Question 1

There are potentially many mistakes that designers can make, which include
the forces that work against evolutionary design. Identify three forces that
work against evolutionary design and explain what is meant by each force.

 The demands of time

Companies and software developers alike are inclined to release new software
and technology as soon as possible based on the premise of “New is Better”.
After Beta testing on public a few bug fixes are implemented however the
urgency to release the new software to outdo the competition bests the need
to release a bug free product. An example of this technology lapse is Samsung
galaxy’s infamous exploding Note that they rushed to use fast charge
capabilities.

 Pressure to be distinctive
Gimmicks to market a product are in every sector from perishables boasting
new and improved formulas to software that claims to be upgrades. They often
omit certain functional aspects in the pursuit of these new and improved
features. An example would be Microsoft windows Application drawer the less
functional, more aesthetically pleasing app drawer of windows 8 was not well
received. Though it was changed back to normal in later versions this is the
perfect example of how ill-conceived innovation may cause us to regress.

 The curse of individuality and market differentiation

Most software developers follow trends of the tech world with their personal
twist to make it seem different and better instead of improving on a design
and being innovative. Such examples are on the android platform with the
variation of manufacturer tweaked operating systems such as MIUI, TouchWiz,
EMUI, HTC Sense, LG UX etc. Each manufacturer is trying to be different but as
a result they create problems such as delayed version updates and unknown
bugs.
Question 2
Describe why it is necessary to avoid cluttered interfaces.

 It can be difficult for users to take in and understand the many different
objects that are presented on the screen. Some may be missed entirely.
Manufacturers such as Apple designed UI for the layperson there it’s
minimalist with aesthetic appeal
 The more you present on screen the harder it will be for the user to find
the options/objects they want to use. An example of this will be Autocad
vs SketchUp. Even though autocad is more immersive and gives the user
many options, using the application often requires rigorous training with
most universities offering CAD courses whereas google sketchup is
simplified with limited capabilities and thus may be used by the
layperson.

Question 3
3.1. The subscriber and contact buttons do not fulfil the purpose of headings,
because nothing happens when they are clicked. What do you recommend
should be used to convey the message that, for example, the next set of
information is related to the user?

The headings and selectable buttons should differentiate in some aspect. An

example of differentiating would be to remove the border from Subscriber and
contact and add a metaphor to the ‘Save’ and ‘Cancel’ buttons such as a floppy
disc and an X respectively.

3.2. Explain what is meant by a physical constraint in HCI.

A constraint in HCI terms is a mechanism that restricts the allowed behaviour

of a user when interacting with a computer system. For example a USB port
can only be used on a computer in a single direction. Diverging from this may
damage the hardware. This has changed with the introduction of Type-C USB.
3.3. Not all constraints are physical; what other types of constraints exist?

 Semantic constraints.
We know that red lights mean stop and green lights mean go, so we infer
that a red light means a device is off or inoperative, and a green light means
it’s on or ready to function.

 Cultural constraints.
Otherwise known as conventions. Albeit very similar to semantic
constraints. Somehow we all know without being told that we’re supposed
to face forward in the elevator. For example Google Glass was an epic
failure because developers ran into the cultural constraint of people not
liking the idea of photographed without consent.

 Logical constraints.
The arrangement of knobs controlling your stove burners should match the
arrangement of the burners themselves. Such constraints in a program
would be the text direction options in Word programs indicating left to
right etc.
Question 4
4.1 Is this a suitable toolbar to show icons for a child? Yes or no
Yes.

4.2 The page backward and page forward icons provide a natural ______.
Mapping.

4.3 Explain your answer to the question in 4.2.

By using an analogy and cultural standards to support interpretation i.e a
real book. It depicts a page and arrows indicating the direction in which the
page will move, left or right. To add to the depiction the pages are also
located on the aforementioned sides.

4.4 What is wrong with the traffic light in the figure? Provide a reason for
your answer.
There is no logical, cultural or semantic connection between a traffic light
and the exit operation. A yellow or red traffic light may convey caution or
yield however it has no direct correlation with it’s intended function.
NB. Perhaps the designer’s intention was to tell the kids to not approach
the button as the computer UI is intended for adults but the game is
intended for them therefore they need not leave the programme until an
adult deems so.
Question 5
5.1 There are two types of design guidelines: low-level detailed rules and
high-level directing principles. What is the difference between low-level
and high-level principles?
High-level principles are relatively abstract and applicable to different
systems such as games, word processors, video players etc, while low-level
detailed rules are instructions that are application-specific and do not need
much interpretation such as operating systems and drivers.

5.2 Differentiate between design principles and user experience goals.

Design principles are prescriptive suggestions to aid in designing an
interface instead of telling them how to design it. These include visibility,
constraints, mapping, feedback, consistency and affordance.
On the other hand user experience goals are more focused on how a user
feels about the product which will help in the eventual success or lack
thereof of the programme. “For a system to provide users with positive experiences of
interaction, designers should attend to features that will make the product satisfying,
enjoyable, engaging, pleasurable, exciting, entertaining, helpful, motivating, aesthetically
pleasing, supportive of creativity, cognitively stimulating, rewarding, fun, provocative,
surprising, emotionally fulfilling, challenging, and enhancing sociability”
Question 6
Dix et al (2004) divide interface design principles into three categories,
namely, learnability, flexibility and robustness. Identify and explain two
principles that affect learnability.

Familiarity
Consistency with respect to prior real-world experience. For example the
QWERTY keyboard or the clickable objects should look clickable. This could
be aided by metaphors such as X for exit or a house to return to the home
screen.

Generalisability
Consistency with respect to experience with the same system or set of
applications on the same platform. For example Microsoft office Word and
OpenOffice.Org have a similar user interface as they are programs of the
same genre. The same applies for cellphones. Transitioning to a new phone
is a lot easier with the unified design.

Question 7
7.1 Indicate at least four suitable interfaces for the elderly people to use.
 Multimodal Interfaces
 Advanced Graphical Interfaces
 Speech Interfaces
 Mobile Interfaces
7.2 Explain why you choose these interfaces by highlighting the
advantages associated with each type of interface, taking into
consideration the target population.
Multimodal Interfaces
There are a lot of different ways of interacting, including touch, sight, sound
and speech. It is combined so that users can experience or control
information in multiple different ways. This may help people with
disabilities as it caters for a wide variety of disabilities. Such options are
often found in the Accessibility option on interfaces.

Advanced Graphical Interfaces

It refers to any interactive system that uses pictures or images to
communicate information. This is an extremely wide definition. It includes
keyboard-based systems that only use graphics to present data. Some
examples of this include self-help menus at certain restaurants, ATM’s
amongst other things. It has high visibility to be seen by the elderly, it’s
cross cultural therefore easier for anyone to understand.

Speech Interfaces
A speech interface allows the user to talk to a system that has the capacity
to interpret spoken language. It may help the elderly with poor vision as
speech readers will allow the user to point at a paragraph and the computer
will read it.

Mobile Interfaces
Though most mobile interfaces come equipped with an accessibility menu
to change text size, text to speech programs amongst other things there are
specific mobile devices that are simple, largely visible and culturally in tune
for the elderly to use.
 Question 8
Identify the steps involved in the process of iterative interaction design as
mentioned by Preece et al (2007).

 Identify the users’ needs and requirements.

 Develop alternative designs according to those requirements and
then build interactive versions (prototypes/betas) of those designs
 Evaluate the users’ experience with the product

Question 9
Preece et al (2007) identified at least five evaluation approaches that can be
followed to test systems. Name these five methods.

 Usability Testing
 Field Studies
 Analytical Evaluation
 Cooperative Evaluation Techniques
 Scenario-Based Evaluation

Question 10
As computer technology and the internet evolved, it changed the way in
which people conduct business and how banks function. Mention at least
five ways in which businesses can save costs if they convert to online
business.

 A retail business does not need to carry the inventory of a physical
store.
 Simplification of order placement and execution.
 Providing 24 hour customer support.
 No physical store needs to be set up and maintained.
 No restriction on retail hours.