Chapter 28 Flashcards
PoHCI, week 3 (12 cards)
What was the first prototype, laptop and computer that resembled the modern GUI?
Sketchpad
It had the use of a pointing device (lightpen) for drawing geometric shapes, and the abilitity to create
and manipulate graphical objects presented on display.
Dynabook
Predicted a modern laptop or tablet along with a modern GUI.
Xerox Alto
The first computer that was specifically designed to support a GUI. The users could interact with a
keyboard and mouse, it had a word processor, a graphics editor, a SmallTalk environment, pinball
game etc.
What are some design objectives for a GUI?
Visibility
Consistency
Minimizing errors
Accessibility
What is visibility in terms of GUI?
GUIs should strive to have high visibility. This means that in order to support users in achieving their
goals, these goals and the necessary steps to achieve the goals should be visible to users
What does “What you see is what you get” refer to?
Word processors, which show the effects of font families, sizes and styles directly in the document
Explain visibility of commands
Ensure that commands are visible. For example revealing many relevant text formatting options and
tools in a toolbar
Explain visibility of status
Ensuring that the GUI shows the status of entities relevant to the user’s goals. For example an
indicator of whether a remote user is available or busy in a communication program
Explain visibility of dependencies
Spreadsheets allow users to link cells together by formulas which refer to the values in other cells. In a
spreadsheet GUI, when the user clicks a cell with a formula that refers to other cells, the dependent
cells are color coded to match the color of coding of their role in the original formula
What is consistency in terms of GUI?
Representations are similar across the user interface.
If the print command is represented with an icon showing a particular printer in one part of the
interface, the same icon should be used in another.
What is minimizing errors in terms of GUI?
Errors are outcomes in a graphical user interface that are inaccurate or incorrect.
A GUI should be designed to anticipate and tolerate user errors and minimize erronous outcomes
What is reversing outcomes in terms of GUI?
GUIs allow users to reverse the results if their actions are later found to be undesirable.
This realization has led to the widespread implementation of undo and redo, which allow users to
reverse their actions (undo) or repeat them (redo)
What is a model-world interface?
The desktop metaphor
It models the desktop from the real world and allow users themselves to act in the world - in first
person - and not via an intermediary
What is metaphors in GUI design?
The idea behind the use of metaphors is to design concepts, processes and actions in a graphical
user interface around the userøs prior knowledge.
Interface metaphors can be when word and text processing uses the metaphor of the typewriter and exploits prior knowledge around using typewriters, typing paer and keyboards.
