L1 Intro to UB Flashcards
(30 cards)
What is the formal ISO definition of usability?
“The effectiveness, efficiency and satisfaction with which specified users can achieve specified goals in particular environments.” (ISO 9241-11, 1998)
What are the three core attributes of usability?
- Effectiveness
- Efficiency
- Satisfaction
What is usability engineering?
- A systematic and iterative process involving user needs analysis, interface design, prototype testing, and refinement to optimize user experience and minimize errors.
What distinguishes usability engineering from software development?
- Usability engineering focuses on evaluating and improving interactions, not on building systems.
What is interaction design (IxD)?
- Designing interactive products/services by focusing on how users interact with them, considering their needs, limitations, and context.
Why is usability important in product design?
- If users find a product hard to use or understand, they will abandon it quickly, especially in e-commerce or web interfaces.
How can usability be improved during development?
- Understand user goals
- Prototype
- Formulate and falsify hypotheses
- Observe user interaction
- Identify pain points
When should usability evaluation be conducted?
- Before starting new designs
- On competitor designs
- During field studies
- With prototypes, across multiple iterations
What does Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) involve?
- Designing, evaluating, and implementing interactive systems for human use and understanding the phenomena around them.
What are common misconceptions about HCI?
- It is not about cosmetics, last-minute tweaks, or interface programming only.
What does “inclusive design” aim to achieve?
- Creating products accessible to everyone, regardless of disability, age, education, or socioeconomic status.
What process is depicted in the cycle shown in the diagram?
- The usability engineering cycle, which includes:
- Design
- Build/Implement
- Evaluate
- Continuous iteration through these stages.
What is the significance of the arrows in the usability engineering cycle diagram?
- The circular arrows represent the iterative nature of usability engineering — constant refinement and user testing.
At which stage of the usability cycle are user prototypes tested?
- During the Evaluate phase.
What comes immediately after the ‘Design’ phase in the cycle diagram?
- Build/Implement.
Why is it important to return from ‘Evaluate’ back to ‘Design’ in this cycle?
- To refine the product based on evaluation results and user feedback.
What five key usability attributes are displayed in the circular diagram?
- Satisfaction, Learnability, Efficiency, Errors, Memorability.
According to the diagram, what does ‘Satisfaction’ assess?
- How pleasant it is for users to use the design.
What does the ‘Errors’ section of the usability diagram focus on?
- The frequency, severity, and recoverability of user errors.
What is measured by ‘Learnability’ in the diagram?
- How easy it is for users to complete basic tasks the first time they use the design.
According to the diagram, when is ‘Memorability’ important?
- When users return after a break and need to re-establish proficiency.
What does the ‘Efficiency’ section measure in the usability diagram?
- How quickly and accurately users can complete tasks once they’ve learned the system.
What disciplines overlap to form Interaction Design in this diagram?
- Semiotics, Graphic Design, Web Design, Game Design, UI Engineering, Information Architecture.
What field appears at the core of the overlapping circles in the interaction design Venn diagram?
- User Interface Engineering.
