User Interface Design Evaluation Techniques and Methods

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<h1>User Interface Design Evaluation Techniques and Methods</h1><strong> Author: <a href='http://www.articleseen.com/profile_Martin Metz.aspx'>Martin Metz</a></strong><br /><p>A crucial component of successful user interface design is the evaluation of said interface designs. After spending time developing a user interface it needs to be tested and measured to ascertain the degree to which requirements for the user interface (UI) have been achieved and to provide feedback in a form that can be used by user interface designers and developers to iteratively improve a UI design . Thankfully, there are a number of techniques and methods that can be employed in the service of assessing the quality a user interface design. The evaluation methods can be user-based or expert-based and in the guise of three general types: Testing, Inspection and Inquiry. Testing Methods for User Interface Design Evaluation Usability Testing is an indispensable tool in appraising whether an interface design is meeting user and organizational requirements. Representative users of a target audience are given tasks to accomplish using a given UI. This could come in the form of the actual system or a UI prototype created with a wireframing tool .The goal here is to test the interface design on five fronts. These are, namely: the ease of learning, efficiency of use, memorability, error frequency and severity, and subjective satisfaction of the user operating the system. Usability testing helps identify serious and recurring problems in a user interface design and should be performed as early in the development of the UI as possible, for example by employing early-stage wireframe prototypes as aides. Inspection Methods for User Interface Design Evaluation Usability inspection is done by usability specialists and sometimes by software developers. In the course of a usability inspection, users and/or professionals examine usability related aspects of a user interface design. Inspection methods are usually aimed at finding usability problems in the interface design but sometimes address issues like the severity of the usability problems. Methods commonly used are Cognitive Walkthroughs, Feature Inspection, Heuristic Evaluation, and Pluralistic Walkthrough. I shall delve more into these methods below in this article. Inquiry Methods for User Interface Design Evaluation The inquiry part is where usability evaluators obtain information regarding users’ needs, wants, likes, dislikes, and understanding of a user interface design by observing them, actually talking to them, or having them submit written information. Methods of inquiry include Field Observation, Focus Groups, Interviews, and Questionnaires etc. Examples of User Interface Design Inspection Methods Some of the most frequently used methods in user interface design come from the field of inspection methods. So let’s take a look at some of them. Heuristic evaluation involves usability specialists whose task it is to determine whether each dialogue element follows established usability principles. These principles are called “heuristics” and include: 1. Visibility of system status – Users should always be given appropriate feedback within reasonable time regarding the usage of the system via clues in the user interface design. 2. Match between system and real world – The system should employ words, phrases and concepts familiar to users. 3. User control and freedom – Users often make mistakes so they should be able to undo (and redo) their actions. 4. Consistency and standards – Users of a system should never have to wonder whether different actions, words and situations mean the same thing. Conventions should be followed in the user interface design. 5. Error prevention – Interface design should be done in a way that prevents a problem from occurring in the first place. A good example of this is to present users with a confirmation option before they commit a critical action. 6. Recognition rather than recall – Objects, actions, and options should be visible so that users do not have to remember all information. If instructions are not visible they should be easily retrievable. 7. Flexibility and efficiency of use – Users vary in expertise and skill when using an interface design. Expert users should be able to call upon accelerators that are unseen by the novice user to speed up their usage of the system. 8. Aesthetic and minimalist design – All information that is irrelevant or rarely needed should be excised to reduce otherwise distracting clutter and noise from a UI design. 9. Help users recognize, diagnose, and recover from errors – use plain language and constructively suggest a solution. 10. Help and documentation – A system or user interface design should be as self-explanatory as possible but help and documentation should be provided in an easy to find, descriptive and non-convoluted nature. A Cognitive Walkthrough is a task-specific usability inspection method that uses a more detailed procedure to simulate a user’s problem-solving process at each step of using a system. This can then be used to check if the simulation of a task(s) can be assumed to lead to the next correct action. Users typically prefer to learn a system by using it to accomplish tasks rather than studying a manual. Cognitive walkthroughs begin with a specified sequence of steps or actions required by a user to accomplish a task as well as the system responses to those actions. User interface designers and developers then walk through the steps as a group while posing questions at each step. Does the user get feedback? Will the user notice that the correct action is available? Will the user try to achieve the effect that the subtask has? Will the user understand that the wanted subtask can be achieved by the action? These are the types of questions posed and used to unmask usability issues. Feature inspection lists the sequences of features used to accomplish typical tasks as well as checking for cumbersome steps that may be too long or require extensive experience etc. Pluralistic walkthrough, in contrast, is centered on group meetings where users, developers, and human factors experts go through a task scenario discussing usability issues associated with the system. Pluralistic walkthroughs have the advantage of providing a diverse range of skills and perspectives. While each of the user interface design methods and techniques discussed above has its individual strengths and weaknesses, using at least one is recommended to ensure that a new system will be well accepted and efficiently used by the intended end users. </p><strong>About the Author:</strong><br /><p>Pidoco.com –<strong> </strong><a rel="nofollow" href="https://pidoco.com/" target="_blank" title="Interface Design, Interface Design Tool">Interface Design</a> <strong></strong>,<strong> </strong>Wireframing Software, <a rel="nofollow" href="https://pidoco.com/en/benefits/clickable_interactive_wireframes" target="_blank" title="Wireframes, Clickable Wireframes">Wireframes</a> <strong></strong>, Wireframe Tool, Interface Design Software, Interface Prototyping, Usability Testing, Wireframes and Clickable Wireframes. <p> Article Source: <a href='http://www.articleseen.com/Article_User-Interface-Design-Evaluation-Techniques-and-Methods_56310.aspx'> http://www.articleseen.com/Article_User Interface Design Evaluation Techniques and Methods_56310.aspx</a></p>

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Keywords : interface design, ui design, ui prototyping, interface design software, interface design tool, wireframe software, wireframe ,

Category : Computers : Software