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Question: I am designing a mobile application and wanted to know what are all the usability points to be considered. I am very new to the subject. |
Eric's response: Well I can tell you are a bit new to the subject. I've been working on that question for over 30 years and I don't know all the points to consider. If this is an important application, please seek professional assistance. It does not matter how intelligent and well-meaning you are. It does not matter if you can speed read. It does not even matter if you have degrees in design or psychology. You won't get anywhere close to understanding how to design the user interface aspect of a mobile device in less then a year. |
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Question: Can you please tell me in simple words what is internationalization and localization of websites. |
Eric's response: Sure.
Internationalization can mean two things.
- Make the site easy to convert to local cultures (example, if you have embedded variable words it is hard to translate because different languages use different word order).
- Avoid things that make trouble because of different cultures (example, if you rely on baseball metaphors, many people will not understand).
Localization is the full adaptation of a site to fit with local language, conventions, practicalities, and cultural context. So an e-commerce site must have local language, local currency, and be adapted to a local buying style. So in China, for example, the site must deliver to local convenience stores.
See also a previous "Ask Eric" on this topic. |
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Question: I understand that print advertising is geared toward people at a 5th grade reading level (in general). UCD includes a persona profile exercise which should help you understand your user types. But what about the content on the pages? Is there research that shows what the reading level of Internet users should be? Sometimes it's a no-brainer if your users all have the same educational background (say doctors or lawyers for example) but obviously that's not always the case. Please let me know if you have any research on this, or can point me in the right direction. |
Eric's response: So your confusion is probably because you are thinking that you will write content for the average user.
Imagine you are building a doorway. The AVERAGE person (including children) might be 4 feet tall. So can you design the door to be 4 feet tall? NO! By definition about half the people will bang their heads on it. This is the same thing with writing. If you write for the average user, half the people will bang their heads on it. We write for the 5th percentile user (roughly). So if your average person reads at 11th grade level, you would probably be writing for 5th grade level to accommodate 95 percent of the population.
It is important to have some idea of the user population's reading grade level. This will vary depending on the type of site. A site for physicians will be different then a site for consumers. |
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Question: Can you explain the constraints of human aural serial processing and the potential of human visual parallel processing in a multimedia-based system in relation to usability considerations? |
Eric's response: Sure. Put the person in a car blindfolded and have a friend try to tell him what he would be seeing so he can drive. NOT "turn left". But say "the speedometer is 30mph. The road is moving to the right. There is a car close in the rearview mirror." Etc.
With vision, numerous displays can be accessed in any sequence needed, just based on eye movement. There is no need to try to memorize the content and context because it is always available.
There are some more subtle issues that relate to "sensory memory" (also called "iconic memory"). This is like an image (or sound track) that stays in your head for a very short time. Look it up on the net if you like. |
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Question: I think I understand the concept and differences of globalization, localization, and internationalization. Can you please explain this formula? G11N=I18N+L10N. Also, do you have any recent statistics / research about English / non-English uses among internet visitors? |
Eric's response: Here is an answer from Apala Lahiri Chavan. She is head of Asian operations at HFI and a leading light in cross cultural issues.
* * * * * * * *
I18N Internationalization: A development process of creating a base design to support various human languages and to behave in a culturally-sensitive manner.
L10N Localization: The process of making changes to a internationalized product to make it usable and viable in a particular market.
Technical L10N: Technical aspects of adapting a product to a local market, e.g. double-byte conversion, OS support, etc.
National L10N: Making the product behaviors / designs appropriate for a national setting, e.g. written language, punctuation, formats, etc.
Cultural L10N: Beyond functionality and correct language – cultural specific values, tastes, and conventions need to be addressed.
G11N Globalization: The design, development and creation of fully localized products to meet the cultural and linguistic requirements of a particular market.
G11N =I18N +L10N
What this means is that a truly ‘"globalized" offering must at one level have a "base" interface that is internationalized (meets the I18N requirements) and at another level has localized offerings for the countries where a completely local offering is needed (meets the L10N requirements). So, for those countries where there is no localized offering, the "base" interface being internationalized makes it possible for users to interact and use the interface without being offended (since the interface would be a "neutral" interface from a cultural perspective). |
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Question: The topic of Section 508 compliance has been floating around our office. We are not currently marketing software to any Federal folks, only county or state agencies. I think we may need to address this before we choose to be competitive on any Federal contracts.
I've read the list of things that compliant software should do, but I'm unsure what each of those items translates to when designing an interface.
Could you discuss things that I should specify in my functional design specifications, including recurring items that could be listed globally as a guideline? I'm also seeking any articles that I can continue to reference.
I don't think a compliant application is much more difficult to design, but I think there is more attention to detail until both designers and developers become familiar with the concepts.
Thanks! Diane |
Eric's response: Good to hear you have interest in accessibility. I think companies are increasingly ignoring the topic, with the exception of companies that work for the Feds. In a way that makes sense from a business viewpoint. I have seen situations where it would be cheaper to send a limo to pick up the dozen blind users and bring them to the bank. But at the same time one really does hope we can make more inclusive applications. I think that will happen when the bulk of people get the idea of using web pages through their phone, with a voice interface. That will solve the problem nicely for the visually impaired anyway.
Section 508 is pretty well documented and WC3 also has good guidelines. Most of the basics are really coding conventions; NOT interface design conventions. Of course if you want to go beyond the letter-of-the-law and make the accessible interface USABLE, then that takes some serious work. At least DO try a few readers yourself. You will be shocked at how bad they are for using sites. |
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Question: Hi Eric. Please I would like to ask you about ATM usability.
1) What are the new enhancement that need to be incorporated into the ATM system (Automatic Teller Machine).
2) What is probable outcome of using cognitive work through in ATM research usability.
3) sample of what academic research on ATM should look like.
Thank you for the the assistance. Julius |
Eric's response: The ATM machines have been having more and more functionality added to them. The challenge is that with increased functionality comes increased complexity. So the usability work gets much tougher. At the same time ATMs are progressively being moved into more and more emerging markets and pushed to the "bottom of the pyramid" (poor users). We have often found that poor users LOVE the ATMs because they can avoid the denigrating attitude of bank employees. So that is a plus. But then you have to design for the more limited skills of this population.
A cognitive walkthrough of ATM operation is useful. Though I would be certain to also do usability testing. Just in case YOUR cognitive ideas don't match the actual users.
Research on ATMs should follow the guidelines of the publication they are planned for. For example you might see the American Psychological Association's style manual. Without other input, they probably have the best structure for academic papers. |
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Question: The client of a new application for Clinics Management would like to come up with a concept of a touch screen. There are lots of good reasons why it should be done in the clinic itself, when the user has his hands full, but the application needs to control the clinic, which means that the manager and secretary should use it: add, edit and control more then basic tasks including writing input. Could you please direct me to good material on the subject and also give your opinion? Thanks a lot. |
Eric's response: Hmm, I think you have two key issues.
First, typing text on a touch screen is impractical beyond a few characters for keys and such. Second, a touch screen is good to avoid when people may have sticky material on their hands.
I would think a touch screen could work for remote terminal to check some data quickly. But for back office operations it won't work well at all. |
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Question: I want to design a try out model of a user interface for blind people. Could you please tell me the important principles to consider when designing one? |
Eric's response: If you are designing a Web interface for use with a screen reader, then first look at the W3C accessibility guidelines. These are basic design and programming conventions that make it possible for a screen reader to access the interface. However, designing for a screen reader by no means ensures a usable interface. This takes real attention to the design. You can start by being sure to test the interface with a screen reader. Even just using one yourself will help.
If you are designing in a different environment you will be designing a non-visual interface. This probably does NOT mean a Braille interface (actually only a small fraction of blind users can read Braille). Instead, you will probably have a voice interface and apply the extensive literature on voice applications. |
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Question: Please help me to understand what are the constraints we have to keep in mind while designing the User Interfaces of application or Web sites for different geographical locations. |
Eric's response: Constraints are not so much the issue. The issue is cultural diversity. This includes differences in decision making (in the USA decisions are taken more by individuals than you are used to). Differences in social structures (in the USA families are not as tightly knit and have less impact on decision making). Differences in style of communication (Americans talk louder and are more direct than you are used to, they won't understand subtext that is VERY obvious to you).
There are also major differences in physical environment (in America the power stays on and does not fluctuate much, and there is no monsoon). There are also differences in business rules and data conventions.
Oh, and of course language! But NEVER think that translation of text alone is adequate localization to a culture. It rarely is. |
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Question: I have a doubt regarding, what date format should be followed for a international software product. Is it YYYY-MM-DD or DD-MM-YYYY. Can you please help me out. Thanks in advance. |
Eric's response: Sure, I'll help.
When you DISPLAY a date (in display only situations) then you can use 12 SEP 2008 and feel very safe.
If the data is to be entered, or entered and displayed, it is harder. One very good method is to provide drop down fields in the '12 SEP 2006' format. This is good for a mouse-primary interface, but can be too slow for heavy data entry.
If dropdowns are not advisable then it is best to adapt to the local convention of the user. Microsoft does a fine job of doing this adaptation. So the USA uses MMDDYYYY and Europe DDMMYYYY (etc).
The YYYY-MM-DD is easy to sort inside the computer, but the only real value for users is that it tends to equally confuse everyone. I would avoid this "international" format as, after all, we really don't have any international users. Everyone operates from their own cultural context. |
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Question: Can you recommend books on perception of colours in different cultures? |
Eric's response: Surya Vanka from Microsoft wrote one, but we have not been able to get a copy. If you find where to get one, please let me know. That is the only book we know about. |
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Question: Hi, I'm an instructional designer interested in how companies are using MS Word readability/grade level scoring. I realize these are not a guarantee of understandability, however, it's quick and easy to do. Is it valuable to do? What grade level works in an insurance company for example? Thanks. |
Eric's response: Calculations of reading grade level (RGL) are VERY valuable when you need to point out to someone that their writing is awful. I remember analyzing some legal documents and finding that you needed four doctorates to read them comfortably. It made an impression all the way to the executive level.
The RGL calculations are not precise. To REALLY know how difficult the text is to read you need to consider how common a word is. The RGL calculations assume a short word is easier, but if the short word is uncommon it might be much harder then a long common word.
In terms of target RGL, it is a question of your user population. A call-center population may need a lower RGL target than the lawyers in the legal department, or the underwriters.
(Sorry I have to do math...)
To set the right target find the distribution of RGL for the target users. Then find the RGL that can be read comfortably by the 5th-percentile reader (reads less well then 90% of the other users). That is generally a good target. The exact target can then be adjusted depending on context. If proper communication is essential, and communication failure could be life threatening, you might go for a much lower RGL (e.g., for prescription instructions). If you WANT to confuse people you can go much higher (e.g., in writing service agreements). |
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Question: Hi Dr Schaffer. I would like to know the role of usability in automotive design . Do automobile companies around the globe implement user centered design methodologies aggressively which are so common in the software industry. If yes to what extent? |
Eric's response: There is actually a whole division of the usability field that specifically concentrates on transportation. Those who specialize in this are generally a bit separate from the usability generalist, and are very focused and advanced. I've seen a lot of good research on control systems; even down to the details of the ratio of steering wheel movement to tire angle change. So the usability technology is very much there. I am, however, not really sure to what extent this is institutionalized. They certainly include usability people in the design process. But I am not sure to what extent this is a mature process with methods, tools, quality assurance, documentation, etc. |
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Question: In my opinion the computerized (voice recognition type) IVR leaves more customers unhappy. I end up repeating and shouting at those virtual agents almost all times. It takes more time just to input trivial answers. Do corporations really save costs on these? Is there research data available on what percentage of users like it or hate it? What is your opinion on these virtual agents? Thanks in advance. |
Eric's response: Well it depends greatly on how it is done. The systems that have good recognition algorithms working against a restricted word-set do pretty well. Certainly we have seen success in the last 4-5 years (where before then recognition errors made things difficult).
But today there are also cases where voice recognition systems are natural SOUNDING only. That is once someone knows how to use the system, understands the allowed words and syntax, then it works nicely. It sounds to an outsider like a very natural conversation, but it may have taken the user a week of training to be able to do that. It may SOUND like a natural friendly conversation to an outsider. But it is not really that. |
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Question: First of all. I thank you for all the wonderful resources your company provides - your Web site, your books and the white papers, newsletter, etc. I am planning to get on your training track in 2007.
Our company does EMR software and will have a handheld version. I am going to do a usability analyst of it. Do you have any good principles, suggestions or resources that I can refer to. I am pretty new in handheld applications. Thanks very much! |
Eric's response: Christina,we are happy you enjoy the material. It is amazing to me that we get 1/3 of a million unique visitors a year on humanfactors.com Also, I'm VERY sure you will enjoy the training program. In many ways the training has become a central repository of HFI's experience and knowledge in the field. Not a bad investment of two weeks total.
When you are working on "Baby Face" interfaces you will find that 92% of the design process and principles are exactly the same as full sized interfaces. Most differences have to do with working in the limited space and with restricted input devices/speeds. This means you end up with more modal interfaces (where a given key means different things depending on the mode you are working in), and more unpacked interfaces (that step the user through an operation in small screen bites). All this makes it harder to show the big picture and keep the users oriented. |
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Question: I read a recent article in a technical magazine that spoke about accessibility issues for Web sites. A major department store was at the forefront of a lawsuit because their site was not navigable by assistive technology. I work for a privately held retail company and we have a Web site which lists our locations, gifts to buy, etc. Can you please interpret the laws regarding Web site accessibility as it pertains to non-government, non-public companies? |
Eric's response: I'm not a lawyer, but my understanding is that you are not required to be Section 508 compliant unless you are doing government business. You may want to be compliant, since being inaccessible can create some negative press. You may even gain some customers by being complaint. But compliance, and level of compliance, I believe to be a business decision. |
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Question: My organization is considering replacing all or part of a large technical document with an FAQ format. Are there standards or references which explain when an FAQ format is appropriate? Are there references which explain how to develop and organize such a site? |
Eric's response: Well that won't work.
An FAQ is an effective and often used part of Web sites. But there is a real limit to a basic FAQ format. An FAQ is generally a list of common questions. How many questions can you list and still have users be able to find things? The user will not know how you have phrased the question. So an alphabetic organization won't work. Grouping items logically helps, but in a classic FAQ there is a limit on how many items can be reached even after grouping.
There are certainly advanced FAQ formats, which are usually based on various types of searches. But these are really forms of online documentation. |
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Question: Could you tell me the pros and cons of UI on portlets. How does one design and keep UI guidelines in creating their portlets on a portal? |
Eric's response: A portlet is just a frame with a given set of content. It matters more from a technology viewpoint than from a user viewpoint. In a sense, the user does not really know that they are using portlets. Given this, the exact same UI design principles apply as if you were hard coding a page. Just as there is no difference when you switch to object-oriented coding. The same user experience is optimal.
It is true that some portal tools restrict your design. You may have to show frames and have facilities for closing and rearranging portlets. But these issues are usually minor. |
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Question: What do you think are the most important usability issues in developing software for cultural diversity? |
Eric's response: There are many levels of design challenge in cross-cultural work. There is the obvious and essential translation and conversion of formats. There is also modification of business rules based on legal requirements and local conventions. But some of the most interesting issues have to do with different taskflows and work styles. The single biggest dimension seems to be individualistic vs. communal cultures. This significantly changes many designs. There are many additional dimensions (such as how hierarchical a culture is, or how easily they accept risk or ambiguity.
Finally, I want to mention that our usability engineering METHODS must also change as per culture. The standard methods were mostly developed in the United States. They often work poorly in Asia. |
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Question: I have worked in several small start-up companies where
the trend is to keep all ambient lighting to a minimum.(In other words, it's
really dark in here.) They tell me it is to keep screen glare to a minimum.
What are the recommendations for ambient and task lighting in an office
setting when working on a computer?
In the dark,
Marsha Harner, CUA |
Eric's response: This does sound uncomfortable, if energy efficient!
Here is the trick. Reduce the brightness on your computer screen. If your eyes have adapted to the low light levels the computer screen is likely to be uncomfortably bright. This will probably solve the pro0blem.
The secondary concern will be if you can read paper or see the keys comfortably.
(Interestingly, I am sitting in the dark right now on a flight from Africa to India. I dropped the brightness and it is much better. Thanks for reminding me). |
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Question: We send out weekly e-mails to subscribers highlighting special buys and
overstocks, including limited-quantity offers we can't print in a catalog.
Some of our specials are available only by e-mail or are Web-only offers, so
we use a lot of product images in our e-mails. When users subscribe, they
can choose between html (text and full-color images) or text only (no images
displayed) formats.
Do you know of any usability studies that have been done to determine best practices on file size and download times when it comes to email marketing?
Judy Fredrick, CUA |
Eric's response: I have never seen such a study. However I would point out that email is
generally downloaded in the background, while the user can do other tasks.
Therefore, in most cases the download size is not very critical. Certainly
if it is VERY large you might lose customers as they find themselves
waiting for your email to download, while trying to get another email
through. So perhaps it might be best to keep the size similar to that of a
Web page 50-100k upper limit (this limit is actually NOT always true for the
Web, but in this case it is probably a fair rule of thumb).
You might also consider some creative compromises. For example you can show just a thumbnail image or teaser, and let the user click to visit a specific page on your site if interested. |
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Question: I have to design an alarm system for an ATM. The requirements are huge in numbers, but one of them is about the security and in emergency, the alarm should activate.
Now, this one is something that doesn't come daily. Quite challenging. Can you please give your opinion about the principles of design about alarm systems, or what all should I keep in my mind while going for it?
One solution which I came across, is that with surveillance a camera, and a dedicated monitoring staff, this could be done. So, if they sniff something wrong or suspicious, they will raise the alarm, instead of the user doing that. Well, what about your thoughts!!
Thank you. |
Eric's response: First you have to detect that an alarm condition is happening. This is a tough signal detection problem. The idea of having people watch videos might seem good. But the problem is they quickly zone out. You need something to draw their attention. Some of this can be done with automation. For example you can have a highlighted video display if there is sudden movement on screen or loud sounds. You MIGHT be able to do some pattern recognition (like for a gun in a hand. You also MIGHT be able to detect some interface characteristics that are associated with problems. For example money not taken out of machine fast enough. Certainly you can build in tilt switches. In each case you can have a security person immediately view the scene.
A panic button seems like a potentially useful idea. Users might have time to press it.
Once an alarm condition is detected you must sort out how to handle it. Clearly the alarm has to be loud enough to get attention. A silent alarm seems inappropriate as you probably want to deter the activity immediately instead of hoping a squad car can reach the site in time.
Consider the value of a real human voice. A recorded voice is unlikely to have the effect of a real person. The voice would then identify the situation to indicate that the situation has been understood and warn that pictures have been taken and the police are alerted. |
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Question: With the introduction of Web Portal Applications,
it
has introduced a major headache in the form of navigation.
Depending on the Portal Server you use it will restrict you on the way
you
want to use navigation.
Q. How can we overcome the Portal Navigation problem regardless of the Portal Server? |
Eric's response: Well if there is any way you can FIRST analyze the user's navigational
needs and THEN pick a portal technology it would be very nice. Then you
would have to do less force fitting. That is, after all, the idea
behind user-centered design.
If you already have the technology locked in, then you simply have to work within the limitations. |
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Question: Can I know the impact of the usability of the Global Positioning Navigation System for motorcycle use? |
Eric's response: The GPS navigation will provide onboard guidance for where to go. I'm not really sure about the consequences off hand. Certainly there are dangers in trying to use the unit while driving. The seriousness of this will be very much dependent on the unit's design. There are also advantages where the user is less likely to get lost, and possibly have an accident trying to read a map while driving, or looking for signs instead of oil slicks.
I think one could not ask for a more interesting and critical usability engineering project. Prepare for trips to court to testify at liability suits. |
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Question: Sir,
I am working to increase the usability of installers. Kindly suggest
your
viewpoints or any reference material for the same. Thank you. |
Eric's response: We've been tangling with installers for ages. There are just TWO
key things to keep in mind. First, they are generally used only ONCE.
Thus, do everything you can to unpack the activity and step the user
through it. Self evidency is key. The other key is fault handling.
Even today there are many failure conditions and for each we want to
give guidance that is easy to understand and provides some useful action
to take (even if it is saying to return the software to the store
because this machine won't run it). |
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Question: Do you have any statistics on the percentage
of user who use chat vs. phone for help on financial Web sites? |
Eric's response: Any specific client figures would have
to be kept confidential of course. However there is obviously a major
preference for phone over chat.
Phone is easier and more personal. Which means there is one condition
where the IMPERSONAL nature of voice response, chat, or email is an advantage.
I have seen that users prefer these impersonal channels when the content
is likely to be embarrassing. An example is getting balance information
when the account is likely to be small or overdue. |
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Question: I am just learning to code to 508 standards.
I have some general questions that I don't know where on the Net to find
the answers. Can you recommend a site? Specifically, I need to know if
screen readers read hidden JSP fields. |
Eric's response: Abhijit Thosar is one of our top 508
experts in our office in Mumbai. He writes...
I assume you are referring to hidden JSP fields on forms which do not
require any user input. For example, hidden fields used to capture a system's
date and time.
Screen readers cannot read hidden JSP fields. JSP pages download as HTML
code in the browser for on-screen rendition. So if the HTML code is accessible
(Section 508 compliant) the Web page will be accessible.
The following site describes the techniques for authoring accessible
Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) content.
URL: http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG10-HTML-TECHS/ |
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Question: We are in the process of introducing Tablets
to our Field Investigation Officers. I'm assuming that the principles
of usability and good user interface design are still valid with this
type of technology. Am I correct to assume this or do Tablets require
special usability considerations when designing the user interface? |
Eric's response: Usability methodology and principles
CERTAINLY apply to tablets. But, there are also special issues. Consider
first the question of the value of tablets. These are cool new technology
and so are often applied where there is no real value. The form factor
may make it easier to operate the tablet during an interview. However
I am concerned about text entry. If the investigator is checking a box,
that will be fine. But entering a name (where errors are critical) may
be quite a problem. Handwriting recognition will tend to be slow and error
prone (even though people subjectively like it about as much as a keypad).
The keypad is a better bet; but selecting from a keypad with a stylus
is still slow.
If designing for a tablet the basic rules of navigation, layout, wording,
color, and graphics apply. Probably the biggest issue is the interactivity
with the stylus and the impact of choice and design of controls. |
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Question: There is a massive interaction between users
and computer games. Can tell me how ergonomics are incorporated in a computer
game ? |
Eric's response: There are really two different ergonomic
issues in computer games. First, complex and confusing interactivity can
detract from the game. Ergonomics allows us to create setup facilities,
control sequences, displays, and game management facilities that do not
get in the way. These aspect of the game should disappear from the user's
awareness; allowing the sense of direct interaction with the game environment
and content.
Beyond this classic ergonomic concern is the issue of emotional design.
Since the late 70s I have been fascinated with research into why games
are motivating. We must PAY business users to operate software. But at
an amusement arcade people pay simply for the online experience; without
hope of tangible reward.
There are a whole set of motivations that are incorporated into computer
games and it may be that there are classes of users who are drawn to each
type of reward. One example is the general human need for a sense of efficacy.
Another is social interaction (as in MUDs). The usability field is progressively
paying more attention to this area. We can therefore expect models that
allow us to design more highly motivating games. In addition, I expect
we will become more sophisticated in measuring the emotional quality of
games.
One particularly interesting problem is the game experience over long
periods of use. It is trivial to test the reaction to a game after the
first hour of play. But how do we measure how a game will do over a YEAR?
We only have a few weeks to run the whole test. In measurement of performance
we can use task modeling to predict the efficiency of a given design after
years of practice. But in the motivation area, we have only so such modeling
(but we need it!). |
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Question: Do you have research data on how effective
and generally pervasive/accepted the use of Macromedia Flash utility is?
We have a Web-based application that we are about to deploy that requires
Flash and there is a general concern by some that this might limit use
of this tool by a significant number of users that either can't install
Flash (e.g. company policy) or just don't want to. |
Eric's response: Flash is very widely available (about
98% as I recall). However it is also used in ways that do not really help
the user (98% in my experience). |
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Question: Hello Eric
It is very kind of you if you could tell me the ways to manage and create
a usable and accessible CONTACT page of a Web site that is Multi-Languages
with 5 email address for 5 uses and a comment form. Thanks a lot.
Sincerely, Soheil Abbasi |
Eric's response: It is indeed rare to find a site with
five languages on one page. It is far more likely to find that the user
switches between language versions. In this case the correct contact FOR
THAT LANGUAGE can be shown on the selected version.
If you DO have choices, simply make sure that the choices are shown in
the native language. Don't expect that everyone knows what their country
or language looks like in English. |
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Question: Hi Eric,
I'm writing a recommendation report on a software design for a mentally
impaired individual named Michael. Michael loves books and like to point
to the different items in the book and repeat them. He will say "see
dog" or "see bird", etc. He will not use short sentences
and the only interest is in books. Should there be a design of a computer
software that has the book-look on the screen and a way he can turn the
pages and audio relating to the item in the book? I've been searching
the net and all they're giving is iffy type information. I'm to pick 3
types of software programs and then make a recommendation on which would
be the best for Michael.
Thanks...if you can help out. |
Eric's response: Although Michael may be chronologically
older, it sounds like his mental age is perhaps in the 3 to 5 year old
range. In this case look at learning software made for children of these
ages. There are MANY packages specifically design for this age group.
The packages should work well for Michael.
Best of Luck
Eric |
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Question: In your opinion, what are some of the pitfalls
associated with applying "standard" desktop GUI design approaches
to small screen, hand held devices? |
Eric's response: The user-centered design process applies
perfectly to small screen devices, as does the literature in user interface
design. Our process and insights all work for ANY type of interface. There
are some specific insights and research that apply to handheld devices.
For example we often have to have a deeper interface structure because
fewer choices will fit on the first screen. But the core methods and principles
are just fine. |
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Question: What is 16 color format?
I am designing an ATM screen and the format asked is 16 colors. So, can
I use images, graphics, illustrations? Please explain the format and usability
for the same. |
Eric's response: One technical constraint is the number
of colors that can be displayed. This is generally based on the number
of bits allocated to express the colors. For example, 4 bits will give
16 different colors. A 4-bit system is rare today. We usually have 256
colors, or even millions of colors. So you will have to use your limited
set of 16 different colors. My advice on this is to make your ATM screen
mostly gray scale. Then add color in a limited way to improve performance
and provide a better appearance. |
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Question: I am designing a touch screen kiosk for business
users and want to know recommended font size and target (touch) size for
a 15 inch (diagonal) screen in 1024 x 768 resolution. THANK YOU!! |
Eric's response: To get the best font size, measure
the distance from the screen to your user's eye. Consider various sized
users, and take the longest of those distances. Divide the distance by
200. This is the font height you need. Make touch areas as large as possible.
Keep them at least 1/2 inch square. |
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Question: How would you modify the Schaffer model for
physical interaction design?
Would HFI ever consider building physical interactive products and environments
or supporting research in Ubiquitous Computing? |
Eric's response: The Schaffer–Weinschenk Method™
is a general purpose user-centric design process. It applies pretty well
to anything you might want to design. If you are working on a product;
you will involve the industrial designers and manufacturing teams rather
then programming staff. Otherwise it is the same.
HFI is known for software. We currently design anything that involves
software. This includes handheld devices, consumer products, cell phones,
and even lawn sprinklers. |
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Question: Why do companies always use the female voice
for their interactive voice response (IVR)? |
Eric's response: They don't always. However research
shows if you want people to feel served and cared for a female voice is
better. When you want to give authoritative Instructions, use a male voice. |
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Question: We are trying to get our Guided Reading blocked
in the morning for our kindergarten through 2nd grade students. Is there
any research saying at what time of day children this age learn better? |
Eric's response: Nothing that I can provide a reference
for. There is some early government/Headstart work that suggested morning
but only if kids had breakfast. And there is a literature supporting alertness
after short naps. It must be out there in the Education literature, though.
From our Chief Scientist....
For those who have eaten breakfast, late morning. Otherwise about half
an hour after lunch, but not immediately after eating. |
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Question: I'm curious if you have performed, or come
across, research that addresses how user-centered design principles/strategies
can be employed within large enterprises and IT organizations to enhance
employee productivity, reduce support costs, etc. as the workforce globalizes.
Can you direct me to specific articles, books that address the future
(5 to 10 years) of user-centered design in the enterprise world? |
Eric's response: Wow, that is a complex question!
There is indeed lots of research on the benefits and ROI of usability
work in large business situations (c.f., NNG
report). There are large improvements in productivity, call handling
time, function usage, etc.
Making software address cross cultural issues is a specialized field
in itself. It is often referred to as internationalization (abbreviated
I18N). A good place to start is www.webofculture.com.
A good book general reference for GUI designers is Global Interface Design:
A Guide to Designing International User Interfaces, by T. Fernandes, published
in 1995 by AP Professional in Boston. This book has sections on visual
design, international formats, cultural issues, symbols and taboos, and
cultural aesthetics. It also has examples of good and bad international
GUI designs.
In terms of the ways in which usability will evolve in organizations
I suggest my book Institutionalization of Usability:
A step by step guide. You can order
this from our Web site. In it I describe the HUGE change that is now taking
place as we move toward a mature usability capability as a routine and
efficient part of the organization's development community. |
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Question: Do you have any information as to the male
versus female voice on a IVR. What are the people's preference male versus
female.? |
Eric's response: Sure. There has been a lot of research
on this topic. It seems that the male voice is indicated when there is
a need for authority. An example is emergency instructions on an aircraft.
The female voice is seen as more warm and helpful. |
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Question: I came across an interesting question at a
meeting. My team wants to put up flash interactive games on the Web site
(the site has to do with animal protection) which is being targeted at
teens. And everyone believes that teens love Web sites with games on them.
I am not able to find a reliable source of information to verify this
and to find what kind of games are 'liked'. Do you have anything to say
about this? Thanks a lot! |
Eric's response: We recently completed a very interesting
usability test. It was targeted at teens. Basically, we found that they
went to the site for the core content. They were NOT interested in gratuitous
stuff like games, video trailers, and wallpaper. The company had spent
Millions on this material; but the kids wanted the core content only.
If you REALLY want to make a game that will capture kids attention, you
will probably have to provide at least the quality of the professionally
created games that they have ready access to. My feeling is provide interesting
insights into animal protection. |
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Question: I work in a field called GIS (Geographic Information
Systems) and I have been struggling with my industry for a while. Our
field is complex and the applications I see others develop hurt the industry
even more as these are typically not user friendly and in many instances
unusable (the root problem is taking a Geographer and turning him/her
into a programmer with no formal background).
This has lead me to give a presentation at a major conference around
usability in IT applications in particular with GIs or mapping applications.
Have you or your team done any research in this area? Or can you provide
me with some pointers on how to make a mapping application usable (the
5 or 10 key tips)?
Thanks, Rod
P.S. For more information on GIs you can refer to GIS.com |
Eric's response: Yes, I have also found that most GIS
systems are amazingly poor designs. I believe this is primarily because
the organizations are very engrossed with the difficult technical aspects
of GIS It is NOT because GIS is a particularly intractable interface design
problem. IF they applied a user-centered design process AND staff with
usability training this problem would certainly disappear.
There are several different typical users of GIS systems. They have very
different needs and require different interface strategies. There are
data entry staff, experts who manipulate the data (geologists, city planners,
etc.), there are novice users who query the database. The hardest interfaces
tend to be for the 'experts'. These are experts in the topic, not in computer
applications. So they need WYSIWYG and good direct manipulation capabilities.
There is plenty of good research into how to do such interfaces. The problem
is currently one of execution. The organizations don't do user-centered
design and don't have the staff with the skills needed. |
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Question: I have to design an IVR for a 5 million customer
base , I would need guidance and inputs on how to go about the same. |
Eric's response: Good IVR design requires application
of a systematic user-centered design process. There is a huge amount of
research into the best ways to design these interfaces. Find a usability
consultant with experience in this area and expect to spend about 10%
of your development budget on this design process. We have a client in
India who had spent over 4 Cr (1 Million USD) on an IVR and is getting
about 3% usage. This is wholly due to the poor design of the interface.
Don't do that again. |
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Question: I'm designing a kiosk and I wonder what solution
will be better, a touch screen kiosk or a kiosk with a keyboard and mouse.
I think the keyboard/mouse will be better since people are used to thinking
that an application running on a screen without input devices, like keyboard
and mouse, is only for showing information.
A touch screen is a input device but people don't know that until they
touch the screen. If you see an application running on a screen and you
see a keyboard and mouse attached to it, you know you can interact with
that application.
What do you think? Should I avoid the touch screen solution and go to
the better known keyboard/mouse solution? Where can I found documentation
demonstrating this issue?
Thank you. |
Eric's response: Actually, you are probably better off
with a touch screen if you can do it. In terms of simplicity the touch
screen is the simplest of interfaces. As a small child before we can speak,
we learn to ask for a cookie by pointing at the cookie. Nothing could
be simpler.
The design of the attract/welcome screen needs to make clear that the
screen is touchable. This is easy to do with strong button affordances
and no distractions on the hardware. You can further reinforce the screen
touching with an animation illustrating touching the screen (if you need
it). In terms of expectation of interactivity the touch screen is commonly
used for check-in at airports now. That is clearly interactive and high
value. If you are doing word processing (etc.) then you will surprise
users with a touch screen. But in these cases you will be driven to the
keyboard and mouse by functional requirements.
There are certainly issues that could drive you away from touch screen.
The target may have to be too small. You will need a keyboard to enter
substantial amounts of text efficiently. There may be problems with cleanliness.
But IF you can make a touch screen work for a kiosk... do it. |
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Question: In regards to IVR Menu Design, usability and
customer experience are critical. Do you have any resources for Best Practices
and Benchmarks specific to menu design / redesign? |
Eric's response: So for resources I have two very good
ones...
- How to Build a Speech Recognition Application: Second Edition: A Style
Guide for Telephony Dialogues by Bruce Balentine
- Designing Effective Speech Interfaces by Susan Weinschenk and Dean
T. Barker
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Question: How do users feel about multiple PDFs on web
sites |
Eric's response: Of course the answer is "It depends".
PDFs can create a real mess. I have seen sites where the strategy is to
simply dump a whole set of previous paper content and forms onto PDF format
and toss it out for the users to sort out. This is disastrous. Paper does
not transfer that easily to HTML. But then we make it even worse. Users
must download large documents and then wade through them. In addition
users may have challenges understanding that they are no longer in a browser
environment and knowing how to use the reader interface.
If users do want a specific paper document, the PDF format may allow
more robust formatting (where HTML may appear differently then you expect
depending on browser). It may also be more reliable to print.
But the key to your question is the idea of MULTIPLE PDFs. This suggests
that the task involves working through a large set of content that is
presented in PDF format. Don't do that again. I suspect that the content
needs to be consolidated and made interactively accessible. |
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Question: Eric: Could you please give me a pointer to
human engineering principles for the design of video teleconferencing
(VTC) rooms? I would like to apply these principles to optimize (and standardize)
the VTC session in which point-to-point and multi-point participants are
able to not only see and hear each other, but can also collaboratively
share Powerpoint presentations, video (e.g., CNN), and other multimedia
with ease-of-use, and minimal training burden.
The design guidance might include pointers on room selection (by number
of participants in the room), lighting, microphone placement, user aids
for initiating and running the VTC session, and suggestions on how to
most effectively set up a HELP Desk function to provide real-time assistance
to an ongoing VTC (encountering a problem) or to an upcoming VTC session
that is scheduled to start in a few minutes (thus the VTC originator is
under pressure to establish all contacts and get the session up and running).
I've come across some horror stories that I would like to avoid. For
instance, lighting too dim so VTC participants couldn't recognize each
other; that was "fixed" by installing more lighting in the rooms
which then "washed out" the Powerpoint projection. Ugh! -- thus
my plea for design guidance. HELP! Thanks, Eric. |
Eric's response: Jim, there is about 25 solid years
of research on video conferencing. You should also look at the literature
for "computer supported cooperative work." After all this time
you would think the control of such sessions would be smooth and simple.
Instead there has been a tendency to increase the list of functions at
the cost of usability. Small interface devices are designed in a modal
structure. The user must switch to the right control mode before making
a selection. Components are not integrated or built to accommodate realistic
physical environments. It is interesting that single user conferencing
over the Web (NetMeeting™ etc.) has been proceeding very aggressively
of late. I suspect that this technology will lead video conferencing acceptance. |
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Question: Can you list (or point to a list) of cultural
taboos to be avoided in GUI design? We develop a browser-based business
application. We don't use a lot of icons or symbols, but I would like
to see a list of recommended symbols/images and a list of "don't
use this" regarding colors and images. |
Eric's response: There is a whole field of literature
that is know as "Internationalization" (abbreviated as I18NO),
"Localization", and "Globalization" of interfaces.
We have staff that specialize specifically in this field and it is a huge
area of study. There are certainly plenty of traps with taboos. A CAD/CAM
company created a high-powered workstation in a novel spaceship-like shape.
However, this shape was identical to Japanese funeral memorials.
Beyond simple taboos, there is much to localization of software. First,
there is the question of the business strategy and practicality of the
taskflow. Various cultures make decisions differently and have very different
business practices. If the overall purpose and structure of the interface
works, then there is still the issue of communication. There are certainly
different connotations and preferences for colors and interface styles.
A common picture of a woman in a swimsuit will be seen as pornographic
in some cultures. And, there are huge differences in the presentation
of numbers, addresses, and other data items. For example in India this
in correct: 1,00,000.
You really must know the specific culture you are targeting. Here is
a bit of the color data from HFI's Usability Central Gold...
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Question: Why are image alt tags not good for disabilities?
Why should we be backward developing instead of updating disability tools?
Is anyone collecting scripts for disabilities? How about hiding text e.g..
white on white for audio readers? Is it possible to use JavaScript menus? |
Eric's response: Good question! I asked Abhijit Thosar,
one of the accessibility wizards in our Mumbai office, to answer this
one. This is his reply...
Why are image alt tags not good for disabilities?
Providing an "Alt" text for the images on the Web pages is in
fact a very good coding practice. The "Alt" text should provide
a clear description of the image it represents. Alt text is also useful
in cases where images do not get rendered fast on slower Internet connections.
It provides the users with a context of what is being downloaded in the
empty place-holders on the Web page.
However, for more complex images, a "Longdes" (long description)
tag should be used which links an image to a separate HTML file. This
file should provide a detailed description of the image.
Why should we be backward developing instead of
updating disability tools?
Unfortunately most of the major players in software product markets are
not fully committed to investing in developing assistive technologies.
Also for many disabled people, cost of upgrades and new assistive technologies
are beyond the economic means.
Is anyone collecting scripts for disabilities?
I do not have any data available on this.
How about hiding text e.g.. white on white for
audio readers?
Audio readers will still read the white-on-white text as they read the
code and not what's rendered on the screen. Also using white-on-white
text is considered as spamming by many search engines and they may not
index such pages/sites.
Using the W3C CSS 2.0 guidelines, you can create a set of style sheets
suited for different media such as Screen and Aural. Using separate style
sheets, you can hide the special navigational links from appearing on
screen as these will be read ONLY by the aural browsers. For example,
"Skip repetitive navigation" can be read only by the aural browser
using the aural style sheet and the screen style sheet does not render
it on the screen. More
reading.
Is it possible to use JavaScript menus?
Most of the existing assistive browsers do not support JavaScript. It
is recommended to provide a "no script" alternative code for
the assistive browsers to render the menu for the disabled users.
For example:
<noscript>
"Your simple hypertext menu goes here"
</noscript> |
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Question: Are there any available design patterns for
GUI interfaces that generate SQL select statements? We are currently developing
a Web-based application that allows our client to create SQL select statements
and would like to investigate possible designs to make it as simple as
possible for a non-technical user. |
Eric's response: I am not sure if there a a commercial
product to generate SQL. I have worked on a couple of projects of in-house
facilities to do this. Basically we were unpacking the capabilities and
transforming the interface to a GUI form. While SQL is powerful, it is
a great example of an interface that is wholly inaccessible to non-technical
mortals. |
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Question: There is a lot of hype about RIA's (Rich Internet
Applications), mostly promoted by Macromedia. Are Flash MX based applications
really going to take off in a big way now? Or is it still too early to
make Flash the platform for serious application development? |
Eric's response: I think there is significant potential
for Flash to become the standard for Web applications in the future. However,
I very rarely see good applications of Flash currently. Designers seem
intent on gratuitous and "flashy" interface facilities. Once
they begin to focus on the real advantages of Flash for applications we
may see a real improvement in Web applications. |
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Question: Is there research available on the best length
for a corporate identity video streamed on a corporate site? We are debating
over a 60 to 90 second video vs. a three to four minute version. We anticipate
viewers will be perspective employees or market analysts. Thanks. |
Eric's response: Dana, I have not seen any research
on that specific issue. However the classical first question is 'Why provide
video?". Currently there are significant problems with both technology
(like compatibility and getting through firewalls) and with download times.
Does the video actually add something special? If so, then let that content
be the determinant of length. But if it is just a flashy bit of 'inspiration'
I might consider other alternatives. |
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Question: The project I am working on is requiring me
to focus on the use of multimedia in e-commerce I have to find out the
secret formula of how to "convert" Web surfers into Web buyers...
I think that the answer is in the use of multimedia applications and interactively.
What is your theory? Thank you for your time, for sharing your experiences
and precious advice.
PS: I am writing you from the UK but I am Italian. I am crazy about the
Web. I can't live without it now. |
Eric's response: The Web is certainly wonderful. There
are also times when it is much enhanced by multimedia. For example I love
to listen to my favorite old blues on MP3s. My kids love Anime. But you
are asking about e-commerce In this case let me raise a huge caution.
There are indeed some instances where multimedia will help e-commerce.
It helps to let customers listen to part of a CD before they buy. It helps
HFI when people listen to me on Webcasts before they buy our services.
But notice the common denominator here. In all these examples multimedia
is a clear fit for the e-commerce activity AND the multimedia is the focus
of attention. The user is looking at the multimedia and it is core to
their experience.
Multimedia is often added in a way which is gratuitous and annoying.
The user is forced to sit waiting while a wiggly splash page downloads.
Users try to read about your product while an animation flickers in their
peripheral vision. The user has a music loop playing endlessly or a greeting
that plays each time she returns to the main menu for the site. In my
experience 90% of multimedia used in e-commerce is not sticky. It is more
like barbed wire spread in front of your shop.
There is a magic key to using multimedia effectively. Approach the design
issue based on what the customer needs. Have ZERO interest in adding multimedia
because it looks good on your resume. In fact, let the situation FORCE
you to use multimedia because it is the right tool to help the user. In
most cases e-commerce is best without multimedia. |
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Question: What kind of accessibility statement, if any,
should be included on a corporate Web site? Thanks! |
Eric's response: The best statement you can make is
to make the site accessible, and USABLE, by people with readers. |
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Question: Are there any additional issues to implement
a Web site to meet the Section 508 usability requirements? |
Eric's response: Ted, there are a whole set of issues
and requirements to meet the 508 guidelines, and more if you want the
site to be really useful for people using readers. Much of the requirement
has to do with HTML coding conventions. But there are many others as well.
If you are addressing this for the first time I would suggest getting
someone experienced to help. There are lots of strategic and detailed
issues. For example you must decide the level of accessibility (generally
A to meet government requirements, and AA to make it useful). You also
must decide if you want to have a single site, or dual sites with one
optimized for sighted users and the other for those using a reader. |
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Question: We're considering using downloadable PDF active
documents that our users fill in using Acrobat Reader and then email back
to us — where staff can then load the completed forms into a database.
Do you know any stats on the current use, acceptance and user understanding
of active pdf documents? |
Eric's response: I don't have statistics. However I
am certain that few users are familiar with the capability. Almost all
familiar with PDF will expect a PDF to be a static document. |
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Question: I'd like to know if there is an industry standard
for page load times on a hand-held device (PDA, or Web-enabled phones,
etc.). And if the standard exists, what it is. I did take a look at the
article from April, 2001 and the question
from June 24th of this year. Both of those resources didn't address this
specific issue and I haven't been able information on it elsewhere either. |
Eric's response: There is really little difference based
on technology. The user experience is what is critical. The screen-to-screen
response times should be under 2 seconds. Longer results in significant
problems. This time expectation has been streached a bit because of problems
with the Web (early adopters have been seen to accept 15 second transitions).
But with improved bandwidth the 2 second expectation will return. If the
user thinks that there is a complex process going on they also may accept
15 seconds.
After pressing a button or making another selection the feedback must
occur in around 200ms. Longer creates severe problems. People begin to
press the button again and make errors. |
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Question: Can you give me a comparison between MDI based
software & a SDI based software? Also some thoughts on programs like
MS Word which uses multiple instances of the same application? |
Eric's response: The old Multiple Document Interface
(MDI) structure was almost thrown out in the Windows 95 program. It is
a pretty poor design. The user spends substantial time moving and resizing
windows (we call this window thrashing). There are very few instances
when I would recommend MDI.
The Single Document Interface (SDI) is the widely used windowing system
solution. It is appropriate when the user is using several tools or documents.
This can still leave the user window thrashing, although the Windows operating
system has several patches to help the user switch between windows easily.
In most applications and Web sites I find it is best to assume that the
user works just on the full screen display. But in reality the user may
be bouncing between applications in an SDI, which is ok. |
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Question: Is there any data that indicates that IVR
users prefer/do not prefer to have data they have input repeated back
to them? Is there a specific environment where it is preferred and another
not? |
Eric's response: Users will not prefer to have data
entry confirmed. In addition to lowered preference it will increase task
time. I would recommend readback only when the entry is critical and there
is not a good way to determine the error and go back. Use readback only
for very critical situations. In addition, do NOT read back one character
at a time. Do the whole entry at once and get a signle verification. |
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Question: I work at a university and am frustrated with
accessibility extremists and guidelines. Most of the material we develop
is intended to teach. The people developing institutional guidelines seem
not too concerned with pedagogy and usability of applications for the
99% of our learners. The emphasis is that everyone must comply with guidelines.
It takes a lot of time to create fully accessible sites. Many times in
designing a site for accessibility we need to water things down so much
that the interface design will suffer for people who prefer visual learning
with GUI's. Creating mirror sites is strongly discouraged. For example,
a recent campus policy for designers says we can not use color for encoding,
grouping, differentiating etc. A one size fits all strategy is required.
I wish some experts in the fields of usability design and educational
psychology would start speaking up and not be afraid of being politically
incorrect. |
Eric's response: I have a LONG history and attachment
to the issue of accessibility. As an undergrad I specialized in rehabilitation
psychology. I was one of the founding members of the Human Factors Society's
special interest group addressing accessibility. I have waited for 25
years to be able to begin applying usability engineering to support people
with special needs. I really care about this issue. At the same time I
routinely tell clients NOT to create a single site that also must be accessible.
We are trained in the usability field to support the 5th to 95th percentile
in our designs. This is the correct action from the business point of
view. Businesses should create accessible designs for two reasons. They
may have a substantial number of blind users. Or they may want to avoid
being targeted by special interest groups who create bad publicity or
legal actions.
You can follow the Section 508 rules. This roughly level-A accessibility
creates a poor experience for visually impaired people using a reader.
It also means that there are techniques that help most users that are
not allowed. So this is a pretty poor decision. Yet it seems to be gaining
popularity.
I believe that the best solution for an important site is to have a duel
design. This allows a good quality accessible design with level AA compliance.
It also avoids degradation of the main site. I think this will become
practical as people realize that the 'reader' version is the same design
that normal customers might use with a cell phone.
Even for normal users you should not have designs that rely on color
codes. 9% of males and 2% of females have some color weakness.
I would also like to point out that the accessibility guidelines are
almost exclusively about supporting visually impaired users. It bothers
me that we have done little for people with other challenges. |
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Question: It strikes me that RSVP (Rapid Serial Visual
Presentation) might be useful to schools in teaching reading speed. Have
you used it that way? What are the costs involved?
My memories from research on reading is that many people read in chunks
slightly bigger than a single word. Have you looked at bigger chunk sizes?
Adjectives, articles hung to nouns, short phrases? Is the code to do the
grouping just too complex? |
Eric's response: Take a look at Acereader Pro. They
use RSVP exactly in the way you indicate. It costs about 80 bucks. It
also gives a nice demo of RSVP. I have it for that purpose.
I have not seen research on RSVP with phrases. It would be interesting.
Since we basically read by foveating (placing our fovea centralis over
an area of interest) and the fovea covers about 8 characters, one might
try putting short words together. I would certainly like to see more research
on RSVP and I think we will see it if the handheld designers ever pick
the method up. |
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Question: Concerning IVR menu design/skill-set routing:
how long should front-end messages be and what is the optimum number for
menu selections? |
Eric's response: There is a great strategy in IVR applications
of dumping the most frequently needed information at customers as soon
as they enter. As soon as you validate a customer you might give account
balance and the next payment amount and date. This is a good strategy.
But as you indicate it should not be too long. The key is to provide only
the 2-3 items of most useful information. Avoid fluff and marketing messages.
For menus, a general rule is to keep the number of selections at or below
five. |
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Question: Have you done any studies on consumer preference
for gender in telephone voice response systems? We are reviewing the usability
of our IVR (Telephone Menu) and are wondering if a preference exists,
if so does it differ for sales, customer care, tech support etc. |
Eric's response: Hi Skip. There are definite differences
in gender. The male voice is seen as more authoritative. The female more
nurturing. So in an emergency message on a plane, the female describes
the situation and gives assurance. The male gives instructions. Of course
individual talent matters. So be sure to test perception. |
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Question: Do you know where I can find some reference
material on things to avoid for international Web site development?
I am looking for resources such as a list of common phrases that do not
mean the same thing in other countries or that can even be considered
inappropriate.
I am also looking for other specific things to avoid, such as not to
show hands as gestures do not always mean the same thing.
Any help you could provide would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you. |
Eric's response: Hi Cassandra, thanks for your query.
I passed this question to Apala Chavan. She is head of our office in Mumbai
and is our expert on internationalization....
Internationalization is indeed a vast area and there are are a host of
issues that determine how "international" a site is. Here are
a couple of links to sites that will give you an idea of the kind of issues
that are important to consider when designing a truly international site.
International
Mailing Address Formats and Other International Mailing Information,
compiled by BitBoost Systems personnel primarily for the use of such personnel.
"Global Interface Design:
A guide to Designing International User Interfaces" by Tony Fernandes.
Also our product Usability Central contains guidelines and checklists
on internationalization. If your company has it there is a whole section
that will be of interest to you. It covers Graphics, Metaphors, Colors,
Formats, Language, and Cultures. |
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Question: Do you know of good resources to refer to
for more information on user interface standards for wireless or handheld
devices? |
Eric's response: We have evolved very solid standards
for Windows applications. We have a pretty good set for browsers too (though
they are still evolving a bit). But so far there are NOT good standards
in place for handheld devices. There are some operating system standards
(like Windows CE and Palm). These imply some windowing conventions and
controls.
But there are not a good set of template-based standards where you can
select from a limited number of standard display types that users will
be familiar with. I am looking forward to writing these. But the task
is complicated by the diversity of display and control designs. The display
resolution, color capabilities, and aspect ratio varies widely between
devices. The input devices are even more widely divergent. Yesterday I
was working on a handheld device with 4 buttons and a very small monochrome
screen. I have not seen that configuration before, ever.
So currently we have to develop unique standards for each handheld environment.
Given a bit more time you will probably see HFI publish a limited number
of handheld standards. |
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Question: Eric – I am designing computer systems
for the Taiwanese and am in search of some Human factor information on
this society, where can I get such Information? |
Eric's response: There is not nearly information about
usability engineering issues in the Pacific Rim. You can visit the Association
of Consumer Research site. They have interesting papers on research
done in the Asia Pacific region. But in terms of a solid facility focused
in this direction, it is simply not there. In fact, HFI is very interested
in setting up a team specifically focused on usable design for China (In
fact, I am writing this on a trip to Hong Kong and Singapore. HFI is VERY
serious about usability in Asia). |
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Question: Do you have any guidelines as to when you
should use touch screens?
How can I persuade a business client not to use touch screen just for
the sake of using them because he thinks they are cool? |
Eric's response: Like almost all technology there are
tradeoffs with touch screens. Professionals never use techniques or features
because they are cool. They use them because they are a solution to a
specific user need. Touch screens are the SIMPLEST interface. In a sense
a two year old child sees the world as a touch screen. So it is good for
super simple public use applications. It is also handy as the form factor
can be small and uncomplicated, without the footprint of a mouse and keyboard.
But, touch screens have severe limitations. They are very poor if text
must be entered, or even numbers. There are also parallax problems and
other challenges with handling small targets. |
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Question: I have attended three HFI courses (when our
company still had a good budge) and love your information. I have read
the research regarding what is an acceptable "wait" time for
users when performing various tasks ... and the best way to provide feedback
to let the users know that the system is still up an running, and hasn’t
hung. But the data generally deals with people working alone on their
own computers, initiating the tasks.
However, I have a situation that is a little different and I thought
perhaps you could help me.
Our company develops collaborative software that allows two or more people
to work together on the same drawing or document while they talk to each
other by phone. People can perform a variety of viewing and reviewing
tasks, including: rotate, zoom, pan (move around a page), measure, mark
up (add graphic and text notes), and move from page to page.
Now, here’s the "rub." Because people are collaborating
across the Internet, and because different people often have different
Internet connection speeds, there is sometimes lag time between when one
person performs an operation and when another person sees the results
of that operation. For example, imagine an online meeting between three
people, all looking at the same engineering drawing. Person A clicks and
drags to move to an area of the drawing under discussion. Person A sees
the movement immediately (in less than 1 second). However, person B waits
2 seconds before seeing the movement. And person C, with a slow Internet
connection, does not see the movement for a full 6 seconds. Consequently,
person C may begin doing another operation (like zooming into the drawing
or writing a comment on the drawing).
We have no control over the types of machines people have and their Internet
connections. Consequently, we find that response time for the most common
viewing operations varies from "instantaneous" to almost 9 seconds.
We always provide visual feedback for any operation taking longer than
2 seconds so the user knows something is going on, but we are concerned
with the differences in response time.
When a user works alone, the viewing operations (zoom in and out, move,
and rotate) rarely take longer than 1-2 seconds. However, when the user
works collaboratively with others across the Internet, the operations
can take of up 9 se |
