cunningh@noscvax.UUCP (08/26/83)
"Human factors guidelines for terminal interface design" is the
title of a recent paper vy D. Verne Moreland in the July '83 issue
of the Communications of the ACM, pp. 484-494. It's worth reading.
It's mainly a collection of "folk wisdom" on human factors applied to
screen oriented data entry, and he doesn't quote any academic studies,
but it is a fairly readable article, and if you haven't thought about
some of the things he describes when you design a user interface, maybe
you should.
Here's some quotes:
[in regards to simplifying presentations on a CRT screen:]
"..although it is important that the computer appear civil and not
rude or impersonal, many phrases used only to convey social amenities
can be eliminated..
"..provisions should be made for screen presentations in the local
language.
"A common [violation of the principle of using standard terminology in
a program] occurs when system designers create a tenuous or artificial
distinction between two or more words that are almost synonymous in
everyday speech. For example, a system designer may define 'INPUT'
to mean 'type in' and 'ENTER' to mean 'point to an option with a
light pen'. In many cases these subtle distinctions are lost on
the average user and the results are predictable: confusion and
irritation.
"In order to enable very experienced users to work with a system at
an accelerated rate, the screen cues and input fields could be
abbreviated and concatenated to facilitate rapid scanning ...
[or] actually altering sequences of screens by merging
several 'novice' screens into fewer, more compact user screens.....
"...[A] very important aspect of error toleration suggests that
the design axiom, REPORT ERRORS IMMEDIATELY should be qualified
by the condition, TO THE PROPER PERSON.
"Many people who are bored and uninspired by the million dollar systems
they use in their offices are often completely captivated by the hundred
dollar systems they play with at home. While no one would argue that
a payroll application will ever have the appeal of a 'Pac Man' ...
designers should actively seek to dramatize humdrum applications.
.. systems that can stimulate a sense of intellectual curiosity and provide
useful and relevant information at the same time are quite valuable.
... Taking this approach one step further, the system could remember the most
frequently asked questions and then supply some answers without being
prompted by the users: 'By the way, did you know that customer Y hasn't
placed an order yet this month?'
reviewed by,
Bob Cunningham ....{philabs,ucbvax}!sdcsvax!noscvax!cunningh