HCI121 V Understanding how interface affects users

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Created by
rico

Cards (17)

  • AFFECTIVE ASPECTS
    • HCI has generally been about designing efficient and effective systems
    • Recently, move towards considering how to design interactive systems to make people respond in certain ways
    o e.g., to be happy, to be trusting, to learn, to be motivated
  • EXPRESSIVE INTERFACES
    • Color, icons, sounds, graphical elements and animations are used to make the ‘look and feel’ of an interface appealing.
    o Conveys an emotional state.
    • In turn this can affect the usability of an interface
    o People are prepared to put up with certain aspects of an interface (e.g. slow download rate) if the end result is very appealing and aesthetic.
  • FRIENDLY INTERFACES
    • Microsoft pioneered friendly interfaces for technophobes - ‘At home with Bob’ software.
    • 3D metaphors based on familiar places (e.g., living rooms)
    • Agents in the guise of pets (e.g., bunny, dog) were included to talk to the user.
    o Make users feel more at ease and comfortable.
  • USER-CREATED EXPRESSIVENESS
    • Users have created emoticons - compensate for lack of expressiveness in text communication:
    o Happy :)
    o Sad :<
    o Sick :X
    o Mad >:
    o Very angry >:-(
    • Also, use of icons and shorthand in text and instant messaging has emotional connotations,
    o I 12 CU 2NITE
  • USER FRUSTRATION
    • Some causes:
    o When an application doesn’t work properly or crashes
    o When a system doesn’t do what the user wants it to do
    o When a user’s expectations are not met
    o When a system does not provide sufficient information to enable the user to know what to do
    o When error messages pop up that are vague, obtuse or condemning.
    o When the appearance of an interface is garish, noisy, gimmicky or patronizing.
  • ERROR MESSAGES
    • “The application Word Wonder has unexpectedly quite due to a type 2 error.”
    o Why not instead:
    • “The application has expectedly quite due to poor coding in the operating system”
    • Schneiderman’s guidelines for error messages include:
    o avoid using terms like FATAL, INVALID, BAD
    o Audio warnings
    o Avoid UPPERCASE and long code numbers.
    o Messages should be precise rather than vague.
    o Provide context-sensitive help.
  • SHOULD COMPUTERS SAY THEY’RE SORRY?
    • Reeves and Naas (1996) argue that computers should be made to apologize.
    • Should emulate human etiquette.
    • Would users be as forgiving of computers saying sorry as people are of each other when saying sorry?
    • How sincere would they think the computer was being? For example, after a system crash:7
    o “I’m really sorry I crashed. I’ll try not to do it again.”
    • How else should computers communicate with users?
  • Anthropomorphism
    ·       Attributing human-like qualities to inanimate objects (e.g. cars, computers)
    ·       Well known phenomenon in advertising
    o    Dancing butter, drinks, breakfast cereals
    ·       Much exploited in human-computer interaction
    o    Make user experience more enjoyable, more motivating, make people feel at ease, reduce anxiety.
  • Computers that flatter and praise users in education software programs

    • "Your question makes an important and useful distinction. Great job!"
  • Positive impact of computers that flatter and praise users
    • Students were more willing to continue with exercises with this kind of feedback
  • Criticism of anthropomorphism
    • Deceptive
    • Make people feel anxious, inferior or stupid
  • Impersonal feedback

    • "Incorrect. Try again."
  • Personalized feedback

    • Considered to be less honest
    • Makes users feel less responsible for their actions
  • VIRTUAL CHARACTERS
    • Increasingly appearing on our screens
    o Web, characters in videogames, learning companions, wizards, newsreaders, popstars.
    • Provides a persona that is welcoming, has personality and makes user feel involved with them.
  • VIRTUAL CHARACTERS: AGENTS
    • Can be classified in terms of the degree of anthropomorphism they exhibit:
    o Synthetic characters
    o Animated agents
    o Emotional agents
    o Embodied conversational agents.
  • WHICH IS THE MOST BELIAVABLE AGENT
    • Believability refers to the extent to which users come to believe an agent’s intentions and personality.
    • Appearance is very important.
    o Are simple cartoon-like characters or more realistic characters, resembling the human form more believable?
    • Behavior is very important.
    o How an agent moves, gestures, and refers to objects on the screen
    o Exaggeration of facial expressions and gestures to show underlying emotions.
  • Key points
    ·       Affective aspects are concerned with how interactive systems make people respond in emotional ways.
    ·        Well-designed interfaces can elicit good feelings in users.
    ·       Expressive interfaces can provide reassuring feedback.
    ·       Badly designed interfaces make people angry and frustrated.
    ·        Anthropomorphism is increasingly used at the interface, in the guise of agents and virtual screen characters.