Textbook: Chapters 5-6

Question 1

What are design principles?

Answer 1

derived from experience, abstract, high level guides for design which because of their generality are difficult to apply

Question 2

What are design rules?

Answer 2

low level highly specific instructions that the designer can follow with a minimum of interpretation

Question 3

What are the four psychological principles?

Answer 3

• users see what they expect to see
• users have difficulty focusing on more than one activity at a time
• it is easier to perceive a structured layout
• it is easier to recognize something than the recall it

Question 4

What is the principle of consistency?

Answer 4

users find it difficult to handle the unexpected, therefore it is important to be consistent throughout the UI

Question 5

What is the principle of exploiting prior knowledge?

Answer 5

users perceive the screen using their prior knowledge this provides the opportunity to draw on their experience

Question 6

What is the principle of perceptual organization?

Answer 6

If you group things together that go together it is easier for the user to pay attention to the appropriate group

Question 7

What is the principle of importance?

Answer 7

If something is important for the user, it should be placed in a prominent position

Question 8

What are some modern metrics of usability?

Answer 8

• effective
• efficient
• engaging
• error tolerant
• easy to learn

Question 9

What is a constraint?

Answer 9

Factors that may influence choices in design.

Question 10

What is a trade-off?

Answer 10

resolving a conflict by sacrificing one item (eg feature) in order to achieve another