L3

Question 1

Interface types: Command interfaces

Answer 1

Efficient, precise and fast

Large overhead to learning set of commands

Question 2

Interface types: WIMP / GUI interfaces

Answer 2

Windows Icons Menus Pointing device

Icons are assumed to be easier to learn and remember than commands

Icons…
…can be designed to be compact and and variably positioned on a screen
…now populate every application and operating system
- represent desktop objects
- tools (paintbrush)
- application (web browser)
- operations (cut, paste, next, accept etc)

Question 3

WIMenusP

Answer 3

Flat lists, drop-down, popup, contextual and expanding

Flat menus
+ displaying a small number of options at the same time and where the size of the display is small, ex iPods
- nested lists (requiring several steps to get to the list with the desired option

Expanding menus…
…enables more options to be shown in a single screen than us possible with a single flat menu
…more flexible navigation, allowing for selection of options to be done in the same window

Cascading menu…
…most popular
…downside is that they require precise mouse control can result in overshooting or selecting wrong options

Contextual menus…
…provide access to often used commands that make sense in the context of a current task
…appear when the user presses the control key while clicking on an interface element/ “right click”

Pull down menus

Question 4

Interface types: Multimedia

Answer 4

Combines different media within a single interface with various forms of interactivity
- graphics, text, video, sound, and animations

Question 5

Interface types: Web-based interface

Answer 5

Early websites were largely text-based, providing hyperlinks

• concern was with how best to structure information at the interface to enable users to navigate and access it easily and quickly
• then, usability
• now, emphasis on UX responsive design

Question 6

Interface types: Mobile interfaces

Answer 6

The goal: To have a (networking) computer you can always bring with you

Became possible thanks to
- reduced size to components (processor, memory, screen…)
- lower cost
- increasing battery length (less power consumption)
- pervasive networking (GPRS, WiFi)

Question 7

Interface types: Wearable interfaces

Answer 7

First developments was head-and eyewear-mounted cameras that enables user to record what seen and to access digital information, ex Apple vision

Question 8

Interface types: Robotic interfaces

Answer 8

Robots
- remote robots used in hazardous settings
- domestic robots helping around house
- pet robots as human companions

Question 9

Interface types: Brain-computer interface

Answer 9

Ex controlling a robotic arm with brain