Usability and Human Computer Interaction

Question 1

What is Human Computer Interaction (HCI)?

Answer 1

The study of interaction between users and systems

Question 2

What is Usability?

Answer 2

A quality attribute that assess how easy interfaces are to use

Question 3

Why does Usability matter?

Answer 3

• Major aspect of Systems Development
• UI is what users see
• A system with poor usability: seen as bad, regardless of functionality

Question 4

What is User Experience?

Answer 4

UX encompasses all aspects of the end-user’s interaction with the company, its services, and its products

Question 5

What are Nielsen’s 10 Usability Heuristics?

Answer 5

1. Visibility of system status
2. Match between system and the real world
3. User control and freedom
4. Consistency and standards
5. Error prevention
6. Recognition rather than recall
7. Flexibility and efficiency of use
8. Aesthetic and minimalist design
9. Help users recognise, diagnose, and recover from errors
10. Help and documentation

Question 6

What are the 6 Design Principles?

Answer 6

1. Visibility
2. Affordance
3. Feedback
4. Mapping
5. Constraints
6. Consistency

Question 7

What are 3 ways to evaluate Usability?

Answer 7

1. Questionnaires
2. Heuristics evaluation
3. Usability testing

Question 8

What is Think-Aloud testing and why is it useful?

Answer 8

Users perform typical tasks whilst thinking aloud
- Uncover problems with design
- Discover opportunities to improve design
- Learn about users, their behaviour and preferences

Question 9

What is Prototyping?

Answer 9

The activity of making basic models or designs for a product
- Obtain feedback from stakeholders
- Test feasibility of ideas
- Choose between alternative options
- Quick, cheap and productive

Question 10

What are the 3 levels of prototyping?

Answer 10

1. Lo-fi
2. Medium-fi
3. High-fi

Question 11

What are the 6 principles to optimise functionality and interactivity?

Answer 11

1. Visibility
2. Feedback
3. Constraints
4. Mapping
5. Consistency
6. Affordance