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IFD:Course Interaction Design (view source)
Revision as of 11:26, 14 November 2010
, 14 November 2010→Get to know if your ideas work!
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==Get to know if your ideas work!== | ==Get to know if your ideas work!== | ||
<!-- ===User Interface Design Heuristics=== | |||
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===User Interface Design Heuristics=== | |||
Heuristics are "rules of thumb" derived from experiences that are used to solve problems efficiently. The rules are no guarantee to get an optimal or even a good solution but in the most cases heuristics work good and especially fast. | Heuristics are "rules of thumb" derived from experiences that are used to solve problems efficiently. The rules are no guarantee to get an optimal or even a good solution but in the most cases heuristics work good and especially fast. | ||
You can | You can counter-check your interfaces using the heuristics. In a proper "heuristic evaluation" you have some (max. 5) people who have some experioence in Interaction Design checking your interface against a list of heuristic principles. | ||
A frequently used list for design principles are the [http://www.useit.com/papers/heuristic/heuristic_list.html heuristics by Jacob Nielsen]: | A frequently used list for design principles are the [http://www.useit.com/papers/heuristic/heuristic_list.html heuristics by Jacob Nielsen]: | ||
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# '''Aesthetic and minimalist design:''' Let form follow function and dont add visual clutter by over-advanced visual design. | # '''Aesthetic and minimalist design:''' Let form follow function and dont add visual clutter by over-advanced visual design. | ||
# '''Help users recognize, diagnose, and recover from errors:''' In case an Error cant be prevented or handled by the application itself, the error message should state problem and possible solutions in plain, non-technical terms. | # '''Help users recognize, diagnose, and recover from errors:''' In case an Error cant be prevented or handled by the application itself, the error message should state problem and possible solutions in plain, non-technical terms. | ||
# '''Help and documentation:''' It is good if no help is needed to learn the program but some questions will appear, so provide searchable, easy to access information how to use the product--> | # '''Help and documentation:''' It is good if no help is needed to learn the program but some questions will appear, so provide searchable, easy to access information how to use the product | ||
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===Introduction to prototypes=== | ===Introduction to prototypes=== | ||
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* Use language that is easy to understand. If the task's description is not comprehensible nobody can test. | * Use language that is easy to understand. If the task's description is not comprehensible nobody can test. | ||
===Build a Prototype=== | ===Build a Paper-Prototype=== | ||
Now as you know what you are going to test you can build your prototype. It needs to simulate the situations that can occur when the participants do the task you gave them. So at least you need to cover the possibilities to resolve the task and some sideways that don't lead to the task's solution. Otherwise the Participant will try to interact and your prototype will not be up to responding and "crashes" | Now as you know what you are going to test you can build your prototype. It needs to simulate the situations that can occur when the participants do the task you gave them. So at least you need to cover the possibilities to resolve the task and some sideways that don't lead to the task's solution. Otherwise the Participant will try to interact and your prototype will not be up to responding and "crashes". | ||
==== | ====The role of the "computer"==== | ||
If you test with paper prototypes it will be useful to get an additional person before you start: besides of doing the actual testing, somebody needs to be the "computer" and change the prototype according to the users interactions. | |||
===Brief Observers=== | ===Brief Observers=== | ||
===Brief Participants=== | ===Brief Participants=== | ||
Now, as you are finished building the prototype you need, you can finally do the actual test! | Now, as you are finished building the prototype you need, you can finally do the actual test! | ||
If your testers never tested an prototype before they are likely to wonder what is going to happen. So it is important to give them a brief introduction. | If your testers never tested an prototype before they are likely to wonder what is going to happen. So it is important to give them a brief introduction. | ||