Understanding users, usability and user experience

Question 1

What are the disciplines in user-centred design?

Answer 1

• Interaction design: Creating and intuitive and engaging UI
• Human-computer interaction: Studying how users interact with computers
• UX design: Enhancing overall user satisfaction and ease of use
• Requirements engineering: Defining system functions and qualities

Question 2

What human abilities/capabilities do we need to consider?

Answer 2

• Physiological aspects: senses, movement, fatigue etc
• Cognitive aspects: attention, memory, learning etc
• Affective aspects: engagement, satisfaction, frustration etc

Question 3

Limitations to understanding users

Answer 3

• Humans are complex; we can’t predict every need or behaviour
• Every user is different
• Users may struggle to articulate needs
• Users’ actual use may be different from what they say

Question 4

Nielsen’s usability characteristics

Answer 4

• Learnability - the system should be easy to use
• Efficiency - the system should be efficient to use
• Memorability - the system should be easy to remember
• Errors - the system should have a low error rate
• satisfaction - the system should satisfying to use

Question 5

What methods are these to evaluate usability?

Answer 5

• Inspection methods
• inquiry methods
• Testing methods

Question 6

What are inspection methods?

Answer 6

• Heuristic evaluation: experts check usability principles
• Experts simulate user interaction
• Reviewing compliance with standards or guidelines

Question 7

What are usability heuristics?

Answer 7

general guidelines followed to improve usability. They air for a sufficient solutions rather than a perfect one

Question 8

Pros and cons of heuristic evaluation

Answer 8

Pros:
- quick and inexpensive
- no need to recruit users
- no privacy concerns

Cons:
- Requires expertise
- May overlook bigger issues

Question 9

What is the usability testing process?

Answer 9

-Users are assigned tasks and observed
- Performance measures are recorded such as completion time or number of errors

Question 10

How does user experience (UX) differ from usability?

Answer 10

• UX focuses on emotional responses and satisfaction
• Usability measures efficiency and effectiveness

Question 11

What is a dark pattern?

Answer 11

A deceptive UI feature that misleads the user into doing something that benefits the service provider

Question 12

What is the roach motel dark pattern?

Answer 12

When it is very easy for a user to enter a situation (like a subscription to a service) but difficult to exit it e.g. newsletters

Question 13

What is forces continuity dark pattern?

Answer 13

Users are forced to give credit card info for a free trial, hoping the user forgets to cancel

Question 14

What is bait and switch dark pattern?

Answer 14

Users intend to complete one action but an undesirable action occurs instead
e.g. clicking on an item, then being presented with a higher price

Question 15

What is privacy Zuckering?

Answer 15

Designing confusing user interfaces that deceive users into sharing personal information, using complex, unclear language