Web & UI designing for the past 4 years. Now I am interested in switching my carrier into the usability area so I am planning to get on your training track in 2007. I would like to know the difference between a user-centric design approach and a business-centric design approach? |
Eric's response: Santhosh, the business-centric design approach tends to work off of a set of business rules and functional requirements. The designer thinks a lot about what the business needs in terms of functions, but much less about what the user will go through to meet those needs. The user-centric viewpoint does, of course, consider the business needs. But the main focus is on planning and designing the user's experience and performance requirements. So, a business-centric designer might say that the site will sell office supplies, and these supplies will be sold online. There will be lots of detail on the types of supplies that the company will sell. There will be many rules about pricing supplies, data required for fulfillment, etc. The user-centric designer realizes that the user does NOT primarily select items from a database and buy them. The user actually primarily wants to RE-ORDER things (more of this, more of that). Therefore the site becomes more about reordering things than just a database of products with a search function and shopping cart. This insight transforms the site from more frustrating than catalogue shopping by phone, to a quick and practical alternative. This differentiates the site from others and is worth millions. |
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October 19, 2006 – submitted by Deborah Lord of Red Oak, TX |
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Question: Hi Dr. Schaffer, |
Eric's response: Well right now the usability field is pretty hot, so there are a ton of opportunities if you are sharp. It helps a lot to have some education and/or training in the field. A Masters in Usability would be a good foundation. If not that, at least a set of training courses and perhaps certification would help. Then select a large usability operation and apply. The larger groups will have experts who can mentor you, and that is REALLY important when you are getting started. |
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August 10, 2006 – submitted by Brianna Johnson of Michigan |
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Question: Is there a good resource for learning about human limitations? I'm doing research on end user ergonomics and am having trouble finding specific human limitations. |
Eric's response: You are kidding, right??? There are SO many limitations that are well known and researched. Humans as single-channel processors. Short term memory limits. Visual acuity limits. Reliable errors of estimation and decision making. And, every one of these has a direct impact on design decisions for user interfaces. You can read FOREVER about well researched limits of human perception, information processing, and motor behavior. |
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August 2, 2006 – submitted by Pinky Thakkar of NE, USA |
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Question: Are there any distance non-degree certificates or Bachelors degree in HCI from universities around here. Being a Bachelors graduate I want to pursue my higher education and many universities have HCI programs but they are too strict about their requirements. Could you please advise? |
Eric's response: I am not aware of any reputable program that teaches graduate level, or even undergraduate HCI skills remotely. Perhaps someday this will happen. But I do suspect it takes direct interaction in person to make it really happen. |
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July 3, 2006 – submitted by Eric Schweitzer of Chevy Chase, MD |
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Question: I have now been studying the GRE for about two months with the idea of applying to Human Factors grad programs within the U.S. However, while researching grad programs, specifically I came across a program at SJSU where you earn a MS in Human Factors Design. This then stirred a 180 degree shift to now currently researching design programs (AGAIN after closure years ago). Everything I have heard tells me that it is a very risky idea to seek out a design degree at 30. However, I have been working with an admissions advisor from Art Center College of Design (the #1 Industrial Design program today), who persuaded me to come up with some sketch work. She actually told me that I was producing similar work to what she sees for entrance to their Bachelors program. So it seems also that my gift for "gab" is also equally matched with an equally raw talent for design conception. My interest is design conception but I understand that I would be working with designers as a usability specialist anyways. I can't help but think that if I were to get a Masters in Human Factors, I would have a much better lifestyle with better affordances than starting at 36 with a BA in Communication and a BS in Design. Herein lies the problem. I am interested in Design but scared to not have a Masters at 36 instead of two Bachelor degrees. As a CEO, I would be interested to know from a man who has made many management hiring decisions as well as a human factors expert, please if you would tell me what you would prefer to see entering your company. Thanks for any advice you have. |
Eric's response: I have had some wonderful usability experts working for me that had only a BA. But I will say that a Masters is really the working degree in the field. If you want to do usability work, then a Masters is the ticket. As a usability engineer you can do a lot of structural design. But you may find most companies want graphic artists to do the detailed visual treatment (they are much more common and cheaper). So getting a Masters is a great idea if you want to do usability work. If you want to draw (be an artist) then that is a different path and you are right that the usability path is more lucrative. I am not sure if getting a design degree is exactly "risky." But if you are happy doing the somewhat more analytic work of the usability engineer, a good job is much more certain with the MS. |
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June 5, 2006 – submitted by Prashant Dubey of Pune, India |
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Question: Hello Dr Eric! After a long time I am posting a question on your Web site. I am a designer in a company that focuses and develops PLM (Product Lifecycle Management). Looking to this domain, what course do you recommend from the usability point of view. My job involves writing, designing the look & feel, and making product simulations. In other words, developing the course content, which reduces the reading time! The clients are very high profile, as PLM is not affordable by average companies. Can you please suggest me how should I proceed for becoming a usability expert so that I can render my best services to my company! |
Eric's response: Well Prashant, right now there really are not product-specific usability courses. Instead, everyone takes a solid generalist software usability training program. HFI has such courses in Bangalore and occasionally in Mumbai. Perhaps in the future we will see such courses. I am working on training like this for staff within HFI (medical usability training, financial usability training, etc.). However, I am pretty such it will never be as specific as PLM usability training. |
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May 23, 2006 – submitted by Elizabeth Alcalde of Columbus, OH |
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Question: Is there any college or university web site that you consider user friendly and easily navigable? |
Eric's response: I tend to avoid pointing people to sites. The problem is that even the best sites have a mix of good design and some decisions that are not good. This may be due to politics, or legacy. But it is simply bad practice to teach usability by pointing to sites and saying "this is good". I could point to sites like http://www.cumc.columbia.edu/ which we worked on and seem to be rather solid ergonomically. But we could certainly find things that are not ideal examples. It is far better to look at the usability literature, or take usability training. This will really do a far better job of identifying the processes and principles needed to make a great site. |
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February 15, 2006 – submitted by Bala Chander of Dubai, UAE |
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Question: What is the minimum qualification, experience, skill set required to do the usability course. Basically I am B.Com Graduate and I am doing my MBA, and employed as an accountant. My age is 30. I am interested in the usability profession. Please suggest to me the career prospects .if I am going to enter in this field. Will i get a job if I do your certification course. Please provide me course details, fees etc. |
Eric's response: The usability career is VERY active, especially in Asia. However, your background is a bit problematic. I hate to see you stop an MBA if it is near completion. Perhaps you can do some usability oriented work in the MBA. Then you will need to get specific training and/or education in usability. There are courses (like HFI's certification track) that will give you a foundation. Even better, you might consider an advanced degree in usability (although there are really very few good programs in Asia. The best I think is under Martin Helander in Singapore). When you do start work in the field it is critical to be in a company where there are senior usability people who can guide you. There is no substitute for experience and mentoring. |
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February 8, 2006 – submitted by Laila Thakkar |
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Question: What would be the benefit for a person to do this CUA certificate if they do not have a degree in the same field? |
Eric's response: A certification is a way of adding credibility (a valid indicator of established knowledge and skill). If you have a degree, you already have a pretty good level of credential. Adding certification is good. But if you do NOT have a degree, then a certification is even more important, as it is then your only credential in the usability field. |
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January 24, 2006 – submitted by Mark Pawson of Calgary, Canada |
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Question: We are just beginning to put together a UI team at our company. What UI conferences in 2006, post February would you recommend for those new and with some experience in this field? |
Eric's response: There are two core conferences each year, and they are both well worthwhile. SIGCHI (Interact.Inform.Inspire) in Montreal, April 22-27, and the Usability Professionals' Association (Usability through Storytelling) in Denver, June 12-16. There are also many local and specialized events. Most of these are sponsored by local chapters of either CHI or UPA. Finally, there is the venerable Human Factors and Ergonomics Society. Years ago this was the best place for usability insights. But they now have little to offer for the software usability crowd. |
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